4 port buffer tank connections - Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

iraknic — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 21:00:46 +0000

@editor yes, its on a roof

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 20:53:46 +0000

@iraknic I just had a very quick look. Is that buffer tank on a roof?

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

iraknic — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 15:16:44 +0000

@editor just sent some files. Please check and let me know if sufficient

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 21:14:48 +0000

@iraknic I’m doing a small video on buffers, and am using our badly piped one as an example, but would also like to include yours if possible. If you’re OK with that, can you please send me a video and some photos of your piping and tank, shot vertically, in HD. You can send via WeTransfer.com to editor@renewableheatinghub.co.uk if you’re in.

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 21:04:06 +0000

You need to adjust the surface emmissivity setting of your thermal camera.

Excellent suggestion. Didn’t even cross my mind to do that. Thank you.

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

BobTSkutter — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 20:53:36 +0000

You need to adjust the surface emmissivity setting of your thermal camera.

Try this, assuming you have a metal kettle with a polished exterior surface and the copper pipe is also polished.

Boil the kettle - the water will be 100C. Point the camera at it's metal outside and adjust the emmisivity setting to get 100C.

Now take a temperature reading of the copper pipe with the same emmissivity setting.

Normally I'm looking at thermal photos with temperatures around 2000F and surfaces that are rough and none polished. The surface finish can make a huge difference to the measured temperature using cameras. The only way to be sure is to use a contact thermocouple and press it against the pipe to get an acurate temperature reading.

But saying that, all you're really interested in is the temperature DIFFERENCE between the four pipes, and that will be unaffected by surface finish and emissivity (provided all the pipes are the same material and surface finish).

Regards

Bob

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 20:33:16 +0000

@iraknic I used a thermal imaging camera, and the temperature readings were “inaccurate”. I suppose the water inside the copper pipe will be warmer than the exterior of the copper pipe. I assume your copper pipe readings were lower than the COP readings.

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

iraknic — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 19:25:14 +0000

Hi @editor. I have checked delta t from the control panel and from the buffer ports with a thermometer

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 16:17:44 +0000

@iraknic out of curiosity how did you check your delta T. Was it just purely from your control panel?

RE: 4 port buffer tank connections

Mars — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:34:21 +0000

In the coming weeks, I’ll be scheduling another session on buffer tanks, where viewers can submit videos and images for our panel to assess and provide advice.

If you’d like to take part, please send us a question about your system and submit high-resolution photos and videos via WeTransfer.com to editor@renewableheatinghub.co.uk.