Expansion Tanks

With plain steel expansion tanks, water and air are both present in a single cavity and the system is pressurized to its minimum operating pressure. When water from the adjacent system heats up and expands, it enters the plain steel expansion tank, mixes with the existing water in the tank, and increases the air pressure within the tank. When the water from the adjacent system cools down and contracts, the additional air pressure within the tank pushes the extra water volume out of the expansion tank and back into the primary system.

Bladder-style expansion tanks fulfill the same function as plain steel expansion tanks but operate differently. Instead of having water and air together in one cavity, bladder-style expansion tanks are designed such that additional water from the system is stored in a heavy-duty butyl bladder without the presence of air. When water from the adjacent system heats up and expands, it enters the bladder, which is surrounded by an interstitial space containing pressurized air. When the water from the adjacent system cools down and contracts, the pressurized air surrounding the bladder squeezes the bladder and forces the water back into the primary system.

Yes, Steelcraft designs and manufactures air receiver tanks. The standard dimensions and layouts shown under the "Custom Expansion Tanks" tab provide the baseline for our air receiver tank selections.