ETank Question

[Jonathon Davis]

My etank is outside, so every two weeks or so, I have to top it off and add about 5 gallons of water.

Should I also be adding some washing soda? My immediate thought is I shouldn't have to, but I'm curious what everybody me else does.

[Cheryl Watson]

Evaporation alone... No need to add any Washing Soda.

Cold Temperatures alone may require additional washing soda.

Below 60° is where I have observed the need to raise the ration of washing soda... 1/4 cup at a time.

Below 40°... well... it just doesn't do the job anymore.

14° last night.... had me scrambling to assemble and plop the tank deicer in at 7 PM. 

Haven't even gotten the thermal blanket wrap around it yet....

GRRRR.... stupid early cold weather.......GRRRR
 :P :P

[Jonathon Davis]

So below 40, the tank becomes quite a bit more ineffective? Hadn't heard that before! What's everyone do to keep the tanks warm?

[Cheryl Watson]

.........

[Cheryl Watson]

I also have a bucket heater, but have not used it yet( to actually RAISE the water temperature)  ... it is just too danged cold in the garage for this old lady during winter.  I pray for warm days during the winter... but they have been few and far between the past 3 years......

[Gary Salsman]

Doesn't cost all that much to add a heater to the garage. Cars stay alot warmer also

[Cheryl Watson]

Gary, tried that... epic fail...

I put a kerosene heater in the detached 2 car garage....

A drop in the bucket in my self-ventilating steel frame garage...

 :)

<What??  Cars in the garage???  Maybe someday....> [smiley=roflmao.gif]

[Jonathon Davis]

Those bucket heaters are not priced too high. Might pick one up. Only problem is it looks like there's no way to have it cut off at a certain temp? Just keeps getting warmer and warmer.

[Cheryl Watson]

The first set of pics... the tank de-icer is thermostatically controlled to maintain temp slightly above freezing....

Maybe I'll try the bucket heater this weekend.... I have a Gris 14 I NEED to run through the electro!!


The bucket heater is made for 5 gal bucket,,,, I'm going to try it in 40 gallons and see how it works getting the solution above 50°....

[Jonathon Davis]

Maybe I looked at the wrong bucket heater on Amazon. People were using them to heat pools, among other things.

Will you leave the heater in the solution while the electro is running or heat up the water, take it out, then turn on the power?

[Cheryl Watson]

I will use it to heat, then remove it BEFORE turning the switch on.

Don't want to turn it into an anode... or risk damaging the rods....

Watching the weather forecast closely for a 'window' of opportunity the next two days....

18° here right now....
But... heading to the 60's soon!! for one day only!!

[Mark Zizzi]

I have mine set up in the basement. Was a little concerned about the hydrogen gas so I ran a small fan pointed at it to disperse the gas. Used it a lot last winter with no problems.  ;)

[Cheryl Watson]

I am resisting the strong impulse to wheel my new 360° rig into the basement.   The argument with self will continue....... 8-)

[Robert Hynes]

Been in the freezer here for a coupe of weeks, I'll be setting up a small tank in the kitchen with a 12 volt DC muffin fan. Wrap it, fan in the window, should be fine.