Do I really need to renew immersion tank

[scrumpyjack]

I'm having oil central heating installed soon and the company doing it want to change my existing immersion tank--it's old but insulated and working ok. They say that it makes sense to do it now as it's an expensive job.
But why should I pay for a new tank that I don't need
Is this normal practice or am I being stitched up just a tiny bit??

 

[Nixt]

Unless it meets latest energy insulation rating (which from your description it doesn't). You are required under latest building code to renew the cylinder at the time of changing the boiler. That aside if you have a new high recovery cylinder you won't regret it.

 

[Agile]

This is a situation where the BR are not well worded and I think they say "you should" rather than "must" !

If we encountered a situation where the client was adament he did not want to change it then we would get him to sign an indemnity saying we had explained the requirement to change the cylinder but the client had chosen not to comply.

Tony

 

[gas4you]

There is no stated regulation insisting that you MUST replace the HW cylinder, but I would always advise the customer, as you have been, to have it replaced at the time of the boiler change as it will cost about half the price of doing it as seperate job later.

As already said a new fast recovery cylinder with it's better insulation will soon pay for its self.

Another point to bear in mind if you are in a hard water area is that for every 1mm os scale on the indirect coil you lose about 10% efficiency in heating the water up.

This will negate the gain in efficiency that the new boiler will bring.

Old copper cylinders can also suddenlt split and leak, and I would definately not give any guarantees that it would remain sound after the new work has been done.

 

[scrumpyjack]

thanks everyone-- just checkin! i'll have a new one---

 

[chrishutt]

for every 1mm os scale on the indirect coil you lose about 10% efficiency in heating the water up. This will negate the gain in efficiency that the new boiler will bring.

Loss of efficiency of heat transfer from the cylinder coil is not the same as reduced boiler efficiency. The "10%" is not lost, it recirculates back to the boiler. The effect is to increase the reheat time by 10%, which will reduce the operating efficiency of the system due to the longer duration of non-useful heat losses from boiler and circulating pipes, but these losses only occur outside the heating season and even then are minor.