Question for All You Plumbers - Well Water Tempering.

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 10:33 am

As any of you on well water know, the water out of the well is cold...usually about 52 degrees in my case. When someone is showering, I watch the temperature in my oil boiler boiler drop. It's got a domestic hot water coil in it. My oil boiler, which I decided to keep based on advice from wiser men on the forum than me, does not fire ever. A burner wire is disconnected and vent pipe is removed and capped. But water flows from the coal boiler into the return of the oil boiler via a 1 1/4" pipe constantly circulated back to the coal boiler. So when domestic hot water is used, eventually the coal boiler temp drops causing it to stoke, etc.

My idea is to have a small, maybe 30 gallon tank uninsulated in the line before the domestic water coil feed. Well water would go into this tank and warm to the basement temp, roughly 72-74 degrees. So then basically when there is a demand for domestic hot water, the coil sees 72 degree water instead of 52 degree water. I realize water would have to sit in this tank awhile to warm to the basement temp.

Is this worthwhile or do I need another hobby?

Post by **Rob R.** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 10:44 am

Don't you already have a pressure tank in the basement?

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 11:12 am

Yes but they don't hold very much water. It's a bladder type. More air than water.

Sting · Post by **Sting** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 11:48 am

Not to rain on your parade -- but you have heard of legionnaires disease?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionellosis

Rigar · Post by **Rigar** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 2:26 pm

Sting wrote:Not to rain on your parade -- but you have heard of legionnaires disease?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionellosis

....ever hear of the lottery?
because you probably got a better chance of winning it then you do of catching Legionnaires disease
... I certainly wouldn't do anything to promote its growth... but every hot water tank in the country is a potential risk...just sayin

Post by **Richard S.** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 2:44 pm

Terry unless you have an issue with not enough hot water I wouldn't do it. Firstly it sounds like a fairly large expense and secondly you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. The heat used to temper the water has to come from somewhere.

Sting · Post by **Sting** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 2:50 pm

Rigar wrote:....ever hear of the lottery?

Sure

I also dream about risk vs reward

but lets' play nice

a domestic hot water vessel kept at code temperature is warm enough to keep the buggy things out - just like a tank of ground water is cool enough to keep the cheese from molding.

its those little [non-code] things that cause drama in the storage wars of what we drink

Rigar · Post by **Rigar** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 3:10 pm

Richard hit the nail on the head... you won't get anything for free
.... and Sting has a valid point also
cold cheese does not get moldy!

... seriously though... he raises an excellent point
... that point being "at code" temps... which I believe is 140 degrees? these temperatures certainly would rid the water supply of bacteria

Freetown Fred assured me that everybody on this forum has big shoulders!
... I was only trying to be funny!

...

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 3:47 pm

You are gonna have to try harder to ruffle any of my feathers. Others mileage may vary.

Anyway I see no difference in the cold water sitting in my well pressure tank or this second proposed tank as far as legionella. Actually I think a water heater set at the industry recommended temp of 125 has a better chance of being a problem. Ultimatley my domestic hot water goes into an electric water heater set at about 143. My only purpose with this little mental exercise was to keep my boiler temp from dropping too much.

The expense wouldn't be much as I would do the plumbing. But ok, you guys have pee peed all over my parade so I guess I'll have to think about this one some more.

Rigar · Post by **Rigar** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 3:52 pm

may I suggest getting that "pee pee" sampled...
... it might have Legionnaires disease

Sting · Post by **Sting** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 3:54 pm

Rigar · Post by **Rigar** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 3:58 pm

Sting wrote:

...now THAT is funny

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 4:59 pm

I noticed the boiler temps drop rapidly also with the well water temps. I thought about a simple 50' coil of copper just laying on top of the boiler and plumbed into the DHW coil to temper the well water. Not much expence involved.

Rigar · Post by **Rigar** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 6:23 pm

Dennis wrote:I noticed the boiler temps drop rapidly also with the well water temps. I thought about a simple 50' coil of copper just laying on top of the boiler and plumbed into the DHW coil to temper the well water. Not much expence involved.

. I don't know if I would advise that...
you might come down with a case of copper coilitus

plumb-r · Post by **plumb-r** » Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 6:59 pm

He's right legionnaires disease loves sitting around in room temp. water.Especially , well water(no chlorine). Why not get a hot water maker and run it off the coal boiler?

"Sting" That is great, I about busted a gut laughing. I don't no how many times I wish I could reach through the computer and cuff somebody.