Читать книгу Solar Water Heating--Revised & Expanded Edition - Bob Ramlow - Страница 37

Storage tanks without built-in heat exchangers are the most common kind found in solar water heating systems. These can be made of steel or fiberglass. To function as a solar hot-water-storage tank, the tank has to be insulated and have suitable fittings to allow proper connections of the water supply, the heat exchanger and the drain. A number of manufacturers build storage tanks specially designed for this type of application, similar to water heating tanks but with extra ports to make it easy to install the solar plumbing. It is also possible to use a traditional water heater tank. These tanks are readily available at competitive prices and come in both fiberglass and steel. If you go this route, it is best to use an electric water heater. A gas water heater tank will most likely have a flue down the center, which can lead to more standby heat loss, as well as providing more surface area to develop leaks. More information on how configure a traditional electric water heater into a storage tank will be covered in Chapter 8.

Sometimes folks want to buy a used tank when installing a system. If you choose to do that, you should inspect the tank carefully for corrosion. In most cases the used tank was taken out of service either because it leaked or was old and ready to leak. We do not suggest using used storage tanks.