water heating

[andycannons]

I am trying to improve my elderly parents' hot water system. They live in a bungalow where the hot water tank, serviced by an immersion, is on the ground floor so the head is about 9 inches above teh taps at best. supply is but a dribble.
(Central heating is gas-fired hot air)

I am considering how best to improve things and was thinking of putting in electric instant hot water systems; one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen and was wondering if anyone could advise on the merits of these (especially given that one will need to service a bath as well as a sink)?

Either that, or any suggestions as to how to improve the existing tank system?

Andy

 

[WHPES]

Can you raise the height of the header tank?

 

[andycannons]

I think (haven't checked) that the header tank is probably in the loft so it is likely to be about 8ft above the copper tank.

 

[WHPES]

You said the head is 9 inches on the ground floor. Is this a elctric water heater with combined cistern, independent to the rest of the hot water supply?

 

[andycannons]

This is a copper cylinder, with electric immersion, which supplies hot water to the bathroom and kitchen. The only other hot water is an electric shower. Heating system is hot air.

 

[Puddle]

As indicated the head pressure is from the outlet to the water level in the tank,so your head pressure is not the 9in ,from outlet to top of cylinder but the 8ft to tank
This helps us as flow through taps should not be so bad as a dribble,presume colds is ok is this from tank if so hot should be the same,however cold supply maybe from main
So hot is probably restricted,could be air lock,back fill through mains,if very old ,could be old lead pipe work damaged in loft or restriction in cylinder outlet if you are in hard water area,isolate and remove pipe work from top of cylinder and see if scaled up at cylinder outlet point,check any gate valve open correctly and not broken inside partly closed
If you decide to replace,you could fit pressurized cylinder,fed from mains,heated by immersion heater (using your existing electric power source) to increase pressure to outlets
As you have warm air heating you have gas in property so you could go for gas multi point,would only need one as would be able to do kitchen and bathroom outlets,however presume warm air is old as well,so maybe would go to install a combination boiler and if you wanted just use hot water side for now, but it would give you the option of changing over heating at a later date to a wet system when warm air packs in,saves buying multi point now and combi in future,also would help on salability of property
But as said you should be able to sort existing hot flow out

 

[andycannons]

Thanks for that; I shall look into the condition of pipes and valves first