Keeping above ground water tank cool

Queeny


Joined: 27/11/2010
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 12:20

Has anyone got any ideas as how to keep an above the ground

5 ton water tank cool in the summer months. Are there any special coverings

that would help. Thanks

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 12:25

If there are I'd be interested. We have 4 x 3 ton above ground tanks which are deliberately in the shade for most of the day we never have to turn the inside taps to hot as the "cold" is more than hot enough from now until end September. What eventually happens is the hot tank on the roof overheats and then the water drips over the roof tops.



Tango1

Geoff1131


Joined: 12/07/2007
Posts: 276

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 12:41

Tango 1, just a thought. If the water coming from the cold water storage tank is hot enough now, why not turn the water off to the hot water tank during the summer and then the prv will not drip. You can just run the house from the cold water tank, you may need to fit a drain tap on the hot water line to relieve the pressure in the hot tank, but when this is done you will not have the problem of the dripping valve.



As for keeping the ground tank cool, all you can really do is keep it covered and try to put some sort of insulation around/ over it. You will never keep it cold , as the water that is delivered at this time of year will be warm.

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 12:50

Re Msg 3. The continual dripping from the hot tank on the roof is because its already fitted with a drain tap and fortunately that's why it drips, otherwise it would probably boil over!! One of the reasons the water in the cold tanks is so hot is because the water going into the tanks from the mains is hot in the first place!!. We had the pipes buried about 6" underground but still the water is hot. Even the water going through the meter from the mains water pipes is hot. Just something we have to live with I guess!? Makes watering the garden a bit problematical though!



Tango1

Bondy


Joined: 10/04/2011
Posts: 17

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 14:33

Tango1



Try lowering the water level in the hot water tank so there is a greater air space for the water to expand when it gets hot.This might cure you dripping pressure valve.



Ernie

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 15:48

With the high Ambient Air temperature in the summer, even if the water from the mains were cool ,it wouldn't stay cool for long ....

stellasstar1



Joined: 02/07/2008
Posts: 1519

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 15:50

You just have to learn to have very quick showers!

Queeny


Joined: 27/11/2010
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 17:55

You would think that over the years someone would have invented

some kind of cover to deflect the sun off water tanks.

birdman



Joined: 20/09/2010
Posts: 690

Message Posted:
10/05/2011 23:17

Or do as I did, put all the tanks inside the roof (if you have space). This is a tip for people having their houses built. The house looks better too without unsightly water tanks on the roof.

Ridle


Joined: 01/01/2009
Posts: 144

Message Posted:
19/05/2011 08:53

You could cover the tank with a composite insulated panel which could be easily built & would still look o.k.

These panels can be bought at most builders mearchants, I saw a stack of them yesterday outside Paralik at Karakum. If you want to talk to me about it ring 0533 8410057. Denis

Cyprusactive


Joined: 20/05/2008
Posts: 128

Message Posted:
19/05/2011 11:12

Anything to keep the sun off the tanks. There is no benefit in using insulation unless you have a sealed box/room etc. The black or green woven garden fabric on a simple frame will do, as regards putting tanks in the roof it certainly looks better but often means the thermosyphon for the solar panels is compromised. Also the tanks in the roof space get pretty hot more from the oven effect rather that direct sun shine.

Ridle


Joined: 01/01/2009
Posts: 144

Message Posted:
20/05/2011 11:35

you could easily make a sealed inslated structure with the rigid panels fixed together with self drill tec screws which can easily be dismantled for maintanance of the tank.

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
20/05/2011 16:01

There is a draw back to putting water tanks in the roof space, as a friend of our discovered 4 years ago.........they can split from end to end and deposit 2 tonnes of water into the rooms below. Thats a lot of water!!! Quality of tanks may have improved now of course.



Tango1

Queeny


Joined: 27/11/2010
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
20/05/2011 16:26

Hi all you business minded people, put your thinking caps on and invent a cover of some sort

for above ground tanks to deflect the suns rays.