Summary: Is there anything wrong with my plans to move my cold tank? Is there anything I could do better?
The cold tank is located right in the middle of my new loft on what seems to me to be a ridiculously over engineered structure. I propose to move it to one side so as to create more space. My wife has got wind of my plans and is complaining vigorously. She read about that sad case of the baby killed by boiling water and is now convinced that cold water tanks are death traps. I promised that I would seek advice before continuing.
My tank measures 60 x 115 x 64cm and seems to be of a modern design with a lid, insect traps etc. I assume that it was installed when the house was built in 1991.
Its current position is right over the centre of the landing. Huge joists take the load to either side so that its weight is over the landing walls. I propose to build a new structure to support the tank in the V of the trusses, directly over the airing cupboard. The weight of the tank will therefore be spread over 3 joists which will themselves be supported over several walls.
As I see it, the nub of supporting a cold water tank is to have a good solid base (I propose to use the 18mm ply wood that it is currently resting on) and use stout timbers (I propose 100 x 45mm) to spread the load across several joists, preferably with walls underneath. I propose to hold everything together with 12mm bolts. I do not propose to carry any load on the trusses.
Since the tank will be in the V of the trusses, it will need to be raised to about 1m (currently it is about 50cm above ceiling height). This will have the side effect of slightly increasing the pressure in my shower. Purely for convenience, I propose to put the CH header tank on a lower shelf beneath the main tank.
Apart from making more room in the loft, I see two other advantages: The pipes will all be quite a bit shorter and therefore less likely to freeze. The total structure will weigh less (their are currently four 220mm x 35mm x 2.4m joists which must weigh a fair amount on their own).
I have a fair bit of DIY plumbing experience, including installing a cold water tank in my first house. I know about not having insulation below the tank, and propose when I have finished to box in the area below the tank so that the warm air goes straight up to the tank rather than wafting uselessly around the loft.
Are my plans sound? Will it all end in tears, or if my wife is to be believed, death? What could I do better?
Thanks.
The cold tank is located right in the middle of my new loft on what seems to me to be a ridiculously over engineered structure. I propose to move it to one side so as to create more space. My wife has got wind of my plans and is complaining vigorously. She read about that sad case of the baby killed by boiling water and is now convinced that cold water tanks are death traps. I promised that I would seek advice before continuing.
My tank measures 60 x 115 x 64cm and seems to be of a modern design with a lid, insect traps etc. I assume that it was installed when the house was built in 1991.
Its current position is right over the centre of the landing. Huge joists take the load to either side so that its weight is over the landing walls. I propose to build a new structure to support the tank in the V of the trusses, directly over the airing cupboard. The weight of the tank will therefore be spread over 3 joists which will themselves be supported over several walls.
As I see it, the nub of supporting a cold water tank is to have a good solid base (I propose to use the 18mm ply wood that it is currently resting on) and use stout timbers (I propose 100 x 45mm) to spread the load across several joists, preferably with walls underneath. I propose to hold everything together with 12mm bolts. I do not propose to carry any load on the trusses.
Since the tank will be in the V of the trusses, it will need to be raised to about 1m (currently it is about 50cm above ceiling height). This will have the side effect of slightly increasing the pressure in my shower. Purely for convenience, I propose to put the CH header tank on a lower shelf beneath the main tank.
Apart from making more room in the loft, I see two other advantages: The pipes will all be quite a bit shorter and therefore less likely to freeze. The total structure will weigh less (their are currently four 220mm x 35mm x 2.4m joists which must weigh a fair amount on their own).
I have a fair bit of DIY plumbing experience, including installing a cold water tank in my first house. I know about not having insulation below the tank, and propose when I have finished to box in the area below the tank so that the warm air goes straight up to the tank rather than wafting uselessly around the loft.
Are my plans sound? Will it all end in tears, or if my wife is to be believed, death? What could I do better?
Thanks.
