Replacement hot water cylinder query

[graham bowers]

I'm going to replace my hot water cylinder with as close as I can to like for like. Replacing as it doesn't have an immersion heater.

It's a copper vertical 140Litre tank in an indirect vented system and the inlets and outlets seem pretty standard, except it has an outlet for the shower that's on the side of the cylinder and about 200mm below the top. The pipe to the shower has a valve quite close to the cylinder and then turns from horizontal to vertically down. The main outlet from the top of the cylinder has a bend 300mm above the cylinder then a short horizontal run into a Tee, that sends one pipe up to the header tank and the other down to the hot water system.

I've not been able to find a cylinder with an outlet on the side so am wondering if it would be OK to feed the shower from the top outlet by installing an additional tee in the horizontal section of pipe that is fed by the main outlet, and send the shower feed down and through a valve please?

Also, what's the reason for a dedicated shower feed on the existing cylinder please?

Thanks

 

[Peterdevon]

What sort of shower is it?

 

[Ben-gee]

The dedicated shower feed stops the shower from being starved of hot if another hot outlet is used- this is less of a worry if the shower valve is thermostatic. On a gravity system a non-thermostatic valve offers better flow rates, so changing to thermostatic can result in an unacceptable shower, but a non-thermostatic valve is subject to temperature fluctuations unless a dedicated feed is used.

The other point of a side outlet for shower hot is to provide an air free supply to a pump - this is very important but can be achieved in other ways too.

So wether you need this dedicated supply depends on if your shower has a pump, and if it’s thermostatic.

The side supply can be replicated by the addition of an Essex flange to your new cylinder (one cuts a hole in the cylinder and retro fits the flange, but tricky to do ) - then all your pipework can remain unaltered.

Alternatively Gledhill will add any number of tappings to a cylinder in the positions/sizes/threads of your choice, usually a short lead time but maybe longer due to Covid? This is an excellent service and not too costly - potentially saves you a lot of tome and fittings on the install and makes it a lot easier.

 

[Gasmk1]

is it a power shower, the correct fitting is a York or Surrey flange Grundfos Surrey & York Tank Flanges - https://shop.filpumps.co.uk/products/grundfos-surrey-york-flanges

 

[Roy_66]

I'm going to replace my hot water cylinder with as close as I can to like for like. Replacing as it doesn't have an immersion heater.

It's a copper vertical 140Litre tank in an indirect vented system and the inlets and outlets seem pretty standard, except it has an outlet for the shower that's on the side of the cylinder and about 200mm below the top. The pipe to the shower has a valve quite close to the cylinder and then turns from horizontal to vertically down. The main outlet from the top of the cylinder has a bend 300mm above the cylinder then a short horizontal run into a Tee, that sends one pipe up to the header tank and the other down to the hot water system.

I've not been able to find a cylinder with an outlet on the side so am wondering if it would be OK to feed the shower from the top outlet by installing an additional tee in the horizontal section of pipe that is fed by the main outlet, and send the shower feed down and through a valve please?

Also, what's the reason for a dedicated shower feed on the existing cylinder please?

Thanks

Here's a couple of photo of mine, IMI circa 1994

15mm shower is the top one on the side.

Think my shower is non thermo, but I would not worry about that, just don't run the bath at same time . . . Depends on how many in the house though.

Cheers,

Roy

 

[graham bowers]

Thanks for your helpful replies Ben-gee and Gasmk1.
It's a gravity pressurised system with a thermostatic shower.
The path of least risk is, I think, to use a Surrey flange. I don't mind modifying the pipework to suit.
Edited to add, thanks Roy as well. I don't wish to have to manage the use of the various hot water outlets. That would be a step in the wrong direction.

 

[Ben-gee]

If you’re able to alter the pipework then I agree with you, off the shelf cylinder and a Surrey flange. Good luck

 

[graham bowers]

If you’re able to alter the pipework then I agree with you, off the shelf cylinder and a Surrey flange. Good luck

Thanks. It's all done. Missus is well pleased ;-)