Читать книгу Solar Water Heating--Revised & Expanded Edition - Bob Ramlow - Страница 39

Solar space heating systems are just overgrown solar water heaters. Being overgrown, they need an overgrown storage tank — think big. The size will vary depending on house size and climate. It is not uncommon for these storage tanks to be in the 300-gallon to 500-gallon range. To achieve the required storage size you can use either one large tank or several smaller tanks plumbed together. One large tank will always be preferable. These tanks are made of steel, stainless steel, fiberglass or, occasionally, concrete. There have been many attempts over the years to build storage tanks in place and line them with plastic or rubber. These do not work and will fail. The liners in these tanks are not designed to withstand temperatures commonly encountered in the system. They will often become brittle and eventually leak and crack.

One big problem with large storage tanks is getting them into a building and through doorways. Some manufacturers have made tanks that come in pieces and are assembled in place. These are usually made of fiberglass and either bolt together or are cold welded with epoxy. We suggest selecting a cold-welded tank that is made of heat-resistant fiberglass capable of withstanding at least 180°F in continuous operation.