Things You Should Know About Hot Water Storage

The best way to store hot water is to do so in tanks that are especially made for this purpose. Hot water storage tanks are also known as warm water tanks or hot water cylinders. The basic purpose of these tanks is to store hot water for heating a space, or simply for washing, bathing and cleaning. It is a well known fact that water has a great capacity to retain heat. If you use a tank that has been insulated properly it will keep the water at a high temperature for many days. Water is abundantly available and is affordable, hence can be easily used to for retention of heat.

Different type of hot water tanks

There are different methods which are used to heat water in tanks that are meant for hot water storage. Often there are burners built into tanks to heat the water. The burners can be kept running using oil, gas, or electricity. Other types of tanks are fed by heat exchange systems. If you want to be environment friendly you can use solar panels to heat the water.

Places where these tanks are used

Hot water cylinders are often used in facilities that require a lot of hot water, like hotels, apartment buildings, hospitals and multi dwelling units. These facilities are often equipped with warm water storage for the peak times of operation. The tanks have an internal lining with corrosion resistant material. The water is normally kept at a pressure of 125 psi which is sufficient for any kind of water supply.

Storing hot water in households

Hot water storage in households usually is limited to 40 to 60 gallons as an average figure. The sources of heating the water in different households are different. If the water storage is required for a multi dwelling facility then the storage is often more than 12500 gallons. The outer shell of the tanks holding a large amount of water is often doubly insulated to keep the heat within. However, before choosing a hot water cylinder, you should keep in mind the requirements.

This is because a larger than necessary tank will cost you more unnecessarily. Not just the cost of the tank will be more but the energy required to heat the water will be more and the remnant water will cool down and will have to be reheated. On the other hand if you choose a tank that is too small, you may run out of warm water when you most need it. This is the reason why hot water storage tanks should be bought after proper thinking.

Things to keep in mind

You should keep in mind the amount of hot water that you will require at the peak usage. Such a measurement is based on a First hour rating which will indicate the amount of heated water that a tank will be able to supply on a day when the hot water usage is at the maximum. There is no harm in opting for a small capacity tank which has high FHR as it will suit your requirements.