Boilerplate CYA
Let me begin with the usual blather that the following information is educational only. No one should use the following information. It is meaningless. Let experts do all your repairs for you. Life is dangerous. Things can blow up. Do not attempt this yourself. Remember, you are a child and must be taken care of. ( Maybe that is true )
All rightee ... then
There are some really good sites with lots of good information that I will show you links to. The stuff I talk about is more unusual stuff you may not find anywhere else.
Thermocouple http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxhKrSEDwE Brilliant !
grayfurnaceman <== This guy has many , many great videos
Things to consider .....
The lifetime of the tank can be extended with care.
The HWH controller can be upgraded. Efficiency can be improved.
HWH capacity can be increased.
Air Flow matters
Significant problems can be caused by blocked air filters. I struggled with a HWH that get going out. It would stay lit for several hours or a day. I checked everything I could think of.... thermocouple , gas feed, etc. I even bought a new HWH. Just before I put the new HWH in ( which would have involved swapping HWHs due to height restrictions ) I happened to notice how yellow the pilot light flame was . The burner flame was yellow too. I could imagine the pilot getting out of adjustment... but the main burner ? Nah... So I washed out the air intake filters with plain water ( I used a squeeze bottle ) and scrubbed them with a toothbrush on an extender. Wow... the flames looked so much better. The flames were bluer and much shorter in height. No doubt this will make the HWH more efficient as well. TYhis is something to do each year..... check the condition of the HWH flames.
You can use a HWH as a tank.
To hold water. Obviously. To extend the capacity of another HWH. As an air tank. HWHs are typically rated at 400 psi. I recommend a pressure release valve on the tank set at 90 PSI max. You can also put it inside a box for more protection.
Dissecting the cryogenically frozen body
 |
| Hot Water heater laying in the frozen wasteland. I was using it as an air tank,,, you can see the fittings. |
 |
| The burner and controller have been removed. This puppy is dead. |
 |
| We make the first incision with a grinder. |
 |
| Using a scalpel we ... ummm ... Using a crowbar we peel back the skin. |
 |
| Fully skinned... yuck |
 |
| Surgically gloved ginger indicates insulation layer is about 2 cm. |
 |
| We start chopping into the brain. |
 |
| We have removed part of the skull. |
 |
| Looks like it has an inner plastic coating. |
 |
| We peer inside and see an anodizing rod. |
 |
| We see the central flue tube that carries the burnt gases thru the center of the HWH. |
I am next planning to smooth the edges of the cutout ( to improve it's integrity ). I will then insert a stainless steel plate inside the cutout and seal the opening. Stainless is your best bet for strength and resistance to corrosion.
99guspuppet tags : #HotWaterHeaterDIY #HWHDIY hotwater
No comments:
Post a Comment