Accumulator problem

[paul.freeland]

Hi all,

I have a problem with a newly fitted accumulator in our new loft conversion.

The first shower is great, but when the next person wants a shower ten minutes later it's fine for a bit and then they run out of water. Not just low pressure but zero pressure. Eventually it comes back but it takes hours and generally the flow is full of air for about 5 mins on each tap.

So, my question is, has it been wrongly fitted or wrongly commissioned or both?

Thanks!

Paul

 

[wetshoes]

Sounds like the accumulator is not large enough.

regards

 

[Happyplumber]

It seems like you have the wrong size accumulator and it can not keep up with the demand

You need to call the installer back

 

[paul.freeland]

Oh no! I really hope not. It is a 240 which as far as I can tell from the website should be fine. I would have hoped it would still produce more than a few drops of water once it was empty too?

 

[njk]

have you checked the pressure is set correctly?
It should be at least 0.5 bars below the incoming main, but don't forget that the main will lose 0.1 bar for each meter it has to go upwards, so don't forget to take that into account.

if you don't know where to look, there is a small (about 3/4" wide) black plastic cap on the top, (not in the center). unscrew that anti-clockwise, and you will see a small valve, same as on a tire of your car. use a air pressure gauge to check the pressure, don't forget to close the main first and empty the tank first.

Lolli

 

[kevplumb]

Oh no! I really hope not. It is a 240 which as far as I can tell from the website should be fine. I would have hoped it would still produce more than a few drops of water once it was empty too?

an accumulator dont produce jack

all it does is store pressure hence the name

as above before anything else check the flowrate of the shower and the precharge of the accumulator

 

[paul.freeland]

The more I look at the way it's plumbed in the more I worry.

I've just looked and it's actually a zilmet 300 litre tank. They have plumbed the mains water in one end and the draw off for the boiler and taps at the other.

My guess is the air pressure in the tank is too high so no water can pass through from one end to the other.

But I am an IT consultant not a plumber - is what I'm saying possible?

 

[ChrisR]

The accumulator can't stop the water, unless of course it's blocked.
If you do the arithmetic you find that the precharge pressure should be the same as the water pressure where the accumulator is while the shower is on full, ie the dynamic pressure.

 

[transam]

The more I look at the way it's plumbed in the more I worry.

I've just looked and it's actually a zilmet 300 litre tank. They have plumbed the mains water in one end and the draw off for the boiler and taps at the other.

All of the accumulators I have seen only have one pipe connection , e.g the incoming water main , am I misunderstanding the above statement or am I just wrong ??

 

[paul.freeland]

This one has a connection at each end. See the product literature below...

http://www.zilmet.com/cataloghi/4ultraproingl_russo.pdf

 

[transam]

I have looked , not a very good connection , if you go into for example O.S.O hotwater cylinders , in particular the tech ' of the O.S.O dualstream system which is an accumulater system .

I've just not seen an accumulatr with 2 connections e.g mains in , mains out , doesnt' mean to say there is not one , but I am interested , any one out there who has ??

 

[kevplumb]

This one has a connection at each end. See the product literature below...

http://www.zilmet.com/cataloghi/4ultraproingl_russo.pdf[/QUOTE]

if it has a connection in at one end and out at the other its piped wrong

the top connection is for a pressure guage and/or saftey valve

 

[paul.freeland]

That's how I read the document - thanks- but like I say I'm pretty ignorant.

Anyone else's opinion is welcome. (of the accumulator, not my ignorance!)

Cheers

Paul

 

[paul.freeland]

Sorry, I didn't mean that how it reads!

What I meant was - thanks! I hadn't trusted my own opinion, but I'm happier to trust yours!

 

[transam]

I assume that the accumulater does not have 2 connections ? and is therefore not piped up wrong ? are you sure you dont have a prob' with your incoming water main to the cylinder e.c.t , are all the valves fully open , all an accumulater does is store water at pressure via a internal neoprene 'bladder' ,in theory you should be able to turn your supply off , and still virtually fill a bath with the accumulated water???if the internall bladder is split or punctured u should get water out the shraider type valve . ????however if your incoming supply , flowrateto the cylinder is so bad than thats why you are running out of water , the accumulater will only hold a certain amount of water its being exhausted . I think , dfer to kevplumb .