Water heater is cold ... preheat cold water using staging tank
During winter, staging tank in basement or crawlspace warms cold water using ground temperature see groundwater temp map
Buy scratch-n-dent 20-30 gallon water heater for staging tank. Do not connect electricity. Insulate pipes.
Net energy gain when staging tank heats from natural ground warmth or heat-pump exchanger or sun exposure
Copper tubing can be used to make water resevoir. Copper lasts longer than steel tank <> 320 feet of 3/4" tube = 20 gallon
Summer: Staging tank or copper tube located in sunny location gives net energy benefit in daytime summer hours > heat energy can be stored but cools quickly without thick insulation
Staging tank for
tankless
water heater
Winter time, customer discovers tankless can not heat water fast enough.
Staging tank can solve problem by pre-heating water before it reaches tankless.
| Problem
with tankless heater 1. Contact manufacturer's web site 2. Post problem on plumbing forum: Tankless turns-on after toilet is flushed Difficult to diagnose noise in tankless 1-year-old tankless is blowing breaker Compare tank vs tankless parts Undersized gas meter causes problems More forums: 1 2 3 4 5 |
Flue
Pipe Heat Exchanger
Flue pipe gets hot each time gas water heater turns-on.
Check Local Codes may prohibit heat-exchanger on flue pipe
<> cold water in copper tubing could reduce flue gas temperature to point where flue gases may not properly draft up chimney read
<> do not obstruct air draft opening on top of tank
<> flue pipe must maintain upward tip so gas draws through pipe = minimum 1/4" per foot
<> insulation near flue pipe is fire hazard
<> if flue pipe comes apart see, extreme danger of CO carbon-monoxide poisoning read wiki
<> rusted flue pipe may not be venting properly > check for obstructions in pipe > check flue cap on roof > raise angle of pipe and reduce number of elbows
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Make
heat exchanger using
lathe or manually
wrap copper around PVC pipe
