Plumbing design for horse washing station...

[RayPlumb]

Hi . Trying to work out best way to get hot water to two horse washing stables. What is there now is a block of old stables. At one end is two large water tanks feeding each stable water troughs. They want hot water to wash the horses down using the last two stables which is 50m away from cold tanks. If I put a cylinder with 2 immersion heaters below cold water tanks then the hot water would have to travel 50m at 0.2 bar pressure to point of use.could take a while.
I could put the hot water cylinder near the end stables being used with supply from cold tank insulated, but if I run the vent pipe back to the cold water tanks that is 50m away. Does the vent pipe have to vent over cold water tank?
Putting a combination tank height in the stables is going to be difficult as no where to build a platform and suspect old beams may not hold 160kgs
Any suggestions would be welcome

 

[Guest123]

Assuming that the horses will be washed down with some form of shower hose, then a Galaxy mains heater will heat the water on demand. They heat mains water as it passes through the unit, much in the same way as a electric shower. The electrical supplies must be treated like a electric shower and terminate with a RCD.

Galaxy GAP95 Powerstream Unvented Instant Water Heater 9.5kW | NoLinkingToThis

 

[RayPlumb]

Thanks for quick reply. The maximum I could have is 2 x 7kw ( 2 stables 2 showers) Would a 7kw be any good or is the flow rate too poor.
Can you run a mixer tap off these. ?

 

[Mike Jackson]

The problem with using any form of instantaneous heater for washing the horses is compliance with the water regulations. Agricultural use is Category 5 so an air gap is required. To achieve this you'd need a break tank and a pump.

 

[Rickster123]

The problem with using any form of instantaneous heater for washing the horses is compliance with the water regulations. Agricultural use is Category 5 so an air gap is required. To achieve this you'd need a break tank and a pump.

So all those qualifications do count for something! Top advice there mike.

 

[RayPlumb]

Thanks I was thinking if I go mains water route then I have to have the hose suspended high from an arm into centre of stable. Hose pipe short enough not to reach the floor to give air gap. and the usual double check valve..Giving category 5 prototection

 

[RayPlumb]

Back onto the hot water cylinder option does the vent pipe have to go back to the cold tank. As it is used for expansion and if high enough should never vent water. Could this vent on to roof.?

 

[Guest123]

I have used Galaxy heaters in Portacabins and out buildings in plenty of farms and never had any problems over regs as long as the electricity is RCD'd and double check valves are fitted at the water inlet. They can supply 2 basins or 1 basin and a shower and offer a good solution where it's not possible to supply hot water from a cylinder.

 

[RayPlumb]

Do you think a 12kw would do two showers or would the on off flow rate of one shower mess with the other showers temperature.

 

[Guest123]

One of these units would struggle with 2 showers on at the same time. You really need 2 x 9kw ones. The flow rate from these are excellent though as they are supplied from the mains.

Look on their website for the different models and a solution should be there.

 

[RayPlumb]

Thanks. The electrician says can't put two 9kw heaters maybe 2 x 7kw maximun.

 

[Guest123]

There are lower rated models as well. Horses won't need a roasting hot shower any way!

 

[leepoll]

No the vent dosent have to go back to the tank, it can be taken through a wall to the outside.

 

[Dannypipe]

I've had to do a horse washing station myself!

I don't have the time to back read all the above comments, but will quickly add, a thermostatic mixing valve should be fitted as a safety measure. Horses can't tell you if the water is getting too hot. Well not easily!

 

[tamz]

Fit a wall mounted combination unit like a Sadia FBM, Zip RCH or Santon R unit.

 

[Centralheatking]

Whenever i have been into stables early morning the atmosphere is very warm and humid

so why not set up an air heat recovery system and input the recovered heat from the
stables into the heat stores (cylinders) then the input from the primary heat input will be reduced.........centralheatking

 

[kay-jay]

I ride mine through the carwash ....yeehaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Centralheatking]

I would also recover the heat from the manure as that steams - chk

Whenever i have been into stables early morning the atmosphere is very warm and humid

so why not set up an air heat recovery system and input the recovered heat from the
stables into the heat stores (cylinders) then the input from the primary heat input will be reduced.........centralheatking

 

[lame plumber]

solar tubes and ov cyl will do the job, inc mixer valve, no worries if its a cloudy and cold day, horses dont care if waters not hot, at least mine dont, just use a pump off a storage tank of cold water. you must be working for people with more money than sense.

 

[Guest123]

I used to wash our horses with a hose, sponge and a bucket of soapy water. Now they're making wash rooms for horses! Anyway my showroom is now going with popular demand and I've decided to stock the very latest in equine bathing. Soap is from Tesco and will most likely contain horse meat in use......

 

[RayPlumb]

I used to wash our horses with a hose, sponge and a bucket of soapy water. Now they're making wash rooms for horses! Anyway my showroom is now going with popular demand and I've decided to stock the very latest in equine bathing. Soap is from Tesco and will most likely contain horse meat in use......

Excellent.. I will suggest the horse bath...

 

[Guest123]

Large discount for all the cowboy plumbers looking for somewhere to wash their horses.

 

[RayPlumb]

Thanks all for all the options.

 

[RayPlumb]

So if I put a hot water cylinder near the point of use and vent it up out the end wall. Is there a maxinum pipe run length from the cold water tank to the cylinder? The bottom of tank is about 2mtrs heigher than point of use, but 50mtrs away. ...

 

[Dannypipe]

50mtrs! That's a very long dead leg.

I would need to look at this, but I would fit a small unvented cylinder, closer to the point of use.

You could utilise a secondry return but this would require you to fit an expensive pump (or a cheap pump but not to regs) which would mean there would be hot water at the outlet instantly.

 

[RayPlumb]

dead leg? I have done a rough sketch. The dilema is if i do it off mains with instantanious heating, I have a cat 5 back flow to get round. At The moment the cold tank already supplies cat 5 protection.

 

[lame plumber]

main issue is to prevent water being to hot when it gets to horse, they dont like it and only means of informing the owner is hooves or teeth.

 

[RayPlumb]

Will go through Thermostatic valve. What type of horses do you have..? This is for a stud farm, probably just need cold for the stalions although that could be anti productive. ..

 

[Guest123]

I've kept horses and the temperature should be tepid at best. They love it cold in the hot weather.

Still think you should go with the simpler option.

 

[Dannypipe]

main issue is to prevent water being to hot when it gets to horse, they dont like it and only means of informing the owner is hooves or teeth.

Agreed, I did suggest a thermostatic mixer is installed in an earlier post. This needs to be tepid, not hot!