Is longer better .....

[Riley]

Minds out of the gutter chaps

A friend of mine rents out her flat and her tenants are complaining of a lack of hot water. Water is heated from a direct cylinder and the complaint is that when they run a bath there is no hot water left for a second one or a shower.

I am just trying to go armed with a couple of ideas.

The cylinder is pumped to the bathroom. My friend is of the impression that a longer immersion heater reaching further down in the cylinder Will give more hot water. I'm not convinced as I think the pump is pulling water out faster than it can be reheated.

I would very much like to fit an unvented but I don't think the pipework or the flow and pressure will make this an option. Do any of you bright sparks have any good ideas as to how I could improve the situation

 

[Ray Stafford]

How big is the cylinder, how long is the current immersion heater and how many outlets are being pumped?

If its a 48" cylinder with a 27" immersion heater, then there will be some gain changing it for a 36". Not tons, but every little helps.

The other possibility is to explain to the tenant that they are entitled to hot water, but not to limitless hot water on demand. I suspect that the tenants previous experience is of a combi or multipoint, and so they have never learned the art of managing finite hot water storage.

 

[stevetheplumber]

bigger cylinder or a second cylinder if theres room or an electric shower

 

[oz-plumber]

Ray,

They're tenants....they are entitled to anything they deem themselves to be entitled to.

If they deem they are entitled to unlimited hot water on demand, then they shall pursue their self deemed entitlement until their demand is met.

Anyway, as you said, they have hot water and it is probably more of a management issue than anything else.

 

[Riley]

They are all being perfectly reasonable it's just finding a solution

 

[oz-plumber]

If you want a solution - that's an easy fix.

If the tenants want 2 baths per evening, plus a shower or two, then work out the volume of water required for 2 baths in one hour and two showers per hour.

Rough guestimation - you need a system that can provide 250 - 300 litres of hot water per hour on peak demand.

That is of course depending on the bath size and type / flow rate of shower head.

 

[plumben]

The one big problem you've got with this situation is Tenants,
as above a bigger cylinder will give more hot water at peak times but then the running cost will go up and the tenants will complain that they've got to have the heating on longer using more gas or electric on Emerson

 

[Best]

I wonder if these are allowed elsewhere in UK?
Near instant hot water and as little or as much as you need.

 

[Riley]

How big is the cylinder, how long is the current immersion heater and how many outlets are being pumped?

If its a 48" cylinder with a 27" immersion heater, then there will be some gain changing it for a 36". Not tons, but every little helps.

The other possibility is to explain to the tenant that they are entitled to hot water, but not to limitless hot water on demand. I suspect that the tenants previous experience is of a combi or multipoint, and so they have never learned the art of managing finite hot water storage.

Thanks Ray

Right seen set up fully now.
900x450 cylinder
27" immersion
So obviously not going to get a 35" in but believe there are 30"s (?)
But are 3 more inches going to make that much difference (ooh err)

I believe that it is just the bath that is pumped but since I've been I have noted that they have a thermostatic electric shower so that is also pulling hot from the cylinder rather than heating mains like an standard electric shower

I am thinking that the best option is a larger cylinder. Would you guys agree

 

[tolly]

I wonder if these are allowed elsewhere in UK?
Near instant hot water and as little or as much as you need.
View attachment 25043

Whats that best?

 

[Riley]

Whats that best?

I saw that in Austin powers

 

[jtsplumbing]

Sound's like they have a triton shower booster, if you want a larger cylinder then consider a Econ 7 type with 2 immersions, (1 top, 1 bottom) and better insulated, are they on off peak electric, ? what sort of heating do they have ?

 

[Riley]

Sound's like they have a triton shower booster, if you want a larger cylinder then consider a Econ 7 type with 2 immersions, (1 top, 1 bottom) and better insulated, are they on off peak electric, ? what sort of heating do they have ?

Already on econ 7 single immersion though. It's a Mira shower but yes same principle. All rest of property is space heaters

 

[mfgs]

Fit a bigger cylinder. That size of cylinder will probably only be 120L most of which will be used with a single bath. Try and fit a 180L cylinder and leave it timed to be heated constantly at peak times.

 

[Millsy 82]

I would just tell them to stick immersion back on and leave for an hour after having a bath.

 

[Best]

Whats that best?

Sorry, I should have said it is called a Willis immersion heater.
It is piped into a 1/2" tapping at bottom of cylinder (drain point ideal) and piped to above cyinder tee ed into cylinder vent.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Already on econ 7 single immersion though. It's a Mira shower but yes same principle. All rest of property is space heaters

Hang on - if they only have one immersion heater, and they are on E7, then once they drain the cylinder, its going to stay cold until the following night isn't it?

I thought that the point was to have one immersion heater on the E7 meter, and the other on the ordinary tariff.

Deffo swap for a 48" or 55" with two immersion heaters. (If there is room)

 

[rpm]

Mine has 2 immersions heaters, as Ray said one is on E7 overnight and the other is left switched off unless needed due to high demand like when sister visits.

 

[Riley]

I know I know I think it's been installed wrong it literally it's one immersion that's it

 

[rpm]

Was probably fine for 1 person but can`t provide enough for 2.

 

[stevetheplumber]

you need a second immersion so they can top up during the day

 

[Riley]

Cheers chaps. Sorry they misled me slightly before I'd been, implying they could boost the water but it would appear they can't.

 

[tolly]

nice one best, don't see those round here.

View attachment 25044

Sorry, I should have said it is called a Willis immersion heater.
It is piped into a 1/2" tapping at bottom of cylinder (drain point ideal) and piped to above cyinder tee ed into cylinder vent.