Max. tank temperature
The maximum allowable temperature of the heating medium in the tank, in other words, the temperature that the tank can withstand without consequences for an unlimited time.
The choice for this indicator depends on the specs of the heating system which is planned to use the tank. The expected temperature of the medium should not be higher than the maximum allowable temperature in the storage tank — otherwise, the latter will experience abnormal loads and may fail at any time.
Insulation material
It is the material of the heat-insulating layer applied in the tank.
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Polyurethane foam. It has excellent performance specs and surpasses all other materials of a similar purpose in terms of the quality of thermal insulation. Polyurethane foam is quite expensive, but it is almost invisible compared to the total cost of storage tanks. Thanks to all this, this option is perhaps the most popular in modern storage tanks.
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Polyester fibre. Thermal insulation based on synthetic fibre made of polyester. The actual capabilities of such insulation directly depend on the density of the fibre, and the cost of the filler also depends on the density. Therefore, when assessing the overall quality of such thermal insulation, it is worth looking first of all at the price category of the tank. In general, the insulating specs of polyester fibre are average, somewhat inferior to expanded polystyrene.
— Styrofoam. One of the remarkable features of this material is its very low weight (because more than 90% of the volume of polystyrene foam is air). In terms of thermal insulation coefficient, it is one and a half to two times inferior to polyurethane foam; however, it is also cheaper.
— Mineral wool. Thermal insulation based on fibres formed from minerals and a binder (eg. phenol). It has a low cost and fairly decent heat-insulating specs. At the same time, mineral wool tends to
...accumulate moisture, and this leads to a loss of insulating abilities; in addition, there is evidence that such a filler can release harmful substances. Therefore, when using a heat accumulator with such insulation, special care must be taken to ensure that its outer shell remains intact.Country of origin
The country of origin of the storage tank.
In evaluating this feature, two points must be taken into account. Firstly, the country of origin is often indicated not by the place of actual production, but by the homeland of the brand under which the heat accumulator is presented on the market. Secondly, the actual quality of the product will depend on the integrity of the manufacturing company. So when choosing, you should focus not so much on the country of origin, but on the reputation of a particular brand. And you should pay attention to The country of origin only if you fundamentally want (or do not want) to support a manufacturer from a certain country.
