Is 115 GAL tank enough for 23 washers ?

[MichaelCa]

I currently have a 300 Gal ACE tank -dated 1951- solid steel 1/4" plate, who knows what the original owners were thinking ?

23 Washers will be the most i could ever have (have less now) - mainly 12 to 20 LB.
I researched old threads & read that CharlieS & Gary C have 115/120 gal tanks... but i'm not clear if thats all the storage cap. you have?

I acquired a nearly new 115 Gal *Rheem* insulated tank - but had held off b/c of concerns about adequate supply - now, Gas $$ are stinging more.

The other question is: will changing over make a big difference gas-wise?
I had insulated the Old Ace Monster tank, & it seems to stay warm thru the night (with W.H. timed off).

temp is set @ 120 deg (from 199k BTU heater)

[djlpartners]

Did you look into the tankless water heaters - I had five installed in March and they work great.

[Anonymous]

Was the old tank leaking, why are you getting rid of it? You will probably notice almost no change in energy usage as you said the old tank was insulated. Sorry to burst your bubble.

As far as is the small one big enough, that is more a function of how much hot water your heater can generate. The tank only provides surge capacity. Assuming a decent hotwater heater you should be fine with that amount of capacity.

I have much bigger washers and have two Natco Super-E 199K BTU/HR heaters that each hold 80 gallons and never have a hot water problem. That includes several 75# and 50# washers.

[Winston]

You should have no problem. I have 65 washers (1269) lbs total capacity, supplied by two 100 gallon, 199k BTU State water heaters set at 120 degrees. So far I have never run out of hot water, even on a busy Sunday in the winter. The heaters are set in parallel with no recirculating pump.

[MichaelCa]

No, i haven't switched yet (I'd just *acquired* the new Rheem insulated tank in another trade transaction - so i'm not out cash)

The old 300 gal. behemoth was NOT originally insulated - just pure steel - I simply wound 2 layers of insul-jacket on it when i bought the place.
NO idea how effective that is.

Why am i thinking of switching?
It just seems wasteful (to this non-expert) to be heating up such a large tank - but thats PURE supposition on my part.

BTW, just checked the Heater & it is 480,000 BTU (input), 403 Gallons Per Hour Recovery (ACE).

[Anonymous]

If the existing tank is not leaking and the insulation is good, I would not mess with it. The savings if any will be minimal - so if it ain't broke don't fix it. When you touch it does it feel warm? If so, you need more insulation on it, if not just let it go and don't got to the expense of installing the small one as it won't save you any enegy to speak of.

[Gary C]

I would agree with Kirby. Maybe just add a little more insulation.

Gary

[MichaelCa]

Thanks Kirby, Gary, and Winston too.

Well, here's an interesting twist:

On top of the WaterHeater(its an 80% eff, circa 1974, ACE, 480btu) sits a StainlessSteel Heat-RECLAIMER.
Its labeled "THERMA-STAK" Apparently how it works is like this:

Cold water enters the Reclaimer and is heated by the high tempurature from the Flue Heat around which this is wrapped, then the heated water either goes into the Heater for a further (small) rise in temp. or else it goes directly into the tank.
The system also has a recirculating B&G pump, 2 temp sensors, and a controller.

It looks well made, and must have been pricey when new. The co. is no longer in business.
But here's the kicker: It apparently had a 92% eff. rating!

I tracked down a former rep for this stuff (closed years ago), and just found this out. They were a quality product and simply ahead of their time.
Apparently one thing to watch out for is over-heating, i.e. boiling - that is why its important to have a larger tank.
This thing can get water HOT.

The whole setup looks confusing (not just to me) but to my plumber, and even an engineer i showed it to.

----
What i cant understand is why my #%@! gas bill is so high

[blueridgemat]

I have a 100 gallon american water heater from Lowe's Hardwarde and i have 12 20lb neptunes and 10- 30 lb Huebsch washers. (total of 22 washers.) On a sunday it may run once every 30 minutes if we are packed but at all the other times, it doesn't strain one bit. I worked at Lowes at the time and I got this heater for $1,200 less than my laundry equip. distributor wanted to sell me an 80 gallon water heater, so it pays to shop around!

Good luck!

[CharlieS]

You've got plenty of tank, and more than enough heater. Its efficient. Don't fix it if its not broken.

As to why your gas bill is so high. First thing I recommend is to purchase a gas sniffer. About $150 will get you a decent one. Check all of your piping and especially your connnections to dryers. I'm willing to bet that you have at least some leakage going on.

Charlie

[MichaelCa]

Thanks Charlie thats a great idea.

I do recall a 'gassy' smell near the remaining 2 ancient dryers i haven't thrown yet.(not in use) Yes, i did close the valves.

Wonder if another gas (heat) loss area is the Hot-Water Manifold (in the Bulkhead). Mine is 30' long, 2" copper pipe. Seems like a nice long radiator.

Anyone insulated theirs ? (gotta be a pain, w/ all the tees & valves)

[CharlieS]

I took the time to insulate my hot water lines. Yes, it is a big radiator, but I don't have any idea what it saves, since I did it early on.

If you can't find them locally, Graingers offers all sizes of insulating sleeves.

Charlie