Simon's 450

[ca1ore]

I’m confused- we use boiler and hot water heater synonymously where I’m from (uk) so I use them interchangeably. What is your boiler doing- is this just house heat? Hot water radiators?

Didn’t realize you were English - I am also, just happen to have lived in the US since I was 8. My house has hot water baseboard heat so boiler = furnace. Basically circulates oil heated water. Hot water heater is electric and serves showers, tubs sinks etc.

 

[Conor_K]

So if I understand this correctly, you’re going to add a zone to the boiler that will run through a heat exchanger to heat the tank right?

For hot water baseboard, that boiler is probably cranking water temps around 160-180.

How are you going to prevent the boiler from short cycling?

 

[User]

Didn’t realize you were English - I am also, just happen to have lived in the US since I was 8. My house has hot water baseboard heat so boiler = furnace. Basically circulates oil heated water. Hot water heater is electric and serves showers, tubs sinks etc.

Gotcha.

Scots-Welsh, US based for 11 years.

 

[ca1ore]

So if I understand this correctly, you’re going to add a zone to the boiler that will run through a heat exchanger to heat the tank right?

For hot water baseboard, that boiler is probably cranking water temps around 160-180.

How are you going to prevent the boiler from short cycling?

Correct, it’s set to maintain 140 plus or minus a few degrees. I don’t expect the tank to drop the internal boiler temp overy much so I don’t think short cycling will be an issue, but we will see.

 

[ca1ore]

Am rethinking this a little. I may go from the hot water heater after all. Even though it is electric, it gets fed from a hot water loop in the boiler so as long as the 'house' is using some, its mostly heated by oil anyhow.

 

[Awesome Dennis]

Do you have electric hot water or an indirect hot water heater?

 

[Conor_K]

Am rethinking this a little. I may go from the hot water heater after all. Even though it is electric, it gets fed from a hot water loop in the boiler so as long as the 'house' is using some, its mostly heated by oil anyhow.

I think this is a good call. Even if it is fully electric. I know a watt is a watt when it comes to heat, but your HW heater is insulated to maintain temp and reduce the need for those watts. Our fish tanks are giant heat dumps...

If you can maintain temp in the fish tank with minimum draw on the HW tank, you will be saving a lot of watts. If the tank is primarily heated off the boiler with the electric element as back up, even better. .

My 2 pennies.

 

[ca1ore]

Do you have electric hot water or an indirect hot water heater?

I’m unsure what you mean by the latter. Hot water is produced by the boiler and then fed through the electric HW heater. If the house is using a lot of hot water, the heater itself plays only a minimal role in generating heat. If the house is not using a lot, then the electric element in the heater will trigger occasionally to keep the stored water hot.

 

[Conor_K]

A true indirect would not have the electric element or only have it as a back up.

Indirect tanks are essentially thier own zone off a boiler loop that calls for heat when the HW tank needs it, firing the boiler.

It sounds to me like you have a bit of a hybrid setup where if the home is calling for heat the water from boiler loop passes through the HW tank (via a coil) to offset electric use. Typically this would happen on the return side of the boiler.

I.e House calls for heat, boiler fires and pushes hot water through the house first then returns through the HW tank dropping off any BTUs it can before being fired back up by the boiler.

I would assume in this case the boiler doesn’t fire in the summer and your HW is all electric in the warm months.

 

[harthag12]

Just read all 37 pages, what a tank. Came because of large damsel keeping, left with grandiose plans of an even bigger tank. Thanks!

 

[Trand1983]

.... and onto the stand.

What is that wire coming out of the overflow?

 

[ca1ore]

I have two optical switches - one that detects high water level in the external box and a second that detects high water level in the display. Latter snakes through one of the through bulk heads and is the wire you see.

 

[ca1ore]

I’ve a handful of leopard wrasses in this tank with the oldest, at five years, being a female blue star/bipartitus. Yesterday, to my surprise she showed up as a he. Literally happened overnight. Would not have believed had I not witness with mine own eyes. Wonder what the ‘trigger’ was?

 

[Victoria M]

I’ve a handful of leopard wrasses in this tank with the oldest, at five years, being a female blue star/bipartitus. Yesterday, to my surprise she showed up as a he. Literally happened overnight. Would not have believed had I not witness with mine own eyes. Wonder what the ‘trigger’ was?

Very interesting.

 

[User1]

I’ve a handful of leopard wrasses in this tank with the oldest, at five years, being a female blue star/bipartitus. Yesterday, to my surprise she showed up as a he. Literally happened overnight. Would not have believed had I not witness with mine own eyes. Wonder what the ‘trigger’ was?

My wife wondered the same thing during on of our Halloween parties when I went wearing combat fatigues but later that night found myself wearing a dress... clearly too many beverages although it was one heck of a party from what little I recall /boggle

With respect to your Leopard Wrasse couldn't say - Mother Nature is pretty amazing though isn't she? I wouldn't have thought it happens that fast.

 

[ca1ore]

Fall projects ....

 

[ca1ore]

Always get a bit tank lazy in the Summer ..... just too hot!! Finally got my heat exchanger and found a used sulfur reactor (plus media, which was key).

 

[ScottW]

Fantastic build Simon! I have to thank you for showing a photo of your sump room, I showed it to my wife, now she has to leave me alone b/c I said I can always make it look like Simons hahaha.. Kidding aside, you have some fantastic DIY skills most of us wish we had. Wish you lived closer I would love to see your setup in person, it is simply put, amazing!

Keep posting pics, I for one love to see other's builds!

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah, it’s got that mad scientist vibe, no question.

 

[ca1ore]