It has become necessary for me to install an expansion tank in my hot water heater inlet. There is no guidance in the expansion tank’s instructions as to how it may be orientated. Does it matter if the expansion tank is installed with the inlet up, down or sideways? Due to space limitations the expansion tank has to be located in the crawl space below the hot water heater closet.
thanks for any advice.
To prevent moisture buildup and improve performance, install a continuous air barrier—such as drywall or specialized membranes—under tongue-and-groove boards or other interior wall paneling.
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Replies
I'm going to assume you're installing a bladder type prepressurized expansion tank. In which case, Amtrol, the maker of the Extrol expansion tanks , states in their literature that the tank (No. 15 is used extensively in hydronic heating systems around here) can be installed either horizontally or vertically. These are the small tanks used to compensate for expansion/contraction of the heating systems during use/nonuse.
Amtrol also makes a series of larger tanks for wells, called the WellExtrol. These are always mounted vertically. But these are probably not what you need.
When used in a hydronic heating sytem, the exp. tk. is normally installed with an air purger and air vent. To facilitate air removal from the system, this setup is mounted vertically. If air removal is not a concern, install using a standard pipe threaded T.
Good luck.