Scrapping out a full brine tank

[nova_robotics]

I have to say it hurt me to see a perfectly good, heavy duty, plastic barrel cut up and tossed away like that.

I'm a massive pack rat, bordering on hoarder. I see fibreglass pressure tanks on the side of the road all the time. I've always resisted the urge to throw them in the back of my truck. I keep thinking that the diaphragm is leaking and the tank is probably still good. Not sure what I'd use them for. It just seems like a waste. In your experience is it just a diaphragm failure?

Edit: Come to think of it, I rarely see steel pressure tanks out for garbage day. That can't be a good sign.

[hemmjo]

Steel tanks end up at the recycling yard rather than the trash. They are often extra heavy due to the gunk inside them.

Rather than leak, either the diaphragm fails and they get water logged or they fill with gunk that plugs the inlet/outlet. Water can get IN when the pump is running, but as water tries to flow out when the pump is off, gunk blocks the outlet and flow is reduced to a trickle.

I have only replaced one diaphragm type fiberglass pressure tank and it was NOT a fun day for me. The diaphragm was bad, the tank was totally filled with sludge, no air in it. I was not able to blow air into the Schrader valve on top to force the contents out the bottom. The well water had a very high iron content. The tank was full of iron bacteria sludge, so much that I could not get anything through the fitting at the bottom. I started punching holes in the tank with a hammer and chisel, I was up about a foot on a 4 foot tall tank before I could get anything to drain out. Even then very water came out as the tank was filled with "gelled sludge", NASTY, RUSTY, STRONG sulfur smelling gunk. Even punched a hole above the diaphram and found that section had filled with the same gunk. I was never able to totally drain that tank. I was younger and stronger then. I wrestled it up out of the basement. I should have taken that tank home and cut it apart to look inside, but I was just too worn out to wrestle it into my truck. I just left it for their trash guys to take.

I am a packrat also, but some things are not worth messing with.

[nova_robotics]

Steel tanks end up at the recycling yard rather than the trash. They are often extra heavy due to the gunk inside them.

I dunno. I see hot water tanks out on trash day pretty much every garbage day. It's always the same around here. Hot water tanks and barbecues on the side of the road. The scrap metal dealer comes out to my shop periodically, and I've sent her text messages when there's an extra good haul of hot water tanks and barbecues but she never comes out. There's very little steel in those tanks, and they have to be ripped apart to get the insulation out. I'm guessing it's not worth the gasoline.

[hemmjo]

If your HW tank is close to or more than 10 years old, it is not usually worth while replacing the rods. If you want to try, you can use a ratchet strap and something like 2 x4 or 4x4 to keep the tank from rotating. Most anode rods I have worked with around here take a 1" socket. I have a 3/4" drive with a breaker bar I use to get them out. Some anodes are attached to the cold water inlet nipple. They are VERY DIFFICULT to remove, as your pipe wrench will often crush the pipe before they release. It is risky to take out old ones, some tanks are "glass lined" they have a ceramic coating inside, that it brittle and will chip off if you have to use lots of torque, or an impact on them. Then the chipped spots will rust through quickly even with new rods. If you use ratchet straps, they have to be wrapped around the tank at the very top or bottom, If you try to tighten around the center, you can crush the tank.

In regard to the heat pump water heater, the garage is a good place for that if it does not freeze there. Just remember when it makes hot water, it also make the surrounding air colder. They are not good inside a closet as some are installed. The more air that have access too the better. The warmer the air, they have access to the better. A garage installation is a good one.