Stainless steel tank for a bath: making it yourself

For any admirer of good steam, the use of a stainless steel tank for a bath is considered an unrecognized standard, an indicator of a high-class heater and steam room in general. In addition, this concerns the appearance of the container and the safety of using the stove. The only worthy competitor to stainless steel water tanks are copper and brass soldered structures. They are rarely found on sale, at exorbitant prices, so most owners make do with alloy steel containers.

Do you need a stainless steel hot water tank in a bathhouse?

The answer to the question is not as obvious as it might seem at first glance. Most owners of steam rooms, before buying stainless steel water tanks for a bath, doubted for a long time about the correctness of their choice, and it’s not even the high price of a stainless steel tank, they were frightened by the shortcomings that few people know about.

Everyone knows about the benefits of using stainless steel for baths:

The tank does not rot or rust, as in the case of using conventional ferrous metal;
Remarkable appearance of polished steel, decorative qualities;
Easy care and maintenance of the stainless steel tank. The body can be washed and cleaned with a brush, detergents and even phosphoric acid;
A container made of alloy steel is not afraid of thermal and mechanical shocks, mechanical load, and there are no chips on the surface of the coating, like enameled products.

For your information!
Stainless steel is an extremely capricious and inconvenient material. It is especially difficult to weld a tank for a sauna stove from thin-sheet stainless steel blanks. Therefore, a good alloy steel cylinder for hot water is usually ordered from companies that have good equipment, and most importantly, high-quality welders.

It is clear that a container for hot water in a bathhouse is not cheap, more expensive than the 70-100 dollars for which you can buy a stainless steel tank in any salon that sells equipment for bathhouses and stoves. Of course, this does not mean that you only need to make a stainless steel tank for a bathhouse with your own hands; far from it, you can buy an excellent model made of alloy or stainless steel with additional functions that will last for several decades without a single comment. You just need to try to choose the right quality product.

Water bath containers: how not to make a mistake when choosing

The main elements of a bathhouse, if you intend to get maximum pleasure from the process, are a stove and a water tank. To ensure that everything related to the water tank in the bathhouse is done correctly, we will dwell on the main issues that may arise when setting up a steam room yourself.

The main questions that arise when choosing an element such as a tank for a bath are:

Its parameters
Which type should I choose: remote, built into the oven, on a pipe?
What should it be made of: steel, stainless steel, cast iron?

Tank parameters

If you are used to doing everything with your own hands, then, of course, you will try to make a sauna tank yourself.
However, you should first think about what type of container is suitable for your steam room, what principle of water heating will be used, what material to make the tank from, so that later you do not have to invest money in re-equipment again. So, you must decide whether you will heat the stove in a sauna or simply heat the water using the heating element built into the tank. And in order to understand what is more profitable for you, heating a stove or using an electrically heated container, estimate how many people will steam at the same time. Another important factor is the volume of water that needs to be heated and the allowable time for heating to the required temperature.

Let’s say that if you want to steam alone, a person is unlikely to need more than fifty liters of hot water. But to please the whole family or group of friends, you need to install a water heating tank with a capacity of seventy or more liters.

Also pay attention to the thickness of the tank wall. It is this parameter that determines how evenly the water in it will be heated and how long its temperature will remain. But remember that the thickness of the tank wall directly affects its price and weight.

In any case, a stainless steel bath tank with a volume of up to fifty liters should have a wall thickness of 0.8-1 mm. For containers of larger volume, a wall thickness of 1.5 mm is desirable.

Advice from the master!

And do not forget that no matter what material the tank in the bathhouse is made of, you need to equip it with the optimal number of outlets and make an inlet for water. When choosing a tank in a store, ordering it in a workshop, or preparing to brew a canister for a sauna yourself, take into account all the parameters mentioned, and the process of washing in a sauna will be a complete pleasure for you.

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Selecting the type of container

It is known that when choosing a tank for a bath, you will need to compare the parameters of the main three types of tanks:

Traditional, built-in oven
Remote
On the pipe

Just a few decades ago, no one would have doubted that the best option for a sauna tank was the one built into the stove. That is, the bottom of the boiler is completely placed in the upper part of the firebox, and, being in the hottest part, has the ability to accumulate the greatest amount of heat to heat and maintain the temperature of the water.

In the case of a built-in one, there is direct contact of the flame with the walls and bottom of the tank and the design of the container does not depend on the chosen method of smoke removal. You can take water from the tank built into the stove either with a ladle through an openable lid, or through a tap, where water from the tank flows by gravity.

Equipping the furnace with heat exchangers connected to the container with copper tubes allows you not to tie it to the location of the furnace, providing the opportunity to install it in any convenient place. In addition, under the influence of the natural laws of physics and following the convection principle, cold water will descend through the tubes down into the heat exchanger located in the furnace, and, having heated up to the desired temperature, return to the container. The remote tank in the bathhouse can be placed in the washing room, where the main hot water is collected.

Of course, it is important that the water in the tank not only heats up quickly, but also that the required water temperature is constantly maintained with minimal energy consumption. For this purpose, many people prefer to place the sauna tank on a pipe that serves to remove smoke from the stove. The smoke released during the combustion process can reach a temperature of 500°C and, of course, the water in the tank located around the pipe heats up quite quickly.

The above means that when planning to place the tank on a pipe, you can choose containers of a fairly large volume, since the heating element can be used along its entire length - from the stove to the ceiling. In this case, the water will heat up not only quickly, but also evenly. This happens because by making an elliptical tank, you can heat even a large volume quickly, since the pipe in this case, passing through the center of the tank, is a kind of heat exchanger with a significant working heat exchange area.

In addition, when placing the tank on a pipe, the unpleasant situation with the possibility of carbon monoxide entering the room is eliminated, since the canister serves as a kind of fuse in the event of smoke leaks.

If the type of tank is selected, it remains to decide on the type of fuel that will be used to heat the stove. In modern conditions, wood-burning stoves are increasingly being replaced by electric heating elements, because electricity is a cheaper and faster way to heat water compared to wood. However, many will argue that the smell of a burning log cannot be replaced by anything. And it’s hard to disagree with this.

But, on the other hand, if you really want to breathe in the smell of burning firewood without having to fork out too much to heat the sauna with wood, then after the steam room you can sit in the relaxation room in front of the fireplace with logs crackling under the influence of the fire.

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What material should the tank be made of?

Previously, cast iron was almost always used for bathhouses. And although it took several hours to heat the water in such a tank, which required a considerable amount of firewood, the temperature of the water in it was maintained long enough for the whole family to steam in the bathhouse. In addition, cast iron is not afraid of high temperatures and has a high degree of corrosion resistance. The main disadvantage of cast iron canisters is their heavy weight.

The most popular are stainless steel sauna tanks. Firstly, it doesn’t hurt your head that they will need to be protected from the corrosive effects of moisture. Secondly, stainless steel is characterized by a high coefficient of thermal conductivity and the water in such containers heats up quickly. Thirdly, the coefficient of deformation of stainless steel under the influence of sudden temperature changes is insignificant compared, for example, with ferrous metals.

The best material for making tanks is stainless steel, which is used in the production of cookware. It is steel grades 8-12X18H10 (304) and 08X17 (430) that are endowed with such properties as high heat resistance, resistance to deformation under the influence of high temperatures, hygiene and corrosion resistance.

If you purchase a stove complete with a tank at, as they say, a low price, then be prepared for the fact that you will soon begin to worry about the question of why the tank in the bathhouse rusts. Don’t be surprised: at a low price you won’t find a stove complete with a stainless steel container. In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of contact with “rusty” water, it is necessary to wipe the tank dry after draining the water.

Of course, using an enameled version in a bathhouse can also protect you from rust. But the enamel can chip, which is a significant drawback of enameled containers and is absolutely not inherent in stainless steel tanks. When using a tank made of metal that is susceptible to corrosion, you can get rid of rust only by coating the metal with a special heat-resistant paint.

Painted tanks can be used in a bathhouse if they are not built into the oven, but cover the frying plate with their bottom, which serves as a kind of dissipator of temperature shock, evenly distributed over the entire area of the stove.

So, the most practical and durable option is a stainless steel tank.

The most modern designs of sauna tanks have long been no longer built into the stove, but are more often remote. Such containers have a rather aesthetic appearance and do not spoil the pleasure of healing steam and the healing effect it has on the body and the organism as a whole.

A modern bath tank is a rigid welded structure, which is made of thin stainless steel sheet, equipped with an inlet for introducing water, as well as shut-off and distribution valves in the form of ball valves for drawing hot water from it. Such a tank does not rust, and therefore does not need painting. In addition, caring for him is simple and will not cause any difficulties for his owners. Typically, a sauna tank is made of stainless or chrome steel. This material not only does not absorb light, but also additionally illuminates the room, increasing the illumination when reflected.

Advice from the master!

The main thing is to observe all the installation features described in the instructions when installing and operating the container. Or, when making it yourself, comply with the necessary safety conditions. Especially if draining water in winter to avoid freezing of the system is not a problem, then any tank will last a long time and will not cause unnecessary trouble.

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Construction of stainless steel tanks for a bath, what to look for

In a modern steam room, several standard options for containers for obtaining boiling water are used. The design of stainless steel water tanks depends on the method of heat extraction from the stove, so the container is selected, first of all, taking into account the structural features of the chimney, installation location and the need for boiling water for the washing department.

The salon most often offers to buy one of three models:

The most popular and safest is a mounted tank, made of thin-walled stainless steel, most often in the shape of a “suitcase”. To heat water, it is mounted on one of the side walls of the stove;
An attached tank, or samovar, is a cylindrical container, inside of which a section of the stove chimney pipe is embedded. Heat for water is removed from combustion products and flue gases through the walls. Available in a variety of stainless steel grades;
A wall-mounted or wall-mounted tank, heat is removed from the stove using a coil built into the firebox. The stainless steel container is located a short distance from the heater, so this model is considered the safest.

If in the first two cases the use of stainless steel is justified by the high temperature of the hot furnace walls, then a hanging stainless steel tank for a bathhouse is considered to be an element of room decor.

Application options

Storage tanks are relevant in places where there are interruptions in water supply.
Indoors, water tanks are most often installed in a horizontal position. The tanks are used to store rainwater and tap water. With their help, you can organize an outdoor shower or keep them for fire safety purposes so that you can extinguish the fire.

They can store water for watering plants, gardens and vegetable gardens. Often round tanks are installed in a bathhouse to store water. There are many designs that can be round, rectangular or other shapes.

Is it worth buying a stainless steel hanging tank?

According to many experts, the beautiful, shiny body of the container does not experience any stress, either thermal or mechanical, therefore, thanks to the alloyed metal of the walls, it can last an unlimited amount of time.

If, when purchasing, you have the opportunity to choose the type and material of the container, then it is best to opt for a hanging tank made of stainless steel. Any containers made of ferrous metal, even with galvanization and a protective layer of paint, rot within 2-3 years of operation. As an illustration, mention may be made of electric boilers used for hot water in apartments.

The walls of a low-carbon mild steel tank, even if coated with a layer of ceramic enamel, are still subject to pitting due to the simultaneous action of water, high temperature and atmospheric oxygen. The service life of this container is extended thanks to built-in magnesium anodes. A similar situation arises with hot water tanks in the bathhouse. The production of stainless steel tanks, especially large ones, requires serious expenses, so they are not cheap, but in any case, the money invested in the purchase is worth it.

For your information! Stainless steel has very poor ductility; even a small amount of water in the tank, left in a bathhouse at the summer cottage in winter, can cause cracks in the welds.

Let's talk about the rules of installation and operation

System calculation

If you decide to install the system yourself, you will have to make certain calculations. It will be difficult to absolutely accurately calculate the dimensions and volume of the system, and there is no urgent need for this.

For example, 5 kW is enough to heat a medium-sized room. This power can be provided by a heat exchanger with an area of 1 m². But the temperature in the furnace constantly fluctuates; when fully heated, 1 m² provides up to 9 kW, and when the furnace goes out, the power begins to drop rapidly and can drop by 5 to 10 times. Therefore, the area of the unit is taken with a significant margin, which makes it possible to equalize the heating of the liquid.

The configuration of the heat exchanger itself can be different; there is no consensus among experts. Some argue that stainless steel pipes are the best option, others prefer plates or manifolds consisting of 2 mating channels.

Connecting the system to the shower stall.

Tips for installation

If you decide to assemble the system yourself, then you should take into account several mandatory requirements.

Tanks should be welded from metal with a thickness of at least 2.5 mm. The requirements for the upper, large tank are minimal; the main thing is that it does not rust or leak.
The requirements for piping and the heat exchanger itself are somewhat higher; in the past, the most popular material for a heat exchanger was cast iron. Indeed, the material is very durable, does not corrode and holds the temperature for a long time. But cast iron also has serious disadvantages; it is heavy, which requires serious fastenings. And cast iron takes a long time to heat up.
At this time, most experts prefer to assemble a system from stainless steel; its price is of course higher than that of cast iron or conventional steel grades that are susceptible to corrosion, but the savings here will cost more in the future. For the heat exchanger, stainless steel grades 08X17 (430) will be the most optimal; or 8-12Х18Н10 (304) they have optimal heat transfer parameters and meet all hygienic standards.
As for the connecting pipes, naturally they should also be made of stainless steel. The drive pipe with cold water must initially, when leaving the large tank, fall slightly below the level of the heat exchanger; a drain valve is mounted at the lowest point and then rises at an angle of 2˚ to 5˚ to the entrance to the heat exchanger.
The outlet pipe, through which hot water will flow into a large tank for a heated bath, must exit the heat exchanger, pass through the wall at an angle of at least 30˚ and connect to the tank.

Features of the operation of mounted tanks

Cylindrical containers, or “samovars,” operate under the most severe conditions of high temperature. The chimney wall can heat up to 500-600°C. The metal of the walls burns into scale, as they say, to holes. In this case, using a stainless steel pipe for a sauna tank can be considered the best option.

The lower part of the tank is a metal glass with which the container is placed on the flange of the heater. This is the most loaded part of the structure. In addition to the high temperature of the walls, the weight of the tank itself and the water supply presses on the lower part of the stainless steel body. Plus, the hot glass gets the most boiling water and steam from the stones. In such conditions, ferrous metal burns out into rusty dust within a few months, so when choosing a specific tank model, pay attention to the bottom of the container; the thickness of the metal in this place should be at least 1.5 mm.

When choosing and inspecting stainless steel tanks for a bathhouse stove, it is imperative to pay attention to the quality of the welds on the bottom of the tank. The bottom part of the container of tanks from well-known Finnish and Swedish manufacturers is made of thicker metal or reinforced with stiffeners. In addition, the welding seams at the junction of the inner pipe, bottom and outer walls must be smooth and continuous, this indicates high quality welding.

Attention! Stoves and heaters in the bathhouse, equipped with mounted stainless steel tanks, cannot be heated without water.

If a container for hot water made of non-alloy steel is often deliberately not filled with water until the heater is ignited and completely lit, in order to speed up the process of gaining temperature, then in the case of stainless steel, such a “trick” can result in a burst wall or a dented bottom. Alloy steel has low thermal conductivity and a high coefficient of thermal expansion, therefore, during “dry” heating, severe stresses arise in the stainless steel glass and bottom part.

If a similar situation occurs, then you cannot pour water into an alloy steel container; you need to turn off the firebox and allow the stainless steel tank to cool to at least 50-60°C.

Tank on a pipe

On the pipe

This version of the sauna tank is mounted directly to the pipe that removes smoke from the stove. It plays the role of a heat exchanger and from it the water is heated.

This tank also has positive aspects:

The heating area, given the height of the pipe, can be large, which helps to quickly heat the water and maintain its desired temperature.
Another positive argument is security. The installation of tanks on a pipe protects the bathhouse from unwanted leakage of carbon monoxide.

Attached containers made of alloy steel

Structurally, an attached stainless steel tank is a rectangular, square or semicircular container, at least with a fairly large flat wall. A metal box is installed on a cast iron or steel stove in such a way as to ensure maximum close contact between the side or bottom of the tank and the hottest part of the firebox.

Due to lower thermal conductivity, water in a stainless steel cylinder takes much longer to heat up than in steel and, especially, copper tanks. This is one of the reasons why they prefer to make the walls of alloy steel containers as thin as possible. For ease of carrying, the design is equipped with side handles.

At the bottom of the container, a coupling or fitting is welded under the tap for drawing hot water. When choosing a specific model of an attached tank, you need to pay attention to two conditions:

The hole for installing the tap should be located on the wall opposite the firebox. If you install a ball valve with polyethylene liners closer to the furnace than 20 cm, then during the heating process the internal parts of the valve, made of polymers, very quickly melt and lose their tightness;
The stainless steel tank body must be equipped with its own fastening to the base, even if the cylinder will partially rest on the wall and parts of the furnace.

Attached stainless steel tanks are very reliable and durable in operation; the container is often used to heat water not only for use within the steam room, but also for any other purpose where warm-hot water is required. It is quite possible for two adults to heat and carry a cylinder of boiling water.

general information

Why are water containers made of metal or any other material needed? The answer to this question is obvious, but for some it remains open. The fact is that everyone uses storage tanks differently. Their purpose is to collect and store water for later use. How and in what form you will do this is up to you to decide.

The tank can have different shapes, depending on its purpose. A regular rectangular large tank can be used to collect rainwater. For a summer shower, you can use a flat, low tank that can be easily mounted on top of a metal frame. It all depends on the purpose of use.

Often, ordinary metal barrels are used as such a storage tank. This is a practical and inexpensive option, but not always convenient. Especially because of its open top, through which insects enter the water, and plants and rust form on the walls of the tank. It can also be used to collect rainwater only if you have drains and it is possible to lead the pipe directly to the barrel.

In order not to have to worry about barrels, craftsmen make homemade metal tanks. They have a simple design and low cost. Below you can see one of the possible drawings of a storage tank. This container is small in size, but quite spacious and holds up to 200 liters of water.

How to make a stainless steel container with your own hands

The retail price of one stainless steel tank of 50-70 liters, regardless of shape and design, is within 7 thousand rubles, a good quality cylinder will cost 10 thousand rubles. If you do it yourself, then making a 50 liter tank will cost only 30-40 dollars.

The amount of work is small:

Select materials, thin-sheet stainless steel and welding material;
Cut the body blank, adjust the dimensions;
Weld a stainless steel tank, check the tightness of the seams;
Conduct a test within the walls of the bathhouse.

The process is simple, but before you make a stainless steel tank with your own hands, you need to figure out the right choice of materials and select the welding mode.

Built-in

Built-in tank

This is a kind of budget option. It is placed above the firebox, from which the water is heated. Water is drawn from such a tank directly or the tap can be removed from it in advance. This tank is easy to install - it is installed when laying the furnace.

Now all that remains is to choose the metal from which the tank will be made. The main materials used to make tanks are cast iron, stainless steel, enameled metal and steel. The choice of material also plays an important role in the design of tanks.

The best materials for a stainless steel tank

Of the hundreds of existing grades of stainless steel, we need thin sheet metal with the best ductility and weldability. It is not difficult to weld a structure, even if you have to work with a thin sheet, but it is much more difficult to make a weld so that it does not become covered with microcracks.

If possible, it is best to choose austenitic steel, for example, the most popular and well-known stainless steel grade X18N9T. It is easiest to weld in a makeshift garage. As consumables, you can use wire for carbon dioxide semi-automatic machines with a diameter of 0.8 mm. If a stainless steel tank is made for sale, then it is best to look for specialized wire, any kind, as long as the marking contains a link to GOST 2240-60.

It is better to cook a stainless steel tank with wire in argon or carbon dioxide, because the metal is very thin. If you plan to make a tank from a 3-5 mm sheet, then it is best to use a plasma torch or a three-phase welder with a rectifying bridge and ballaster.

How to weld stainless steel: available methods of welding, the better, like at home, than thin

page » About welding » Welding stainless steel » How to cook stainless steel: choose a method according to your capabilities

Stainless steel is widely used in many areas due to its excellent technical characteristics:

high resistance to oxidation;
durability of stainless steel structures;
strength;
aesthetics of the finished product;
ease of processing in various ways.

The most effective method of working with corrosion-resistant steels is welding.

How to cook stainless steel when solving certain problems will be analyzed in this article.

Peculiarities

Stainless steel has some features that can have a significant impact on the welding process:

Linear expansion and shrinkage of the material . When heated, stainless steel products “expand,” and when cooled, they “contract.”
The thermal conductivity of stainless steel is almost two times less than that of other materials. Therefore, when welding it, the current should be reduced by 15-20%.
Corrosion-resistant steels have a fairly high electrical resistance . Therefore, it is recommended to use only special electrodes for welding stainless steel.
If you choose the wrong welding mode or select the wrong machine, stainless steel may lose its anti-corrosion properties . This happens as follows: when the product is heated to a temperature above 500°C, chromium and iron carbide is formed on the metal along the edge. This leads to oxidation. To prevent rust formation, structures should be cooled quickly using various methods.

Methods

Welding of stainless steel structures can be carried out using several methods. We will talk about how to weld stainless steel further.

Manual arc welding with coated electrodes

One of the most common methods is manual arc welding using coated electrodes. The demand for such welding is due to the fact that as a result the performer will receive a high-quality weld. When there are no special requirements for the connection, this method will be the best solution, there is no reason to look for an alternative.

The selection of the electrode is carried out in accordance with the grade of the base metal. The consumable must have an optimal coating composition. There is a wide variety of welding consumables on the market that are used to work with corrosion-resistant steels. The full list is presented here. Welding is most often carried out using direct current of reverse polarity.

The video, without detailed explanations, shows in close-up how the welding process occurs.

Tungsten electrodes

For performers who have not yet decided how to cook 1 mm stainless steel, the following method is suitable. Stainless steel welding can also be carried out using tungsten electrodes in a protective gas environment .

This method is used for working with thin metal, when increased reliability requirements are placed on the connection. Also, the seam must meet special conditions.

Tungsten rods are also ideal for welding stainless pipes used for transporting liquids. In this case, the process is carried out in an argon environment, using direct current of direct polarity.

The video clearly shows the process of TIG welding of a pipe.

More detailed information on welding corrosion-resistant steels with various types of rods is presented in the article “Welding stainless steel with electrodes.”

How to weld stainless steel, with the exception of electrodes, will be discussed below.

Semi-automatic welding in argon

Semi-automatic argon welding is used to obtain a high-quality connection and achieve high productivity. For this you should use semi-automatic welding machines. Stainless steel wire for this welding method is produced in accordance with GOST standards.

There are several types of wire: universal, alloyed, copper-plated, flux-cored, flux-cored, steel or aluminum.

The welding process begins with preliminary preparation. The contractor needs to set the operating mode of the semi-automatic welding machine: current, voltage and wire feed speed. For metal less than 3 mm thick, the optimal current is from 120 to 145 A. The wire speed is 900 m/h. In this case, direct current of reverse polarity is used.

The work surface should be cleaned, for example with a metal brush.

Then the main stage of work begins. The performer turns on the switch that feeds the wire. Then the arc is ignited. If a melting wire is used, the metal must be touched to initiate the arc. It is necessary to move the burner nozzle exclusively in one direction; there is no need to allow transverse movements. The best option is to weld products at high speed with a single-layer seam.

In the video, a welder who is not entirely confident is welding, but it is quite possible to get an idea of the process.

If a performer has a question: how to cook 2mm stainless steel, then this method will be an excellent option.

Laser

Laser welding of stainless steel is carried out exclusively in industrial conditions, as it requires special equipment. Welding is carried out using spot and seam methods.

Corrosion-resistant steels are laser welded only butt-welded, since the overlap joint creates thermal stresses that negatively affect the overall strength of the product.

The advantages of this method: no reduction in strength in the tempering zone; eliminating the appearance of thermal cracks; The speed and accuracy of the laser beam does not allow the formation of an oxide film. The main feature of the method is faster cooling of the weld.

Features of the manufacturing process

The easiest way is to make a container of a rectangular or cubic shape; to work, you only need a grinder with a disk, a measuring stick, several bench clamps and the welder itself. The cut wall blanks are joined in pairs using clamps and secured with welding points or small seam strips.

After the side walls and bottom have been assembled, the stainless steel body is finally assembled with clamps and heated with a blowtorch. As soon as the sliver applied to the metal begins to smoke, you can begin to completely scald all the seams. Upon completion of the work, the welded block must be immediately covered with any heat-resistant, non-flammable material and allowed to cool slowly for a couple of hours.