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Re: A Plumbing Problem



I would also think that it's the output pipes that are critical to the
impedance and both are 3/4". The input lines feed into the large tanks, the
output pipes into the hot water lines.

rick

-----Original Message-----
From: Allen Shotwell <rshotwel@ivy.tec.in.us>


Isn't this acting like resistors in parallel? I always get fuzzy over the
electricity/plumbing analogies, but it seems to me that if the pressure
(voltage?) is the same but the flow (current?) is different, we're talking
about parallel. In which case, the smaller resistance would have the
largest
current.

The smaller inlet pipe produces a greater impedance to the flow of water
than the larger pipe. Assuming that both tanks are connected together at
the outlet end and are feeding the same system they will act like
resistors
in series. On one branch is a tank with small pipe in series = large
resistance. On the other branch is a tank with a large pipe in seres=
smaller resistance. The total pressure drop across both branches is the
same and thus the smaller resistance will have a greater flow of water
through it. Since the tanks are identical the one with the greater flow
of
water through it will run out of hot water fastest.