Flanges

[mk2phil]

The previous houseowner has incorrectly fitted a warix flange to my HW tank - i.e. the air free feed is going to the DHW side, and the air rich side goes to the shower pump. But what he's also done is to fit an AAV instead of a manual valve on the pump HW supply feed.

I think this is the reason why my HW pressure for my shower is very poor, and has caused damage to the pump over time.

I'm going to upgrade to a Monsoon 3.0 bar pump and think that fitting an Essex flange would be the best (and is the most recommended on here), but my tank also has an immersion heater fitted. From what I can make out, the essex flange will either come with a dip tube or i'll have to make my own, but will this be ok with an immersion heater in the tank also? The angle on the heater makes it look like it goes right through the centre of the tank.

Secondly, the MI's dont show a manual air vent on the inlet side of the pump (when using an essex flange) - is this right or should I fit one anyway incase I ever need to vent?

And lastly, can I just blank of the current shower feed from the warix flange so I can leave the rest of the pipework alone? My worry here is that there is nowhere for the air to vent to because the air free connection has been used for the DHW - in fact is the current installation dangerous or could it use the AAV as a surrogate vent in place of the normal one over the top of the CWC.....?

Thanks for any help

 

[Softus]

From what I can make out, the essex flange will either come with a dip tube or i'll have to make my own

No - the Surrey flange has a dip tube, but not the Essex.

Secondly, the MI's dont show a manual air vent on the inlet side of the pump (when using an essex flange) - is this right or should I fit one anyway incase I ever need to vent?

If the pump outlets go higher than the shower valve at any point, then I would fit a vent on the outlets, not the inlets.

And lastly, can I just blank of the current shower feed from the warix flange so I can leave the rest of the pipework alone?

Yes, but it's not recommended. Why not just replace the Warix with a normal connector?

 

[ChrisR]

has incorrectly fitted a warix flange to my HW tank -

Sure you have it the right way round? Vertical outlet is the air free one.
Surreys are t'other way.

 

[mk2phil]

No - the Surrey flange has a dip tube, but not the Essex.

sorry, I meant the essex has a pipe that extends into the middle of the cylinder, which I'm worried will intefere with the immersion heater.

If the pump outlets go higher than the shower valve at any point, then I would fit a vent on the outlets, not the inlets.

I thought you had to put a vent at the highest point on the pipe that exits the HW tank so you could draw out any excess air that the flange couldn't filter out..? But the MI's dont show this at all, and I wondered if that meant they were'n't necessary when you fit an essex flange.

Yes, but it's not recommended. Why not just replace the Warix with a normal connector?

Becuase the previous owner has installed the DHW supply from the vertical connection on the warix - which I belive to be the air free supply - so I'd have to redo the pipework to use the lower connection on the warix which is the normal 'air' feed to the DHW/vent pipe.

 

[Softus]

No - the Surrey flange has a dip tube, but not the Essex.

sorry, I meant the essex has a pipe that extends into the middle of the cylinder, which I'm worried will intefere with the immersion heater.

If you install the Essex at the point on the perimeter that corresponds with the immersion boss, i.e. roughly below it, then any dip/intake tube will be furthest from the element.

I thought you had to put a vent at the highest point on the pipe that exits the HW tank so you could draw out any excess air that the flange couldn't filter out..? But the MI's dont show this at all, and I wondered if that meant they were'n't necessary when you fit an essex flange.

Where did your idea about the vent on the inlet come from?

In any case, you won't get air entering via an Essex flange.

Why not just replace the Warix with a normal connector?

Becuase the previous owner has installed the DHW supply from the vertical connection on the warix - which I belive to be the air free supply - so I'd have to redo the pipework to use the lower connection on the warix which is the normal 'air' feed to the DHW/vent pipe.

Not if you did what I suggested, which is to remove the Warix flange (i.e. and not put it back again).

You might have to extend the vertical pipe to meet the connector, but that's not much of task. Is it?

 

[mk2phil]

My idea about the manual vent came from this installation diagram:

As for removing the warix flange altogether, what do I use to replace that fitting? Are saying I can get a connection that will allow me to use a small section of pipe to meet the original pipe that went into the vertical connector on the warix?

 

[twgas]

if the warix is fitted wrong way round could you not just replace it with a surrey flange which has opposite cons to warix