Water Heaters - Boilermate HW Heater Hot to touch
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spottyj
10-19-08, 02:29 PM
AMTROL WH-7 Residential Water Heater Tank.
The exterior of the tank (blue metal tank) is hot to the touch. In handling other tanks I have not noticed this, other tanks have been slightly warm. Could the tank being hot to touch indicate a failure of the liner/insulation? Any ideas?
Thank you in advance.
The exterior of the tank (blue metal tank) is hot to the touch. In handling other tanks I have not noticed this, other tanks have been slightly warm. Could the tank being hot to touch indicate a failure of the liner/insulation? Any ideas?
Thank you in advance.
chromal
10-20-08, 01:04 PM
I would think this is a problem; if the storage tank is hot, it's doing a poor job of insulating your hot water. The heat you feel on its external cover is energy being wasted...
spottyj
10-20-08, 05:52 PM
I would think this is a problem; if the storage tank is hot, it's doing a poor job of insulating your hot water. The heat you feel on its external cover is energy being wasted...
Thank you for the reply. i am thinking the same - "energy being wasted". Just not sure how to verify my theory. Don't want to buy another tank and have the same symptom only to find out this is "normal". I wrote to the manufacture, as well as posting on this forum and I got this reply:
" Did you test it all the way down. Sometimes just the top is hot. You are right though if the tank is hot to the touch all the way down the tank it is an internal failure."
My tank is "hot" and the top, mild/hot at middle and warm at bottom. So my question is, is it normal to be hot? I checked a neighbors tank (similar to mine) and his was only slightly warm at the top.
I understand that the top would be warmer, but hot? I don;'t want to be wasting energy if it i escaping abnormally, but I am not sure what normal is!
Thank you for the reply. i am thinking the same - "energy being wasted". Just not sure how to verify my theory. Don't want to buy another tank and have the same symptom only to find out this is "normal". I wrote to the manufacture, as well as posting on this forum and I got this reply:
" Did you test it all the way down. Sometimes just the top is hot. You are right though if the tank is hot to the touch all the way down the tank it is an internal failure."
My tank is "hot" and the top, mild/hot at middle and warm at bottom. So my question is, is it normal to be hot? I checked a neighbors tank (similar to mine) and his was only slightly warm at the top.
I understand that the top would be warmer, but hot? I don;'t want to be wasting energy if it i escaping abnormally, but I am not sure what normal is!
chromal
10-20-08, 06:13 PM
I wish I could be of more help, but my experience is with an electric HW tank heater, not a storage tank such as yours. But I assume your storage tank is for all intents and purposes, similar to my tank without the heating elements and a heat exchanger added...
I suppose the first question on my mind would be: "has the insulation failed because the inner tank lining has failed and begun leaking?"
If the tank seems to be leak-free, I suppose you could just ignore the question and wrap the tank in maybe R-20 worth of insulation externally...
I suppose the first question on my mind would be: "has the insulation failed because the inner tank lining has failed and begun leaking?"
If the tank seems to be leak-free, I suppose you could just ignore the question and wrap the tank in maybe R-20 worth of insulation externally...