Magnum Stoker water coil

Electric hot water tanks just have the heating coils thru the side, one on the bottom and one on the top. You have to drain the tank to change them out. I too have mine on a 4 hour/day timer to reduce the electric required. It stays pretty warm.

In most hot water tanks, you are circulating the actual drinkable water thru your stove and back into the tanks. I think only certain temperating or hot water boilers with coils/tanks have separate heating coil loops in them, separate from your potable water supply. That is why you need the Bronze Type pumps for an open system, since you can have air in the lines from the city/well water, it would induce corrosion in the cast pumps.

ok thanks.

I was just curious b/c electric hot water tanks are MUCH cheaper than my Amtrol tank. But the lack of a heat exchabger in them makes sense why!

In my setup I have a separate hot water storage tank that has a heat exchanger in it. It is basically an extra zone on my heating system, so I have the hot water coil hooked up in series with the zone to the Amtrol storage tank.

Beatle, it's been working great. Always have plenty of hot water when needed. The hottest it's gotten is like 160 coming out of stove and a little over 100 at the bottom of the tank going in. Never any circulation problems or blow offs. I did get an extention of pvc on my PRV so if it ever does blow It'll be safe to get near it. Only once did I have to turn the heater on, Christmas day due to showers and lots of dishes. I'm very happy with the results. I'm actually dreading spring when I have to shut er down...Then pay for HW again.