not enough mains pressure to run water heater

[flipfloppi]

hi johnD,

sorry i forgot the last two questions..
What sort of water storage and water heating have you got at the moment? (NONE)
Have you got room for one of these? (YES, SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE GREEN CYLINDER)

 

[JohnD]

You ought to find out what is normal in Morocco. I am guessing it will be based on French plumbing conventions.

But the nearest I can suggest would be a cold water tank on a platform as high as you can, near the ceiling. (If the water supply is erratic, quite a large one.)

feeding an insulated hot water cylinder (can be anywhere lower than the cold tank, but usually underneath it)

with an electric immersion heater in the cylinder to heat the water

an outlet from the cold tank for the cold taps, and an outlet from the cylinder for the hot taps

A separate outlet from the cold tank for the shower, and from the cylinder for the shower

An electric shower pump to pressurise the hot and the cold shower water supplies

And a (preferably thermostatic) mixer shower.

You can buy mixer showers with a pump incorporated, I don't know how these compare for price, power and reliability

I bet some of the experienced plumbing folk will have other ideas (I am just an amateur).

 

[flipfloppi]

thanks modest JohnD

1) the green insulated hot water cylinder with an electric immersion heater in the cylinder to heat the water, does it require a minimum cold water pressure (from cold tank) to replace the hot water, or will it be happy with gravity (say 1.2 meters water head)

2) the outlet from the cylinder for the hot taps, again does this need a pump if it's sitting on the floor, and are pumps a clever thing that works when needed

 

[JohnD]

1) the cylinder are commonly used with a cold tank sitting on top of them, just giving 600mm or so of head. As you will be sucking water out of it with the shower pump, the more the better or you may get air sucked through.

2a) The taps will not need a pump. Water will flow through with the head from the cold tank (better if you use British taps designed for tank supplies, they have bigger waterways and pipe connections than most continental and American taps which are designed for high pressure supplies. Traditional pillar taps give better flow than mixers.

2b) Shower pumps are designed to switch on automatically from the initial presssure drop when you turn the shower on.

2c) The outlet from the cylinder will be supplied at the pressure provided by the (higher) cold tank.

 

[flipfloppi]

JohnD

thank you very much mate, you have been very helpful with your useful info....

i will definetly go with a big 800 to 1000 ltrs cold water tank, from the mains, with as you said one outlet to all cold taps, and one to the green cylinder (with electric thingy) which will feed my hot taps...

thanks again

i may be asking ur advice again in future take care friend

 

[JohnD]

1,000 litres of water weighs one tonne so you will need a big strong platform.

My house has a 70/80 gall one (about 300 litres) and most houses have about half that.

here are some typical examples:
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;j..._dyncharset=UTF-8&fh_search=cold+tank&x=5&y=8

http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;j...arset=UTF-8&fh_search=water+cylinder&x=9&y=13

 

[flipfloppi]

1,000 litres of water weighs one tonne so you will need a big strong platform.

My house has a 70/80 gall one (about 300 litres) and most houses are about half that.

u're right JohnD, maybe 400 to 500 litres then will do....i want enough water for at least two days just in case

 

[flipfloppi]

hi JohnD,

i just looked at ur links (screwfix) and noted that there's a direct and an undirect hot water cylinders, what's the one in my case??please (500 litres cold water tank will feed cold taps and the cylinder with immersion heater)

 

[JohnD]

The Indirect are designed for use with a boiler (gas, oil, coal etc) to heat the water indirectly through a coil. You won't be using them (if you think you may get a boiler in future, buy an Indirect). If you can get one for use only with an immersion heater (no coil) and it is cheaper, that would do. in the UK the ones with a coil are the most common. You could also use an Indirect coil with solar panels, if you ever get some, but this is outside my experience.

Some of the manufacturers of electric water heaters make a cylinder with one or two electric heaters pre-fitted. They are usually quite expensive. Sadia make some. Search on "Megalife" There ought to be a local supplier in Morocco. make sure you get one with plenty of insulation applied in the factory.

 

[flipfloppi]

ciao friends,

can anyone tell me what is the difference between an electric water heater (like the cylinder from chaffoteaux) and a hot water cylinder (green stuff)-----

i have got a situation of a totally unreliable stupid water supply, and everything will be fed via a cold water tank with the bottom at two meters from the floor

thanks