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Pressurised Plumbing Systems - Opinions?

  • 05-08-2009 3:40pm
    #1
    jwb1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 205 ✭✭


    We are completing a house extension to our bungalow right now; just continuing on the same level to add a new bedroom and en-suite.

    There's quite a run from the boiler to the rads and taps in the extension. The plumber has advised that we pressurise our system to ensure good flow to that end of the house.

    Anybody got any advice on this? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall hearing that these systems are prone to complete failure if air gets into them but I can't find any confirmation of this.

    Any thoughts/experiences would be appreciated....

    JB


Comments

  • #2
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    jwb1 wrote: »
    We are completing a house extension to our bungalow right now; just continuing on the same level to add a new bedroom and en-suite.

    There's quite a run from the boiler to the rads and taps in the extension. The plumber has advised that we pressurise our system to ensure good flow to that end of the house.

    Anybody got any advice on this? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall hearing that these systems are prone to complete failure if air gets into them but I can't find any confirmation of this.

    Any thoughts/experiences would be appreciated....

    JB

    If i had my way i would pressurise the heating and the plumbing. More efficent. It all relates to boyles law pressure and temperature. Thats the science anyway.

    Its standard practice to pressurise. Yes if it fails your heating is off but it rearly fails. It also has safety valves for protection.


  • #3
    nick 56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭nick 56


    Pressurised is the way to go on a new fit but can be more problematic with an old system though saying that quite often is an improvement.
    There are realy neat combi boilers on the market that make it realy simple and once fitted in the right place (Flue) and with a Gas supply fitted and tested by a approved person away you go.


  • #4
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    jwb1 wrote: »
    We are completing a house extension to our bungalow right now; just continuing on the same level to add a new bedroom and en-suite.

    There's quite a run from the boiler to the rads and taps in the extension. The plumber has advised that we pressurise our system to ensure good flow to that end of the house.

    Anybody got any advice on this? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall hearing that these systems are prone to complete failure if air gets into them but I can't find any confirmation of this.

    Any thoughts/experiences would be appreciated....

    JB

    2 possible questions here: do u pressurize the heating and the plumbing.

    I suspect the plumber os talking about the plumbing which u should do.

    Make sure the old system is cleaned out well and then anti corrosion stuff added for the final fill.

    The long HW pipe run to the en-suite would concern me from a waste of both hot and cold water.

    Come back if this is of interest


  • #5
    jwb1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 205 ✭✭jwb1


    Carlow52 wrote: »
    2 possible questions here: do u pressurize the heating and the plumbing.

    I suspect the plumber os talking about the plumbing which u should do.

    Make sure the old system is cleaned out well and then anti corrosion stuff added for the final fill.

    The long HW pipe run to the en-suite would concern me from a waste of both hot and cold water.

    Come back if this is of interest

    Well, the original driver for doing this was the heating system because there was a concern that we wouldn't get enough heating power down to that end of the house. Having the tap water pressurised is a bonus but that's all. Having said that, you seem to suggest that there's a good reason for pressurising the plumbing system?

    Thanks for the advice on anti-corrosion; I think this is because of the low turnover of water in the system?

    I'm interested in what you say about the long HW pipe. Just to clarify: the hot water tank is half-way between the new extension and the boiler so the length of the "run" for tap/shower hot water to the new area is not that long. The real "long-distance" element is the run from the boiler to the rads in the extension. In normal circumstances, I suspect the plumber would just tap into the nearest existing rads and connect in the extension rads from there.

    Looking forward to hearing more....

    JB


  • #6
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    jwb1 wrote: »
    Well, the original driver for doing this was the heating system because there was a concern that we wouldn't get enough heating power down to that end of the house. Having the tap water pressurised is a bonus but that's all. Having said that, you seem to suggest that there's a good reason for pressurising the plumbing system?

    Thanks for the advice on anti-corrosion; I think this is because of the low turnover of water in the system?

    I'm interested in what you say about the long HW pipe. Just to clarify: the hot water tank is half-way between the new extension and the boiler so the length of the "run" for tap/shower hot water to the new area is not that long. The real "long-distance" element is the run from the boiler to the rads in the extension. In normal circumstances, I suspect the plumber would just tap into the nearest existing rads and connect in the extension rads from there.

    Looking forward to hearing more....

    JB

    Thanks for reply: if the HW pipe run is not too long then okay but I have seen extensions where the pipe is 25 feet from tank which means to get HW u first waste 25 feet of cold and then when finished, there is heat loss of 25 ft of hot.

    Not something that is often considered but as water is a most valuable resource we need to conserve it


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  • #7
    nick 56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭nick 56


    When you employ a real plumber / heating fitter the issue of long pipe runs and pipe diameter are issues which he / she will consider. long pipe runs are in themselves not a bad thing they have to be the right dia to carry the flow and return to the radiators they serve. We used tables and calculators to size these at the same time as sizing the radiators. Just adding on to an existing system at the nearest radiator leads to air locks poor performance and high bills.
    The issue of long runs from the cylinder to tap can be more problematical. Apart from the waste of expensive hot water the dia of the pipe feeding the cylinder may need to be increased to 1 inch to prevent pulling from the vent in the attic. Consider alternative ways of heating the water, electric etc. In hotels factorys and the like the hot was on a loop so that there was always hot available to the tap. I have only seen pressurised hot water systems in America and they were fantastic. If they are available here i would consider it.


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