Amtrol Extrol tank question

bob eck

Can a Amtrol #30 extrol expansion tank be mounter horizontal in a boiler heating system?
I know traditional they are hung vertical from an air separator.
Can it be turned upside down with air valve pointing up?
If installing horizontal or upside down will this effect the life of the tank.
What brand boiler expansion tank do you use? How long are they lasting?

leonz

Its more important to know where your current tank is first.

I have a 15 gallon B+G Steel expansion tank with an airtrol valve hanging in the ceiling above my boiler. It does its job and has no moving parts to break or wear out.
The fifteen gallon expansion tank adds 10 additional gallons of water to my system total of 54 gallons and I run a very low pressure with one circulator to heat my home.


As Dan says in his books "it just sits there and does its job".
you can attach it to an air scoop tapping (if you have one) providing the tapping is 3/4" NPT to attach it to the Steel expansion tank.

After that you can simply fill the steel expansion tank, shut off the water fill valve completely then drain off the excess water through the airtrol valves vent then close it and then you can fire up your boiler.

I had a bladder expansion tank and it was more trouble than it was worth with my system which was a wood and coal boiler and an oil boiler as a back up boiler.

I do not miss crawling around on bad knees to get the trapped air out of my baseboard heating system(which I hate).

Leon82

I use a zilmet for my recirculation loop for my tankless. It's stainless steel

Solid_Fuel_Man

I'm still not sure what all the hooplah is against expansion tanks. I've serviced literally hundreds that have been in service 30 years. I like Amtrol's extrol, but that's just a brand. Also used some Watts, Water Worker, etc. Very nice to install a service valve just before the tank to facilitate proper airing of the tank during servicing.

https://www.amazon.com/Webstone-41672-Pro-Pal-Expansion-Service/dp/B005Q5LVWK

rick in Alaska

Yes they can be horizontal, as long as they are supported. The Energy Kinetics boilers are done this way.
I don't like the air valve on top, as it just seems to my like any air that is in the water can get trapped at the top of the bladder. Not sure if this is true or not, but seems like it should.
I use Amtrol mostly, because that is what the supplier sells.
Rick

Henry

Don't forget that all expansion tanks absorb abot 4% of air into the system. Most times when a plumber says the expansion tank failed, is has lost all the air. It needs to be removed and pumped to system pressure and checked to hold it on the air side and not replaced!