Replacing an indirect Hot water storage tank

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi There guys

Some while back I put in a quote for the repalcing of an exisiting hot water storage tank.Yesterday the phone rang and the customer wants the job doing.

That said as it will be my first tank replacement, would any of you seasoned vets give me a blow blow account of the best way to carry this out from start to finish. I am assuming I will have to drain down the central heating sytem entirely as well as the tank /

Your help would be greatly appreciated

Regards
Plum bob

 

[tamz]

Sometime i don't know why i bother answering some of this stuff but as you are miles away from me i will.

Right then: I'm going to leave some bits out here because you need to do a bit thinking for yourself. It is too easy to get someone to do a step by step.

1. Turn the water off
2. Drain
3. Pull old one out
4. Stick new one in
5. Turn water on
6. Make sure you have no leaks and everything works as it should.
7. Collect cash
8. Go to the scrappie and collect another £30

That is about all there is to it

 

[Puddle]

make sure you get a tank that fits through roof hatch

if tank for cylinder ,do not need to drain heating,just isolate and drain through tap outlets

And don't forget your poly washers,like what I used to do all the time,can never under stand why they do not sell them with the tank connectors,same as a basin waste,why sell the washer separate,just dosny make sense !!


9. rush home,dive in shower and try to wash off fiberglass insulation from your arms

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Well tamz

I guess you answered the way did because you are a seasoned professional who adds value with insightfull and illuminating replies.

I would have done all parts 1 to 8, my concerns being the central heating sytem and the most time effective way of completeing the job.

Since becoming self employed out of enforced redundancy I re- trained to become a plumber and took the big step of setting up on my own.Inevitably the training does not brief you on every scenario, this being one of them. In the small time I have encountered many problems which I have solved on the way, this particular job as a first is just that bit more more daunting, that said I will tackle it come what may. Unfortunately I dont have the benefit of experienced gained through a time served apprenticeship, if only and sites like this one have proved invaluable in helping me expand my knowledge base.

Regards
Plum Bob

 

[tamz]

I was thinking cylinder here but if a cistern (learn your plumber talk too) follow Puddles advice.

AAAND.
A cold(ish) shower is better to begin with as your pores don't open up so much untill you get most of the fibres off.

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi Puddle

thanks for your reply, think you may have thought i meant the expansion tank, it was actually the hot water cylinder I was referring to, I should have worded it better.

Regards
Plum Bob

 

[tamz]

I'm not going to feel sorry for you because you got paid off and decided take the food out of a time served guys mouth

I'm just ribbing you btw.

There is no quick and easy way to drain the heating. If it is a Y or S plan and there is a valve on the return you have won a watch. Turn the heating off and close the valve.
If not you will have to drain it. This will add about another half hour (hopefully) to your time.
When filling it turn both on at the same time if you are confident. The HWC will take around 3-4 minutes to fill so check that first then do the heating.

 

[Puddle]

Sorry,thought you ment tank

You will have to drain cylinder and heating,if cylinder up stairs only top half of heating although,if you get air locks when refilling drain all the way down

Should be a gate valve to isolate cylinder,close open hot taps,when they stop,attach hose drain cock on to cold fill to cylinder ,usually as located as enters cylinder and drain cylinder,if this is not working or no drain,open hot supply pipe at top of cylinder,with towel around,to catch water in pipework ,insert hose and syphon off
isolate header tank for heating and make sure power turned off,drain heating down,opening motorised valves on manual,so cylinder coil is empty

remove cylinder,fit new,altering pipework as required and refill

top cylinder connection usually straight fit,cold feed may require alteration,use new cylinder connections and drain cock if possible

try to get replacement cylinder with top connection to coil lower or the same height as the original,as if higher, more pipework alteration required or vent will have to be fitted
fill up ,adding inhibitor to heating side

 

[tamz]

Puddle are you on commission

Apologies for the language btw. I keep forgetting there may be weans reading this

 

[Puddle]

Puddle are you on commission

just following my uncles,sisters,brothers,grandfathers mothers advise !!!

its nice to be nice

My grand mother used to say to me granddad,if you can not say anything nice,say nowt,he never spoke in front of her for twenty years,mind you she was a old bat !!

 

[Toddyplumb]

Plumb Bob , what price did you put in , if you dont mind me asking ?

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi Puddle

Thanks for the reply. I was also thinking if i closed all the valves on the rad, trvs and lsvs would i only need to drain down the water in the pipes instead of the whole lot?

Plum Bob

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi Toddy plumb

I quoted £430 but with the benefit of hindsight I think this was £50 to heavy, on the other hand as it was my first one it may well take me longer to complete the job so I could have been out of pocket if didnt.

Plum Bob

 

[kay-jay]

430uid....is that just to fit or to supply and fit??

KJ

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Supply and fit

Bob

 

[Puddle]

You can close all rads off if you wish, take a bit of paper with you and count turns on balancing side valve so you can reset quickly
I would not bother though, to much messing about and valves may start leaking ect,easier to isolate system let water out of hose, when water stops open vents on top rads and away you go ,do coil pipework first, then close rad vents, open supply to header tank and fill, while you are doing cold feed and hot/vent pipework, then you can vent rads in-between that and when cylinder filling up, will be quicker also than turning all rads off in a normal house

Do the job before you say you were a bit heavy on price...you are tempting fate !!!.....dont think you were anyway

Good luck

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Thank you very much Puddle

Realy appreciate this, will let you know how I get on or if Im still in business lol !!

btw I never told the customer I thought the price was steep, that was just my thoughts in hindsight, never the less he asked me to do the job.

Thanks again

Bob

 

[Toddyplumb]

Good result then. You could quite easily have got it the other way .

 

[traineedrip]

When measuring up for the new one bear in mind they give measurements without insulation.

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Good point, will do thanks

Bob

 

[Toddyplumb]

Sorry I thought when you said it "was " your first one you had completed it .
It might not be too high a price yet then.
Just take your time and get it right. If in doubt drain the lot !

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi Toddyplumb

Going to take on the job next Monday. Just as a footnote I was browsing the neta nd came across a site called diy doctor on there was a link to a company called CF plumbing, thier basic quite for a cylinder replacement was a staggering £820 !!!! They are a London based company but even so this seems a massively inflated charge, what do you think

Regards
Plum Bob

 

[Plum Bob 66]

One other thing, did a quick recce today, just to check for no surprises. Noticed the rad in and outs were on 28mm pipe. Would the most sensible route be to deal with this be cutting the pipes and fitting a 28 into 22 reducer or is there an apropriate tank fitting ??

Plum Bob

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi Puddle

Just thought I would let you know, got the hot water tank done. Followed your directions to the letter, no airlocks no leaks, no call backs but nervous as hell. Did you ever fell like that. Oh and bonus £37 for the scrappy tank

Thanks once again

Bob

 

[Dotty]

Good lad,

Just make a courtesy call in a couple of days under the pretext of making sure they're happy. Always goes down well imho.