DIY replacing a copper cylinder

tippgod

Done a good bit of plumbing around my house and thinking of taking on the copper cylinder. It's about 20 years old and looking at the insulated type.

First of all, is this a complicated job or just a matter of a direct switch.

It's an indirect cylinder and just wondering where is the best place to buy them around Cork or is there somewhere online. Plan on living in the house long term so don't mind investing. Is copper or stainless steel better. For copper , is it worth going to a grade 2 tank or is grade 3 sufficient.

It's a 30" high 18" wide tank

Thanks for the advice

Sleeper12

tippgod wrote:

First of all, is this a complicated job or just a matter of a direct switch.

If everything matches perfectly then it's not too difficult but I would say it's not a job for most diy guys.

The insulated cylinder is brilliant. It will pay for itself after only a few years. You won’t have a "hot press" as such anymore because the heat won't be escaping.

TopTec

I replaced mine myself a few years ago, also upgraded to a larger, insulated copper one, that I bought online from a company in Donegal. Delivered within 48 hours I seem to remember.

It wasn't straight switch due to the change in size and I cut the supply pipes back to a straight run and then started again. I got a local plumber to just come in to check the fit before firing it up for the first time and to fit a timer switch to it.

I had done a fair bit of previous plumbing with solder fittings though. Not a job for new DIY plumbers, but you should be fine if you know what you are doing, and get it checked when completed.

TT

doolox

But I did mine last year and a few things need to be looked at.

Make sure there is a smooth run upwards to the expansion pipe in the attic. The HW tank is an open system and needs a clear run to the vent pipe in the attic.

The immersion is a tricky fit and needs a special octagonal spanner to fit, not too loose or not too tight. Special care needed not to cross threads or bad fit to the fibre washer that comes with the new immersion. Make sure the immersion heater heats to 65 degrees celsius or the water in the tank could be not hot enough to get rid of all bacteria. Water partially heated can harbor Legionnaires disease so it must be heated to minimum 65 degrees to reduce the risk.

Empty tanks can be warped unless you stick carefully to the rule of securing all fittings with a second spanner while tightening all nuts, this refers to compression fittings, again do not cross threads and make sure that your fittings a correct for the pipes used. There are two types of fittings available for what used to be imperial 3/4 inch pipes and fittings. There are 22mm and 21mm fittings on sale out there so you need to measure your existing pipes and choose accordingly to avoid leaks. This depends on the age of your existing system, anything after the mid 70's should be metric and OK with modern fittings.

Use plenty of PTFE tape to avoid leaks.

All tank circuits have a valve on the heating circuit or coil pipework which acts like a balancing valve on a radiator. In the extreme case of this valve being fully open the tank will heat up very quickly but that rads will be cool as all the heat is soaked up by the hot cylinder. You need to turn this valve towards the closed position in order to let some heat to the rads.

A plumber or heating engineer will know how to do this and is well worth hiring to recommission all your system after the install.

Make sure your support timberwork under the tank is secure and in sound condition, no rot etc. as a full tank is very heavy.

my3cents

Sorry but Irish sourced pipework and cylinders have imperial fittings. Thats not to say that the OP doesn't have metric fittings on his old tank and metric pipework so that is well worth checking out first.

OP if you go to a big builders merchants then they will probably hold a selection of the common sizes in stock just ask to go and look at what they have then you can measure up and see if they have anything with the fittings in the same place as your current tank.

tippgod

thanks for all the advice. I might ring around a few places and find out how much the tank and a new immersion heater would be and will give it a shot
thanks again

my3cents

Go for the thicker tank. Think there are 3 grades rated on pressure but obviously the thicker grade lasts longer.

Think that this is the sort of thing you are looking for https://www.thegascompany.ie/iopen24/copper-cylinders-ireland-20psi-indirect-insulated-copper-cylinder-p-968595.html but I prefer to buy from bricks and mortar which should be the same price. That make is very common in Ireland.

Edit> One other tip, if you using a local builders merchants ask if they are OK with you buying a load of fittings just in case and then bringing them back for a cash refund if you don't use them. The last DIY HWT I did I had to leave most of the fittings attached to the cylinder itself as they weren't coming off in anyway that would leave them in a reusable state.

yammagamma

i did my tank a few months ago ,i bought a 30 x18 like the tank you needed from a well known plumbers merchants got it home then realised all 4 holes were out of alignment compared to my tank/pipe work me thinking that the position on holes would be a standard ie a bs or iso spec of there position but no ,all manufactures have different positions as i found out then trying to chase down a tank to do as least pipework/removing shelving in hotpress, couldnt find 1.. but the simple solution was i got a tank made up to my spec so i didnt have to do any adjusting pipework and they even pre installed a immersion for me and had it the next day..it only cost a few quid more and the guys could not have been more helpful and i know there place for years passing it and forgot about them at first. austoms in ballybane in galway was the place i got it give them a ring

J.R.

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You won't have a "hot press" as such anymore because the heat won't be escaping.

I fitted a very small radiator, connected to the heating circuit, on the wall in the hot press.....great for drying clothes

Tom44

Heatmerchants, Turners Cross & Blackpool.
OB, South link road.
Irish International Trading, Tramore road

As a plumber, I wouldn't inspect your work as that would leave me liable for it.
My public liability insurance, and overheads cost enough, so I actually have to work and make a profit to justify it.
No offence intended with the above.

Tom

Right2Write

Fitted one, but it was a new installation. While back now, so hard to remember. I think I used hemp on some of the connections that take more heat. I do recall that fitting the immersion was not easy. Whatever angle I needed to feed it into the cylinder, it was frustratingly awkward to get the thread started. Perseverance required.