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Buffer tank

HeatingHelp
HeatingHelp Administrator Posts: 679
in THE MAIN WALL
This discussion was created from comments split from: Inexpensive boiler buffer tank.

Comments

  • hcpatel78
    hcpatel78 Member Posts: 154
    edited September 27
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1184159#Comment_1184159

    Hi…HR.. Followed exactly three years ago… But i forgot to remove dip tube. Last year i found white residue floating in water so I flushed it and white particles were keep flowing.

    This year i see the most of the tube has black tint inside. My system does not have any iron component except the 30 gallon el. heater tank used as a buffer tank.

    Should I remove the dip tube….is that causing all this black tint on radiant tubes?

    please advice

    Thank you,
    Hiren Patel
  • HeatingHelp.com
    HeatingHelp.com Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 65

    @hcpatel78, I've started a new discussion for you here so that your post doesn't get lost at the bottom of an old thread.

    Forum Moderator

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 23,270

    hydronic water does tend to get a color to from touching all the metals in the system

    Did you run a cleaner and flush the system at start?

    Im not sure an anode is needed in a tight sealed system, maybe @Larry Weingarten has an opinion

    Pulling the rod would tell if it is being consumed? Or if you have minerals that precipitated out?

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,579

    Hi, I do have an opinion about anodes… of course 😜 I think of the anode as cheap insurance that can help a lot with tank longevity. I've seen anodes in sealed systems down to the wire… all of the sacrificial metal gone. So, the water is conductive, encouraging the anode to work and prevent damage to the tank. I would only use magnesium as it produces less volume of stuff than aluminum, so there is less to mess with any moving parts in the system. Another approach is to use a powered anode, so nothing is added to the water. Hydrogen gas if formed by the action of the rod, so that needs to be vented.

    Also, pulling the anode is the best way to know what's going on inside of the tank. Corrosion can happen even in low oxygen environments. The rule of thumb the manufacturers use is that if six inches of the core wire is exposed, it's time for a new rod.

    Yours, Larry

    hcpatel78

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