I have a hot water storage tank, with what I believe is a short immersion element in it (about top third gets warm at most. The main heating is through a gas system which does appear to heat the whole tank up.
However, I have a solar system which diverts energy into one or two loads. This is set to go to the immersion. Unfortunately the electricians who put in the solar attempted to remove the immersion and have caused the tank to start bending, meaning that attempting to remove the immersion (for example to replace with a 3' one) will possibly result in the tank needing to be replaced.
So I am wondering, why can't a device similar to an electric plate heater be used to add heat to the bottom of the tank when there is excess energy? (The bottom of my tank is uninsulated but concave.) Searching google there appears to have been a product by willis renewables, but they have disappeared. (further looking today shows it wasn't a non-plumbing solution).
Surely a ceramic 'plate' heated by electricity of 1KW, with an internal thermostat at say 45 degrees would raise 200 litres (of a ~300l tank?) by 10 degrees in around 2 hours. Looking at the temperatures at the outside of my tank more energy could be sunk thank this and every little helps.
(So obviously the 'correct' solution would be a dual immersion tank, however, as the tank currently is usable, the question is)
Why does such a product not exist?
However, I have a solar system which diverts energy into one or two loads. This is set to go to the immersion. Unfortunately the electricians who put in the solar attempted to remove the immersion and have caused the tank to start bending, meaning that attempting to remove the immersion (for example to replace with a 3' one) will possibly result in the tank needing to be replaced.
So I am wondering, why can't a device similar to an electric plate heater be used to add heat to the bottom of the tank when there is excess energy? (The bottom of my tank is uninsulated but concave.) Searching google there appears to have been a product by willis renewables, but they have disappeared. (further looking today shows it wasn't a non-plumbing solution).
Surely a ceramic 'plate' heated by electricity of 1KW, with an internal thermostat at say 45 degrees would raise 200 litres (of a ~300l tank?) by 10 degrees in around 2 hours. Looking at the temperatures at the outside of my tank more energy could be sunk thank this and every little helps.
(So obviously the 'correct' solution would be a dual immersion tank, however, as the tank currently is usable, the question is)
Why does such a product not exist?
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