Is this practical....

[Bamby]

Our home is connected to a city water supply. Anyway years ago before growth in the area our water was a manageable temperature when it entered our home. Then we were more or less on the end of the line and I think the water was tempered and warmed in the ground between our home and a large above ground water storage tank about a mile from our home. Now the water entering our home is like ice water in cooler weather especially in the winter season. There is condensation on the pipes to the extent that it drips on the floor at times. The cold water is so cold a person just ends up exclusively using hot water for everything and due to the excessive cold water it doesn’t take much use to temper the hot water to warm water.

I’ve been giving some consideration of maybe installing some sort of tempering tank to put in our conditioned basement to plumb our cold water to and allow it to condition itself to room temperature before use. It would have to be something like a hot water tank where the cold entry water is plumbed to the bottom of tank and the tempered water is drawn from the top of it for use. I’d like it large enough to hold a significant amount of water say 200 gallon or so because even if this works it would be a slow heat exchange process, but practically free. Also thought about a sized to fit insulated box built around it with a light bulb or heat lamp installed on bottom to accelerate the process some. It seems it would cut way back on how much the water heater cycles and allow some practical use of the cold water again.

Thoughts anyone is this stupid or practical idea, or has anyone done it.

 

[Cowboyjg]

There are a number of methods available for dealing with that. I think I'd be heading on over the city hall or the county offices or whom ever is in charge and pitch a little fit. Bottom line is you are now having to foot the cost of some sort of remediation because of their system upgrades if you will. A collection tank would be just fine. In fact you could probably use an 80 gal water or an in-line, tankless unit on the main supply in, set at a low temp to take some of the chill out. What ever you choose, you might try giving the powers that be a little grief first.

 

[norscaner]

Cheers Bamby
I too live in a rural area and have been considering going to a tankless water heater. That way we would only heat the water we use . Just the bride and I at home now so we use alot less water and see no need to have 40gallons sitting there all day heating .
The down side to an in house water holding tank is that at the most oppertune time it will spring a leak. I once had a 40 gallon aquarium leak all over the basement carpet and it amazing how far 40 gallons will spread.

 

[Cowboyjg]

Cheers Bamby
I too live in a rural area and have been considering going to a tankless water heater. That way we would only heat the water we use . Just the bride and I at home now so we use alot less water and see no need to have 40gallons sitting there all day heating .
The down side to an in house water holding tank is that at the most oppertune time it will spring a leak. I once had a 40 gallon aquarium leak all over the basement carpet and it amazing how far 40 gallons will spread.

The perpetual optimist...

 

[muleman]

Depending on your municipal water systems pressure you could set up 1 or 2 galvanized water tanks. They used to call them range boilers when we were kids. I had a vertical storage tank (80 gal.) setting on a pair of cinder blocks next to my basement wood stove in my old farm house. The incoming spring water went in the bottom and exited the top to supply my hot water heater. It dropped my electric bill $20 a month when the stove was going in the winter. If your biggest concern is condensation on the lines try insulating them with foam pipe insulation. It won't warm the water but will cut down on the sweating problem.

 

[Bamby]

Due respects here but heading to city hall would not accomplish anything. The water pressure here is also quite inadequate and though many of my neighbors have attended meeting to complain about it, their response and explanation was we were too close to the tank and we'd have to live with it. So many people installed booster pumps to get adequate pressure.

Muleman's following what I have in mind here and tanks something like those boiler tanks is what I had in mind. I googled them up and though I didn't spend to much time their didn't seem to be to many sources available and I didn't find costs on the ones that did come up.

The costs on them would be higher than what I had in mind because they are built with a heat exchanger inside them which would run up costs. Where I was just going to let the tanks condition naturally to the surrounding air, if I were to use energy over lets say a heat lamp I'd may as well install another water heater and I really don't need higher energy bills here.

Other Thoughts....

 

[DaveNay]

Buy a dehumidifier.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

I love ice cold water from the taps! Its one of the few things I like about winter time.



Of course the pipe condensation part kind of sucks.

 

[SShepherd]

We have a well.....water so cold it freeze's you're brain

buy that grey/black foam pipe insulators to help with the condensation.

 

[muleman]

I guess I did not explain my setup too well. What you are looking for is an old style expansion tank without a bladder or coil. On the old open systems for heat they would be mounted in the attic to let water expand as it heated. The one I had was similar to what was used in old schools. If your pressure is low already I would get a jet pump/tank combo and feed the jet with your incoming municipal supply. The pump pressure can be adjusted to suit and it would give you as much pressure as you need up to 60 psi. I would caution that the pump will run longer and your plumbing make not take more than 40 psi. I have contractor accounts at a lot of supply houses and still found the best prices from Ace hardware a few years back on the last one I installed. It is a very simple install but you will need an inline check valve before the pump so you do not supply pressure to the municipal system. It is a code requirement most place as well. You can also very easily add an additional extrol style tank ahead of the hot water tank to allow it to temper the water before it enters the water heater. The initial cost has a pretty fast payback in the energy savings you will enjoy by getting the water to room temp before it goes in a water heater. When I first installed mine the co-op I got my electric from came out and checked to make sure my meter was OK and I was not cheating them! I showed their tech the setup and he laughed as the temp gauge on the preheater tank was showing 110 degrees at the time. I would also advise you install a TPR relief valve. Any ? just shout.