![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Heatingsystem_for_wood.jpg/640px-Heatingsystem_for_wood.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Hot water storage tank
Tank used for storing hot water for heating or domestic use / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Hot water tank?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
A hot water storage tank (also called a hot water tank, thermal storage tank, hot water thermal storage unit, heat storage tank, hot water cylinder and geyser in South African English[1]) is a water tank used for storing hot water for space heating or domestic use.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Heatingsystem_for_wood.jpg/640px-Heatingsystem_for_wood.jpg)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/InstalacjaSlonecznaCWU.svg/320px-InstalacjaSlonecznaCWU.svg.png)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%81%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_RKraft.svg/640px-%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%81%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_RKraft.svg.png)
Water is a convenient heat storage medium because it has a high specific heat capacity. This means, compared to other substances, it can store more heat per unit of weight. Water is non-toxic and low cost.
An efficiently insulated tank can retain stored heat for days, reducing fuel costs.[2] Hot water tanks may have a built-in gas or oil burner system, electric immersion heaters. Some types use an external heat exchanger such as a central heating system, or heated water from another energy source. The most typical, in the domestic context, is a fossil-fuel burner, electric immersion elements, or a district heating scheme.[3]
Water heaters for washing, bathing, or laundry have thermostat controls to regulate the temperature, in the range of 40 to 60 °C (104 to 140 °F), and are connected to the domestic cold water supply.
Where the local water supply has a high content of dissolved minerals such as limestone, heating the water causes the minerals to precipitate in the tank (scaling). A tank may develop leaks due to corrosion after only a few years, a problem exacerbated by dissolved oxygen in the water which accelerates corrosion of both tank and fittings.