Advice needed regarding hot water for bath

[Croccy22]

Hi guys,

Have just inherited a one bedroom flat (Lucky us! ). Only problem is we decided to get a nice whirlpool bath and didn't really think it through. It's all plumbed in and on a solid concrete floor so no problems there.

The problem is we only have electrics at moment and no gas. The flat has a poxy combination cylinder (Fortic) that only holds 75litres of hot water. The bath I estimate to hold around 200. Still trying to find out exact amount (Romsey Corner bath 100x1500 from B&Q).

As you can imagine i can about quarter fill the bath before the hot water is stone cold.

One possible solution I think i have found is the MegaFlow HE DD210. The guys on the technical helpline reckon this will supply 175 litres of Hot Water.

Do you guys think this is the solution i am looking for or is there a better way?

I am also enquiring about getting gas installed as the other two flats both have gas. But I am just trying to work out prices.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Just as extra info there are two sinks in the flat and one washing machine. But we don't have central heating so the heater would just be for providing hot water.

Thanks in advance.

Matt.


PS. how can i find a local plumber that is quaified to install unvented systems.

 

[noonespecial]

Yes you need a greater facility for providing hot water or you make it into a nice fish pond feature .

What you need is either

1. A good store of hot water with the heat up period probably not being really of prime importance eg when you have filled your bath you wont have much or any hot water for other usage until the storage unit is heated up.

2. A facility for providing a continuous relatively low flow rate of hot water.

For 2 you would for practical purposes need a gas fired water heater or combi-boiler. If you go down that route why not go for a combi and also have some radiators put in. The extra cost should not be great.

For 1 you could go for a gas or electrically heated cylinder. This could be unvented (Megaflo type), thermal store or unvented (conventional copper hot water cylinder with a storage tank. Or as No. 2 above with a hot water store attached. I personally would not go for a thermal store but others would disagree I am sure.

Bear in mind on-peak electricity is relatively expensive at present at about 4 to 5:1(although that may well change over the next few years). Therefore if you are going to spend all your time in the tub then gas or off peak electricity will be your best bet.

If you are not going to use it that much then a twin element immersion heater arrangement would be better than a single immersion heater so you only heat up the top part of the cylinder. (That Megaflo has two immersion heaters as standard)

You need to find out how much water you need in the tub. For every 100 litres you need about 40 litres of hot water and 60 litres of cold.

If you are looking at Megaflo bear in mind the following:

1. The stated size of the Megaflo is misleading. A 210 unit does not store 210 litres of water as it contains an air bubble. I measured the stored water in one of the smaller units a few years ago and was quite surprised at how much water was 'missing'.

2. The temperature of the water within a cylinder is hotter at the top and colder at the bottom.

3. Mixing occurs as the cold water replenishes the cylinder as hot water is drawn off. This can reduce the available hot water considerably.