6 best expansion tanks

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

An integral part of a modern private house heating system is an expansion tank. It allows you to level the thermal expansion of the coolant. Experts have calculated that if the temperature rises by 70 ° C, the volume of water will increase by 3%. The heated liquid from the pipeline enters the tank, and after cooling, it goes back to the pipeline. A wide range of expansion tanks is presented on the domestic market. They differ in volume, design and price. Recommendations of our experts will help you to choose the right equipment for a specific heating system.

Recommendations for choosing an expansion tank

Types of expansion tanks. Several types of tanks can be used in heating systems.

1. Open tanks are intended for natural circulation heating systems (without a booster pump). In this case, the tank is installed at the highest point.
2. The scope of application of closed-type expansion tanks is wide enough. These can be open systems without pumps or closed lines with forced circulation.
3. Diaphragm expansion tanks are the most advanced equipment today. The advantage of such devices is their automatic operation. The coolant in such a scheme does not come into contact with air, so that the inner surfaces of the metal parts are not destroyed.

Volume. Many consumers pick up an expansion tank without calculations, spending money for the extra volume. Experts recommend doing some simple math.

1. To calculate the volume of the coolant in the heating system, it is necessary to take the passport data of the boiler and all radiators, add the volume of liquid in the pipes to them. The resulting figure is multiplied by 0.1-0.12.
2. For example, if 100 liters of water are poured into the heating system, then the size of the expansion tank should be 10-12 liters.

Membrane. In modern accumulators, the membrane plays an important role.

1. Some manufacturers make it replaceable, which allows repair or scheduled maintenance after a while.
2. There are expansion tanks where the membrane is not replaceable. In this case, the life of the equipment is limited by the life of the membrane.

Installation method. Expansion tanks are mounted in two ways.

1. Vertical mounting is easy. It is enough to install the tank on supports or adjustable feet to take hold of the equipment piping.
2. In the case of horizontal installation, you will have to mount the tank on the wall or make a special stand. These devices are not always included.

The editorial staff of the magazine has selected the 6 best expansion tanks for the review. All of them are sold in specialized stores in Russia. When distributing positions, the conclusions of experts were taken as a basis, while the reviews of Russian homeowners were not ignored.

Rating of the best expansion tanks

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best expansion tanks	1	JILEX 100	RUB 2,567
	2	Reflex NG 100 (8001411) 100 l	RUB 5 567
	3	Wester WRV 50	2 180 rub.
	4	STOUT STH-0006-000050 50 l	RUR 2,410
	5	Wester WRV 8	719 RUB
	6	JILEX 6	720 RUB

JILEX 100 100 l vertical installation

Rating: 4.9

The JILEX 100 expansion tank gives the owners of private houses wide opportunities. The model is capable of working with submersible and surface pumps, it can be used for 2 points of water intake. The accumulator is placed vertically, its capacity is 100 liters. The maximum working pressure is limited to 6 bar. The experts appreciated the metal flange, affordable price and high-quality manufacturing of the tank. The body is made of 1 mm thick steel, protected against corrosion by phosphate and paintwork. There are 3 support legs for installation, which are attached to the body by resistance welding. The position of the tank is adjusted with plastic feet.

Users praise the Russian tank for its excellent quality, affordable price, and ease of installation.

Advantages

• universality of application;
• adequate cost;
• high-quality assembly;
• spaciousness.

disadvantages

• not detected.

Reflex NG 100 (8001411) 100 l vertical installation

Rating: 4.8

Another 100-liter tank was in the top three of our review. Reflex NG 100 is designed for installation in closed heating and cooling systems. The tank is designed for a pressure of 6 bar. The expansion tank consists of a metal body and an elastic rubber membrane. The membrane separates the reservoir into air and water chambers. The operating temperature range can vary from 0 to + 70 ° C. Experts note the German quality, long service life (10 years), compact size and low weight (11.5 kg). Only the high price did not allow the product to bypass the winner.

Russian homeowners are satisfied with the workmanship, ease of changing pressure, and compactness. Of the minuses, they note a non-removable membrane.

Advantages

• German quality;
• long service life;
• compactness;
• ease of use.

disadvantages

• high price;
• non-removable membrane.

Wester WRV 50 50 l vertical installation

Rating: 4.7

The Russian Wester WRV 50 expansion tank is designed to compensate for the thermal expansion of liquid in heating systems. It can work both with ordinary water and with antifreeze (glycol concentration up to 50%). The experts liked the wide temperature range (-10 … + 100 ° C), in which the tank can operate. For the construction of the case, the manufacturer used carbon steel with a red epoxy-polyester coating. The membrane is made of EPDM monomer. The model is inferior to the leaders not only in volume (50 l), but also in maximum working pressure (5 bar).

Consumers first of all praise it for its low price, compactness, and high-quality assembly. The downside is considered to be unreliable packaging, which does not protect the case from mechanical damage.

Advantages

• low price;
• wide range of operating temperatures;
• stable supports;
• high-quality assembly.

disadvantages

• it is difficult to find a membrane to replace;
• unreliable packaging.

STOUT STH-0006-000050 50 l

Rating: 4.6

The expansion tank STOUT STH-0006-000050 can be easily integrated into the heating system. It is designed for water or antifreeze (up to 50% glycol), the operating temperature of the coolant must be from -10 to + 100 ° C. For the manufacture of the tank, the manufacturer used carbon steel, the membrane is made of butyl and natural rubber. The tank is installed on reliable supports. The experts appreciated the durability of the anti-corrosion treatment, the high working pressure (6 bar), and the affordable price.

So far, domestic real estate owners are looking closely at the Russian accumulator. There are few real users, the reviews are positive. Buyers note the presence of a replaceable membrane, compactness. Of the minuses, a large weight is noted (17 kg).

Advantages

• universality of application;
• high-quality manufacturing;
• high working pressure;
• affordable price.

disadvantages

• few real buyers;
• great weight.

Wester WRV 8 8 l

Rating: 4.5

Affordable price and good workmanship helped the Wester WRV 8 expansion tank get into our review. The equipment is designed to work in heating systems where water or 50% water-glycol solution plays the role of the heat carrier. The experts liked the robust tank made of epoxy-polyester coated carbon steel. The membrane is made from butyl rubber. In the production process, a modern technology of two-level crimping was used, the welding seam was checked with a laser scanner. The expansion tank comes with a replaceable membrane.

Users love the compact size and lightness (1.55 kg). The disadvantages are the lack of supports and fasteners, primitive packaging in a plastic bag.

Advantages

• high-quality assembly;
• durable body;
• reliable protection against corrosion;
• affordable price.

disadvantages

• unreliable packaging;
• no mounts and supports.

JILEX 6 6 l vertical installation

Rating: 4.4

Among compact accumulators, the attention of experts was attracted by the Russian expansion tank JILEX 6. The model is equipped with a 6-liter reservoir made of 1 mm thick solid steel. The tank is protected from corrosion by powder paint, the coating thickness is up to 120 microns. The weight of the product is 1.7 kg, the device is placed vertically. The accumulator is designed for a maximum operating pressure of 5 bar. The coolant temperature can be in the range of -10 … + 120 ° C. The design of the tank does not allow water or antifreeze to come into contact with atmospheric air. The manufacturer installed an air valve with a plastic cap to measure the pressure.

Domestic consumers praise the model for its compactness, lightness and affordable price. On the downside, they include the small volume of the tank.

Advantages

• attractive cost;
• good quality;
• compactness;
• light weight.

disadvantages

• small volume.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.