what would cause a copper hot water storage cylinder to collapse?

[Marty32]

Evening all

Just looking for some scenarios so I don't ending up making any mistakes out in the field?

Cheers

Mar

 

[mountainman]

Never seen it happen but I suppose if the cold feed and vent were frozen and you drew off water the negative pressure created could allow the cylinder to collapse.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Collapse ,
cant say ever heard of it happening to be honest , as mountain man says a possible scenario or another would be an fat plumber leaning on it!

 

[M.Joshi]

Wasn't there a thread discussing this not too long ago? Something related to draining a tank and changing the immersion heater.

 

[wheeto]

Never seen it happen but I suppose if the cold feed and vent were frozen and you drew off water the negative pressure created could allow the cylinder to collapse.

I'm not sure you'd get the required pressure from just drawing water off (though I'm not saying it can't happen). I think it's more likely to happen as the water in a bunged cylinder cools.

 

[mountainman]

Possibly, but it is atmospheric pressure that collapses the cylinder so it wouldn't take much of a differential pressure to do some damage to a copper cylinder.

 

[Destroyer2813]

U can blow the bow in the bottom out by leeting someone in to cap off the vent and replace it with a auto air vent

 

[scorps]

Never seen it happen but I suppose if the cold feed and vent were frozen and you drew off water the negative pressure created could allow the cylinder to collapse.

Saw this happen when i was an apprentice many moons ago,un-froze the expansion and re-filled,it opened up again but with a load of creases,it made everyone laugh in the brew cabin for many a year

 

[mountainman]

Cheers Scorps, you've validated that my one remaining brain cell is still working

 

[Mike Jackson]

I've seen one split where the open vent and feed had frozen and the boiler came on. Made a right mess. After fitting a new cylinder it took me hours to defrost the pipework in the loft to fill and test the new cylinder.