Heat the room or heat the tanks?

[htruong]

Hi All,

I have all my 6 tanks in the basement (4 29 gallon and 2 60 gallon). The basement dimension is 10x20. I wonder what is the most energy saving approach. Should I heat the room or should I heat the tanks? Any advices?

Thank you.
-Hoang

[David Rose]

If the basement finished? Insulated? Is your furnace located in the basement and gives off some level of heat currently?

Even if unfinished and the furnace is located there providing some heat, I would only add heaters to the tanks to make up the difference.

[csarkar001]

if you insulate the tanks, heating bill will be much less

[Moon]

Heating the tanks will be far more efficient than heating the entire room.

[htruong]

If the basement finished? Insulated? Is your furnace located in the basement and gives off some level of heat currently?


Yes, the basement is finished and insulated.

csarkar001, what do you mean by "insulate the tanks"? Put the tanks in some kind of heating pads???? I can't see my discus at all lol

I agree with you all it's better to heat the tanks since I only have 6. I will think about heating the entire room when I have hundreds or so lol

Thank you all for your advices.

-Hoang

[Larry Bugg]

Lots of people insulate their tanks by putting insulation around the back and both sides of the tank. The also say keeping a lid on the tank helps keep the heat from escaping.

[Moon]

I have reflextix round the sides and backs of my tanks

[zamboniMan]

Put insulation on the bottom, back, sides, and put a top on it (a properly fitted top will also help with evaporation). Also if you heat the room it will cost less than having tank heaters constantly flicking on and off. Or you can do a mix of both. Heat the room to like 78 then use heaters to keep the tanks at the desired temp.

[JPLDISCUS]

Put insulation on the bottom, back, sides, and put a top on it (a properly fitted top will also help with evaporation). Also if you heat the room it will cost less than having tank heaters constantly flicking on and off. Or you can do a mix of both. Heat the room to like 78 then use heaters to keep the tanks at the desired temp.

I heat both room and tanks. I use a dehumidifier also. The discard of the dehumidifier helps heat the room while keeping the humidy down to 45%. The room stays at 80-84 degs. Adding a fan at the ceiling level also helps to keep the room comfortable, well hot. The jury is still out on the monthly cost. But my concern was the humidy getting to high, its good now. I have it on a timer so it cycles also. I use insulation boards on the bottom and sides of the low tanks since thats the cooler level of the room. So far it worksfor me.

So i think the concept works if planned out.

Jim

[htruong]

pics of insulated tanks to share? I've never seen one.

[jeff@zina.com]

Heating tanks versus heating the room is a matter of how many tanks. Six tanks in a 30x50 foot basement won't make sense to heat the basement. Ninety tanks in that same basement and a warmer basement makes sense.

As for insulated tanks, think of foam board or a reflective blanket on three sides. Though a decent lid will do a good job as well.

Jeff

[bs6749]

Well, you have to consider how you are heating the tanks and the room. If you are using electirc in both instances, then the answer should be obvious. You would want to heat the least amount of space to get the desired results, i.e heating the tanks. Insulating the tanks certainly would help. However, most people have natural gas, propane, or wood burning furnaces and this will help you to determine which is better to do. If you get wood for free, have a wood stove/furnace and are often down in the basement then I'd say heat the entire room. If not, then you may want to insulate the tanks and just heat them. Make sure they have tight fitting lids.