not enough mains pressure to run water heater

[flipfloppi]

hello friends,

i have a situation where there is not enough mains pressure (unreliable), to run a gas/electric water heater...

as i no know nothing, i was thinking of feeding (from a cold water tank) an electric or gas water heater, can anyone tell me if that is feasible?

thanks amigos

 

[flipfloppi]

maybe a cold water tank to feed a hot water cylinder, but then someone told me that u need at least 1 bar to run an electric water cylinder???

 

[Gasman1015]

You could use a combination cylinder, the top section is cold water that feeds the bottom section, which in turn is heated by an electrical element.

 

[flipfloppi]

You could use a combination cylinder, the top section is cold water that feeds the bottom section, which in turn is heated by an electrical element.

thanks gasman,

this combi cylinder? any more details please?
does this mean i can feed by gravity from a cold water tank and that's it magic!!

 

[Gasman1015]

If you already have a cold water tank, then you only need a cylinder with an immersion heater, nothing magic about it.

 

[flipfloppi]

If you already have a cold water tank, then you only need a cylinder with an immersion heater, nothing magic about it.

thanks gasman, excuse my ignorance, can i install a pump between my cold water tank and the cylinder, because i have a very limited water head (1 meter max)??

and this cylinder it's for only hot water? yes, coz that's all i want (no central heating)

 

[Gasman1015]

No, if you want to increase the pressure of the hot water from the cylinder, then fit a pump on the hot water outlet, to balance the supplies, take another feed direct from the cold water tank and use a twin impeller pump.

 

[flipfloppi]

i forgot to mention that i needed hot water water for a kitchen sink, bathroom sing and bath (100 litres of hot water max), is the twin impeller thingy for shower/bath as well.

i was thinking of having another cold water tank (approximately 250 litres) especially for the shower only, then fit some kind of electric boosting shower (heats and pumps the water)

 

[ChrisR]

Yes you can do that. You can also go from a cistern to a pump to a (24kW) gas water heater.

 

[simond]

Or you could measure your standing water pressure using a £10 Screwfix gauge (or similar).

If suitable (eg 1bar or above) buy a combi and fit an accumulator to the incoming supply. Or a an instantaneous gas water heater with an accumulator.

An accumulator works very well with an unreliable mains pressure because it will pressurize its entire water store at the highest incoming pressure delivered to your property over off peak periods.

It is also silent and uses no power. Just BIG.

 

[JohnD]

If you can put the cold tank near the ceiling, it will have adequate flow for the bath and sink, but you would need a pump for a reasonable shower. You don't need this pump to run when you are not having a shower. You will need proper big British bath and sink taps, as many imports have contrictive waterways designed for a high pressure supply.

The cylinders with a hot cylinder topped with a cold tank are sold for this purpose and commonly installed in flats that have no loft space to put a tank. This cylinder not called a combi (that's something quite different, a boiler that gives hot water and central heating)

To get 1 bar of pressure (which gives a pretty fair shower) you need 10 metres height between the supply tank and the shower head, which is impractical in most houses, that's why supply from the cold main or a pump is common, and why showers in the UK are often ridiculously weak.

 

[flipfloppi]

hi johnd and friends,

thanks for your great input. any idea on electric water cylinder, it is what interest me most.....i have got a situation where the mains water is unreliable, and most of the times definetly less than 1 bar

1) can i feed an electric water cylinder (thingy that heats and stores water-just for 3 taps not central heating), via a cold water tank...i understand that even electric water cylinder needs 1 bar to push the cold water inside it)....what is the best way to achieve this??please

2) i want to have a 220 to 250 litres cold water tank, to feed one shower only (nothing elses), water head will be about 0.6 meter, is there some kind of clever gadget that will take the water from the cold water tank, heats it and then pumps it so that i can have a nice shower

 

[JohnD]

Just to check your circumstances and understand your needs:

Do you live in mainland Britain?
Do you have Water Mains supply?
Why do you believe you have such low water pressure?
Do you live in a house or a flat?
Do you want to supply hot water to a sink, a basin and a shower?
Is your shower in a loft or similar area?
Do you have Gas in your home?
Do you have your own electricity supply with meter and Consumer unit? How old is it?
Are you willling to pay £500?
Are you willing to pay £1,000?
Are you willing to pay more?
What sort of water storage and water heating have you got at the moment?
Have you got room for one of these?

 

[flipfloppi]

hi johnD,

i live in uk (no problem with mains or anything to do with water touch wood)

sorry i should've mentioned that i am talking about an appartment in morocco

Do you live in a house or a flat? 2 bedroom appartment (morocco)
Do you want to supply hot water to a sink, a basin and a shower? 1 sink, 1 basin, and 1 bath (i want to isolate the shower-feed it from a dedicated cold water tank)
Is your shower in a loft or similar area? no, shower on same floor (1 floor appartment)
Do you have Gas in your home? yes (but again, can not rely on mains water pressure)
Do you have your own electricity supply with meter and Consumer unit? yes--How old is it? brand new
Are you willling to pay £500? (ideally this is my max budget excluding tanks)
Are you willing to pay £1,000? (too much for me)
Are you willing to pay more? (no)

thanks for your time

 

[JohnD]

ta. I added on two more

What sort of water storage and water heating have you got at the moment?
Have you got room for one of these?