Add immersion element to the hot water tank

[ivanakos]

Hi

We will be installing a PV system and we were told that we can use a device called solar IBOOST if we have an immersion system.
Our water tank is heated through a boiler using gas and it doesn't have an immersion element.
However it has two bolted holes that I presume the immersion rod can be installed ? One on the left and one on the right (although I presume the one on the left is easier to install it as there is more space).

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• ivanakos
• 3 Apr 2015
• 1

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• ivanakos
• 3 Apr 2015
• 1

A couple of questions please:

*Does the immersion element size/ make need to be specific to the boiler brand or any will do ? e.g this one : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Immersion-i...=1428063649&sr=8-2&keywords=immersion+element .

*How long those last in average is there any benefit in getting a titanium one?

*I presume that installing this will be a case of draining the hot water tank and just install this to the whole..(shall I get a plumber to do it ? how much a job as such will normally cost in average)

In terms of the electric side of things considering that there is no immersion switch , does this need to be a standalone installation e.g a fuse in the the consumer unit and cabling all the way to the airing cupboard to an on off switch to the rod , or it can be connected from those cables here:

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• ivanakos
• 3 Apr 2015
• 1

And again how much will something like this cost,

Thanks

Ivan

 

[denso13]

Those connections are not for an immerser, they are just spare tappings for other things. They are too small.

 

[ivanakos]

Those connections are not for an immerser, they are just spare tappings for other things. They are too small.

thanks for that, the tank is a flowmax range, so if thats the case , there no other way to do this then apart from changing a tank ?

 

[JohnD]

as your cylinder is normally heated by gas, the amount of money you will save by heating it from solar will be very small. For example, my Summer gas usage, to heat a cylinder, was 17 cubic metres of gas last August, costing £6.79 for the gas (with a £7.75 standing charge).

You would save a proportion (not all) of the £6.79.

How many summer months do you calculate it would take to earn back enough money to pay for, say, a £200 installation cost of new circuit? Let alone, say, £500 to fit a new cylinder?

The Iboost and Immersun savings calculation is based on the assumption that you heat your hot water using electricity. Energy from electricity costs three times as much as energy from gas.

For you, it is a non-starter.

 

[ivanakos]

A)Looking on the cylinder it says "for side mounted immersion heaters=maximum length cylinder diameter - 100mm.

see pic:

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• ivanakos
• 4 Apr 2015
• 1

Does that mean that they were not spare tappings and that an immersion element can be added on those connectors?

b)
In case that it can be added indeed, I still wonder if this is beneficial to install based on John D's response, bearing in mind the cost of the iboost+new circuit+ heating element and install.

Thanks

 

[Agile]

The whole solar business is really a financial rip off.

Without the feed in tariff there would never be any payback period making it a totally false scenario.

But solar thermal to heat hot water can give a payback within a few years.

Don't you have a large blanking plug near the bottom of your cylinder?

Tony

 

[OwainDIYer]

The immersion heater boss should be 2 1/4" Female and close to the bottom of the cylinder.