Best Way To Fit A Vented Cylinder

[village idiot]

I was called by a customer yesterday. He informed me that: 'The thing you put in hot water tank is gone. Can you come and sort it out please'?
On arrival, his tenant let me in and on further investigation it turns out it was the immersion heater that had packed up. I got into the loft to try and change it, then started scratching my head looking very confused?

 

[chris watkins]

Was that stat ever wired in ??

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

1st thought was oh my life what is that!?

 

[village idiot]

Was that stat ever wired in ??

It was. All correctly wired and polarity, continuity, etc all checked and ok. The interesting bit is that the cylinder was fitted just FOUR months ago????

Next to the cylinder are at least 3 old immersion heaters and at least 8 stats? WTF

 

[AMW]

Shouldn't it be moved to hall of shame??? Lol

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Looks like a "spare" stat thrown on the floor.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Scrap that 3 immersions in 4 months? Mmmm

 

[antdad]

Hope the cylinder is sitting on a bit more than a piece of ply.

 

[village idiot]

Scrap that 3 immersions in 4 months? Mmmm

No. The 3 immersion were from the old cylinder that was there. It's just that old cylinder was replaced with new, but only 4 months and immersion has packed up. Nice.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Hard water? Maybe put the immersion on a timer, no point in making it work through the night when there's no demand.

 

[village idiot]

This is the interesting bit:
- It is not remotely possible to replace the immersion heater without completely draining down the cylinder, disconnecting all the Pipework and tilting it on its side? Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I've come across some strange installations, but this one left me in a dazed state.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Where's the CWSC? There's a DOC on the cylinder so why tip on its side to drain?

 

[village idiot]

Where's the CWSC? There's a DOC on the cylinder so why tip on its side to drain?

If you take a closer look on this picture,

You will notice that the Pipework that is fitted as the vent pipe for the cylinder is directly above the IH? You will notice that I placed a screwdriver next to stat to support the stat stay up. You can barely get the stat up more than 50mm. So if stat can't be removed, what's the chances of removing the IH? None. No thought was attributed to repairs/maintenance?
Besides, the distance from cylinder to rafters is about 200mm or less. So even if you removed his supposed vent pipe, you'll still not have room to pull out the IH?
As for the CWSC, that's another story.

 

[Ermintrude]

Bet the IH is half dry so that's why it burns out. What a mess

 

[JCplumb]

View attachment 21307

Loving the 2 compression elbows, then an end feed, then a pushfit coupler, then a pulled bend.
If they could of got a Mapress fitting in there somewhere it would tick every box there is

 

[kris]

This is the interesting bit:
- It is not remotely possible to replace the immersion heater without completely draining down the cylinder, disconnecting all the Pipework and tilting it on its side? Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I've come across some strange installations, but this one left me in a dazed state.

Surely u wouldn't need to drain n tilt as surley the stat would come out if u shut off the hw n disconnected hot pipe,

 

[village idiot]

Surely u wouldn't need to drain n tilt as surley the stat would come out if u shut off the hw n disconnected hot pipe,

Kris, the stat won't come out if hot (top pipe) was disconnected. It wouldn't even come out half way without hitting the rafters. Except I 'lean' on it and constantly bend it as I pull out. Then I will have to bend new one to get it in?
All the same, Erm's analysis is what I suspect as well. I'm quite convinced top half of cylinder has no water as it's just above CWSC pipe that feeds cold to cylinder?

 

[walterwhite]

Job needs to be done properly or not at all. If there's no space below the cwsc for the cylinder then I' d be giving him a quote for a combi boiler...

 

[village idiot]

Quote for combi has been rejected. Says he intends to sell flat in a year or two. I have ordered a shorter cylinder. Will also be doing some re-wiring. Cylinder is in loft. Tenants have no access to loft as there's no ladder for them to gain access. IH is on constantly 24/7? I will run cable to below loft access area and fit a timer so they can have more control over the hot water

 

[walterwhite]

Even a horizontal cylinder might work....? Good luck with that job...hope landlord is ok for the money

 

[buckley plumb]

Kris, the stat won't come out if hot (top pipe) was disconnected. It wouldn't even come out half way without hitting the rafters. Except I 'lean' on it and constantly bend it as I pull out. Then I will have to bend new one to get it in?
All the same, Erm's analysis is what I suspect as well. I'm quite convinced top half of cylinder has no water as it's just above CWSC pipe that feeds cold to cylinder?
View attachment 21311

that vent pipe is not high enough there is a formula to work it out - bottom of cyl to cistern x 40 or each meter plus 250 I think

 

[village idiot]

Even a horizontal cylinder might work....? Good luck with that job...hope landlord is ok for the money

A horizontal one would be best but I'm trying to keep cost down.
As for the landlord, I came down the loft (on day 1) and told him I'm going for a walk and have no intention of touching it? I practically pleaded with him to get the installer back (it's only been 4 months). So payment won't be an issue. He has never queried my bills. He just lets me get on with it, then pay when invoiced.

This particular property was let to a female who sub-let it. So she has been the one getting her ''plumber'' to carry out repairs etc. Three months ago, there was a leak. That's when he found out about the sub-letting and took back the property from her but ofcourse can't throw out the tenants without due legal process.
I did send him a quote for an eye watering amount to which he responded: ''JFGID''. Never heard that one before. I had to ask him to tell me the meaning

 

[village idiot]

that vent pipe is not high enough there is a formula to work it out - bottom of cyl to cistern x 40 or each meter plus 250 I think

I am yet to find out anything that is right with the installation

 

[quality]

Is this in a renter in balby

 

[village idiot]

Is this in a renter in balby

It's in Kenley, Surrey.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Why not just fit a Fortic cylinder ? that way you can get rid of CWST at same time, Better support for cylinder would be required.