Active attic tank

GW

I’ve never aren’t seen one working in real life.

The old beast is coming out, Bosch KBR going in

Danny Scully

I’d be proud of you if you left it...and piped that overflow into the vent next to it. Can i get a “do it” @ChrisJ?

JUGHNE

With the plug in the top fitting of that tank, would that have worked like the old air compression tank without bladder?

So now what becomes of it? Planter, end table, magazine rack or just sitting in the corner of your living room as a conversation piece?
I have things like that......my children are going to hate me someday.

SeanBeans

I haven't seen Chris J post here in a while

leonz

I hate to see the simplest piece of a gravity hot water heating system wasted as it is not leaking.

ChrisJ

Danny Scully said:

I’d be proud of you if you left it...and piped that overflow into the vent next to it. Can i get a “do it” @ChrisJ?

SeanBeans said:

I haven't seen Chris J post here in a while

No no, I'm still here.
Just started a new job in October and it's been a whole lot of learning...

Danny, nope I nixed that idea and drained my A\C outside. Everyone made me feel guilty so I didn't do it.


And.......I just realized you weren't talking about that. Sorry, I thought you meant when I considered draining my A\C into a sewer vent with a second trap for safety.

You were talking about something totally different.

GW

So sorry, it’s getting a modern compression tank.

leonz

I am sorry to see that beautiful piece of zero trouble heating and plumbing equipment that has no moving parts being ripped out. I hope you did not scrap it out as it apparently has never leaked or caused problems for the original home owner.

Fred

@leonz , Exactly what would you like him to do with it?

leonz

I had a horizontal open to air expansion tank in my heating system that worked with no issues and I made the mistake of the letting the wood boiler dealer rip it out when they installed my hand fed wood and coal boiler-needless to say if I knew then what I know now it would have remained in the ceiling above the boilers and I WOULD NOT HAVE LET THEM rip it out and replace it with a bladder tank and air scoop in 1982.

What was so wrong with it to begin with that it had to be ripped out? The steel expansion tank plumbing was obviously intact and not leaking. If heat transfer was an issue a small circulator could have been plumbed in to push more hot water into the steel tank for the gravity heating system from the basement.

I would be more interested in why the bladder tank was needed and the steel expansion tank HAD to be ripped out even with the new boiler.

Simple plumbing is simple plumbing and the plumber that installed that tank made sure they installed a heating system that worked for the home owner.

My thoughts anyway.

jumper

If homeowner has the bucks,and I'm accessing high point anyhow,I'd offer a vacuum tank up there. Best air control possible?

leonz

In my limited experience the open to air expansion tank in an attic with or without a pump delivering more hot water when needed to let gravity do its job makes much more sense only because even a large panel radiator can be fed lots of hot water regulated by gravity providing slow even heat.

The open to air expansion tank can be plumbed to avoid freezing by putting a short nipple in the bottom of the tank and installing a Tee to connect to short nipples to two 90 or 45 degree elbows to rise heat the water in the tank and then fall back down to the radiators on all the floors.

Having the circulator feeding additional hot water to the larger open to air expansion tank would or could allow a gravity hot water system to be much taller Perhaps bypassing the 3 story limit to heating a home or multiple apartments. In saying that it would require a lot of planning and math but It could work and doing the math would be fun for an apartment building with 4 stories and 32 apartments.

Fun to think about as the boiler(s) would be making the domestic hot water too.

JUGHNE

IIRC, there is a recent posting concerning a revamp of an old gravity system which had an open expansion tank.
It was decided to abandon the existing piping because of sludge build up inside the pipes. This was because of the water being exposed to air for many years. There were other reasons but this was one of the main factors.

GW

It is still in the attic

nicholas bonham-carter

I suppose you could have some algae buildup in the summer, but as it is so isolated from the rest of the system, I would think it would still function without a problem.—NBC

GW

Yes I just think why roll the dice. If that popped a leak it’s an insurance claim for someone, probably me.

ChrisJ

@GW
I wouldn't get upset over the comments here.
You did what you felt was best for the customer.

GW

Yes we all have our points in life where we get firm. I get weird when people can’t solder.