DIY heat bank - cylinder source?

[alyne]

Hi - I'm planning a DIY heat bank in the house we are moving to. I've got a DPS heat bank in the current property so I'm familiar with the concept.
I've searched through lots of previous threads about this and theres a lot of good info about design, layout etc, but one thing seems to be missing from all the threads I've read - where do I get the cylinder from! Ideally I'd like a custom direct cylinder - about 250 litres with bosses on in positions that I specify and internal baffles / diffusers.
Anyone got any recomendations for who can supply this?

 

[bernardgreen]

You could try Newark Copper Cylinder Company. They made my bespoke cylinder for a price that was about the same as a standard indirect cylinder of the same size bought from a plumber's merchant. Operates as a normal hot water tank but it has a second coil that heats mains pressure water for the shower.

 

[alyne]

thanks that website looks good - and looks like they can probably put the plate heat exchanger on there for me too

 

[PullerGas]

You could try Newark Copper Cylinder Company. They made my bespoke cylinder for a price that was about the same as a standard indirect cylinder of the same size bought from a plumber's merchant. Operates as a normal hot water tank but it has a second coil that heats mains pressure water for the shower.

Very good service & they know their onions.
You could always make your own??!!

Where's Watersystems aka Dr Drivel, Big Burner etc etc etc when you need him??

 

[bernardgreen]

One error I made when "designing" my system was to mis calulate the volume of tank taken up by the second coil ( the heat exchange to heat the water for the shower ). This coil reduced the amount of hot water volume more than I had allowed for. Hence it doesn't store as much heat as I had planned for. Two decent showers and the heat is depleted such that the third shower is only warm. The shower coil has parallel coils of 8 mm pipe to get a larger surface area and thus it takes up a lot of volume.

I will be replacing the tank with either a larger one with an internal coil or a similar sized one but with the shower coil ( again several in parallel ) wrapped around the outside of the cylinder inside the insulation.

I did look at a plate heat exchanger, to the point of buying one, but this then required a bronze pump, controls and power to circulate water through it. The water in the cylinder is used for bath and wash basins so cast iron pump to the plate eexchanger was not an option.

 

[simb82]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermal-S...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2354e756ba

i ordered a custom steel one. good quality and insulation is very well made. Arthur is the person i spoke to.

 

[PullerGas]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermal-S...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2354e756ba

i ordered a custom steel one. good quality and insulation is very well made. Arthur is the person i spoke to.

These are not Heatbanks mate........

 

[PullerGas]

One error I made when "designing" my system was to mis calulate the volume of tank taken up by the second coil ( the heat exchange to heat the water for the shower ). This coil reduced the amount of hot water volume more than I had allowed for. Hence it doesn't store as much heat as I had planned for. Two decent showers and the heat is depleted such that the third shower is only warm. The shower coil has parallel coils of 8 mm pipe to get a larger surface area and thus it takes up a lot of volume.

I will be replacing the tank with either a larger one with an internal coil or a similar sized one but with the shower coil ( again several in parallel ) wrapped around the outside of the cylinder inside the insulation.

I did look at a plate heat exchanger, to the point of buying one, but this then required a bronze pump, controls and power to circulate water through it. The water in the cylinder is used for bath and wash basins so cast iron pump to the plate eexchanger was not an option.

You could always do what this artisan has done mate.........

 

[simb82]

yes, yes it is

 

[bernardgreen]

You could always do what this artisan has done mate.........

I am assuming the hot supply to the shower is mains pressure via the two parallel connected plate heat exchangers and hence no shower pump is needed. But what forces the hot water through the other side of the plate exchangers ? and if that circuit is the central heating loop then the circulation pump has to run while the show is in use.[/QUOTE]