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Big Fin™ Water Heater
The Tank
The Big Fin system uses an ordinary electric water heater tank. There are a number of fittings on the tank.
- Cold water inlet – accepts water directly from your well or water-meter. This fitting will have a plastic dip tube in it that extends down into the tank. The dip tube directs the cold water to the bottom.
- Hot water outlet - hot water from the tank leaves here to the house distribution system.
- Pressure relief valve fitting.
- Alternate pressure relief valve fitting. (Note: Your tank may not have both #3 and #4).
- Drain.
- Upper electric heating element. 1” fitting.
- Lower electric heating element.
Figure 9Every water heater tank will eventually leak. What is it going to leak on or through? Ask yourself this question and place a drain pan under the tank with an outlet so that years later, when the tank rusts through, it won’t damage your house. Drain pans are available from supply houses such as Grainger.
CAUTION
Before working on an installed tank, make doubly sure the switch or circuit breaker is OFF. 220 volts can kill. Turn the water off and drain the tank also.
If your tank has the screw–in type of heating elements (#6 &
#7), these fittings are standard 1” pipe thread and can be used for
plumbing connections. If you want to use one of the electric heating
elements, leave the top one (#6) in place. Disconnect electrically the
bottom one and, if you want to use the fitting for a plumbing
connection, remove the element or interpose a T.
