The correct selection of the accumulation tank is the basis for the optimal operation of each heating system.

The correct selection of the accumulation tank is the basis for the optimal operation of any heating system, whether in a single-family house, hotel, hall or office building.

The selection of heat accumulation buffer tanks has been determined for many years by the standard stating that 50 l of the tank's capacity is to be spent per 1 kW of heat energy of a heating boiler. We also have to take into account other parameters: the size of the furnace's loading chamber, flammability and its water capacity. The selection of the correct capacity of the heat accumulation tank has a key impact on the everyday comfort of boiler room use.

What is a heat accumulator or an accumulation tank?
The buffer tank is a capacitive water device that connects the supply of the primary circuit (central heating boiler) with the secondary circuit (central heating installation). In practice, it is a hot water tank with a large water content that stores the energy transferred from the central heating furnace. When an accumulation tank is used, the water heated in the boiler is not transferred by the pump directly to the heating system, but to the tank, where it is layered - hence the name accumulation tank is accumulated. The installation of the heat accumulator is independent, whether we have underfloor or radiator heating or blow heating.

Puffer tanks are used for the following heat sources:
• Solid fuel wood boilers (obligatory)
• Central heating boilers with manual charge for coal (obligatory)
• Central heating boilers with straw charge: bales, bales, cubes, etc. (mandatory)
• Central heating boilers with a pellet feeder or eco-pea coal (optional)
• Heat pumps (recommended)
• Wall-hung gas boilers (recommended for several heat sources)
• Photovoltaics - (recommended when using electric heaters for the buffer)

How to use the accumulator tank?
It is important to effectively warm the accumulation tank so that it accumulates a sufficient amount of energy and can then return it to the installation through heat exchange, which will be smooth, even for several hours. Subsequently, the heat exchange cycles depend on the water capacity of the buffer in relation to the water capacity of the furnace and the installation, as well as the degree of insulation of the storage tank itself. An optimally selected buffer should be sufficient for a minimum of a day's operation of the buffer without the need to turn on the central heating boiler at rated power, and with partial power, e.g. in autumn or spring, even for a few days!

The most common mistakes when choosing an accumulation tank
1. Tank capacity too low. Quite a common situation, which usually results from the fact that the accumulation tanks are spacious, take up a lot of space in the boiler room, large volumes do not pass through the 80 cm door and therefore select what can simply fit through the door. Small boiler rooms are problematic at all and therefore, if there is no space, we often recommend boiler rooms in container housings or external ones, if there is not too much space than forcing the boiler room into a small room. Too small an accumulation tank may also result from the fact that a solid fuel heating boiler is installed in the existing buffer with a heat pump. The selection of a buffer for heat pumps is different than for a central heating furnace. The effect of too small a buffer will be inelastic autonomy of its operation. Too small a tank will not work as a buffer and will only function as a hydraulic clutch. Its capacity is enough for fewer heat transfer cycles
2. Buffer tank capacity too large. Too large an accumulator tank is less of a problem than too small, but it has some inconveniences. We will have to load it longer, e.g. with 2-3 loading cycles of wood or coal, sometimes it takes up to several hours. If the water content in the central heating system is low, it may be problematic to properly balance the temperature of the system circuit and the heating boiler.

How to burn in a solid fuel boiler with manual charge and heat buffer
Many customers mistakenly believe that the buffer tank and the furnace are used as a traditional solid fuel boiler, ie: we load fuel, light it and set the temperature set on the furnace, eg 60 degrees C. Unfortunately, the operation of a solid fuel boiler with an accumulation tank is different. We need to charge the tank as quickly as possible, generating a large amount of energy so as to heat the buffer quickly and optimally. Then the hot water accumulated in the buffer is circulated to the central heating installation by means of a charging pump. To better adjust the temperature distribution and the hot water loading system to the installation, it is recommended to use the accumulator tank operation module.

Accumulation tank operation control module in the central heating furnace
Our offer includes the UMS-4A accumulator tank charging module is a microprocessor-based device designed to control the boiler and the heat accumulator charging pump. The module is equipped with an additional input and output that can be used to operate the DHW path supplied from the battery or a central heating furnace. If our boiler room does not have domestic water or its preparation is carried out j