Hot water storage unit

[rhj999]

I hope someone can help.

The other night, the expansion tank for the hot water storage unit fell off the wall. We were told by our house builder that it is our responsibility to get the unit serviced annually. To cut a long story short, we were aware of the requirement for the boiler to be serviced but not the cylinder - the builders handover paperwork also doesn't mention this either.

The expansion tank is held on by a glorified jubilee clip which has snapped. This could be dangerous if anyone had been in the airing cupboard at the time. Anyway, a plumber is coming to check this during the week.

I have enclosed some pictures of the installation for your comments. It does not seem right to me as I cannot see the manufacturers label without squeezing down the side and I also cannot see the thermostat setting clearly.

Thanks

Richard

 

[justlead1]

Hi. Who ever carried out the work was not to keen on fixings, the pipe work seems to be self supporting. Easily damaged if pulled about by a child or similar. Also something i have learn't from this site is the fact that the pipe work local to cylinder should be lagged.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i think the installer was being lazy fitting the cylinder like that! with a bit of thought on the layout of the pipes the tank could have been fitted better so that the tappings for the tank were on the side not the front, then you would be able to read the manufacturers label and the tank stat.

 

[oldplumber]

installer doesn't look as if they knew how to pull a bend either, luv the extra long flexi hose, I like to use 22mm tube to provide a bitt of support as well as the wall hanger for the expansion vessel, makes me feel better when I leave the installation, still takes all sorts.

 

[tamz]

New build house roughed out to wrong sizes (4" or so out) which happens often down to the lazyness of the architects in checking sizes and altering drawings.
You can only pi.. with the co.. you have!
None the less the pipework should have been offsetted back to get a clip or 2 on it.
You don't site a cylinder so you can read the label, it is irrelevant. You site it to suit the pipework. Bends or elbows, irrelevant too. Use a mirror to set the stat. Once set leave it. You will never need to touch it again.
Pipes should possibly been lagged depending on how long ago it was done to comply with regs.
Long flexi and glorified jubilee clip is supplied with cylinder kit and is standard practice.
What you have not shown is where the expansion vessel was fixed. I can see a vessel clip on pic 1 but not for that type of vessel and i don't think that vessel would have been pulled so far to the left.
Unvented cylinders need serviced annually too but a service would not prevent a vessel falling from it's fixing unless it was obvious at the time.

 

[rhj999]

Thank you for your your comments so far.

tamz - the fixing is high up on the left hand side as you suspected. that is the vessel clip.

 

[tamz]

If it was fitted up on the left it is little wonder it came off. It would have been easy to snag on the flexi stretching across and loosen it. When you get it fixed back on the wall, get it rigid piped up on the right side somewhere. It will still work ok lying on the floor in the meantime.
Why is the head off the motorised valve? (the grey thing with the black wire at the bottom left of the pics)

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

crap work should not have fallen off,as tamz says why is the head off the motorised valve? has it jammed?

 

[rhj999]

I am not quite sure where the valve should be. My other main concern is that when the expansion vessel fell, it would have hit the piping on the left as it fell and whether it has damaged anything.

Richard

 

[fuzzy]

gee its not hard to clip things, just lazy rushed job. clipping should be the easiest thing to get right. if clipped properly the vessel would not have fallen, nothing to do with servicing?????????

 

[rhj999]

Just to update you - spoke to the tank manufacturer who also agrees that the installation is not great. The tank should have the label and thermostat facing front. They have also changed the expansion vessel strap from a jubillee clip type to a solid steel band. They also now recommend a solid pipe connection between the vessel and the tank.

The motorised valve had been caught by the vessel falling at some time. During saturday evening the was a loud juddering noise and the boiler stopped. The plumber came first thing Monday and put the motorized valve back on and the heating now works ok. He is coming back tomorrow to re-fit the expansion vessel and lag the pipes.

A long letter will be going to the house builder as I am concerned at both their failure to inform us that the tank should be serviced annually and that the piping is still safe as it received quite a bang when the vessel fell on it.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Just to update you - spoke to the tank manufacturer who also agrees that the installation is not great. The tank should have the label and thermostat facing front. They have also changed the expansion vessel strap from a jubillee clip type to a solid steel band. They also now recommend a solid pipe connection between the vessel and the tank.

The motorised valve had been caught by the vessel falling at some time. During saturday evening the was a loud juddering noise and the boiler stopped. The plumber came first thing Monday and put the motorized valve back on and the heating now works ok. He is coming back tomorrow to re-fit the expansion vessel and lag the pipes.

A long letter will be going to the house builder as I am concerned at both their failure to inform us that the tank should be serviced annually and that the piping is still safe as it received quite a bang when the vessel fell on it.

lucky it was not some ones head it fell on

 

[Centralheatking]

I would get back on to the housebuilder get them to fix a poor installation. Servicing does not include re-fixing components to the walls. Failing that get the nhbc on to it - they have had a bad press recently so they might be on their toes a bit more.

centralheatking

 

[tamz]

Failing that get the nhbc on to it - they have had a bad press recently so they might be on their toes a bit more.

Doubt it. The builders pay their wages.