Expansion vessel location

[thefurz]

My boiler engineer serviced my boiler yesterday and said that the expansion vessel needed replacing.

He ended up placing it on the cupboards above the boiler....which looks like an odd place to my untrained eye!

I have a couple of questions:
- does the vessel get warm? It is sitting on a wooden/laminated kitchen cupboard
- I feel like it should be boxed in, to prevent anyone bashing it when they put items on the top of the cupboard. Would there be an issue with enclosing the vessel in a wooden box?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Madrab]

, well that's a new look to a kitchen a bright red EV on top of white cupboards!! Good grief.

I think you need to have a quick word with him, even a grey EV would have looked better or even better find an alternative position for it. What boiler make and model? I presume replacing the internal EV wasn't an option?

 

[CBW]

Yes they do get warm, but wouldn‘t think an issue boxing in. As per @Madrab make and model of boiler would be handy.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My boiler engineer serviced my boiler yesterday and said that the expansion vessel needed replacing.

Maybe not gas qualified, just a plumber, and so wasn't qualified to open up the boiler, so did all he was allowed to do - fit it on the pipe externally.

Yes, you can box it in, it will get no hotter than your pipework and radiators, but aesthetically better if the failed one inside the boiler is replaced.

 

[CBW]

Yes, you can box it in, it will get no hotter than your pipework and radiators, but aesthetically better if the failed one inside the boiler is replaced.

Not all expansion vessels are located inside the boiler. Intergas eco rf30, Worcester 24/28i junior and Baxi 105 are the ones I know about where they’re situated on the rear jig, thus removal of the boiler is often required.

 

[polesapart]

It's fine to put an easily removable box around it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Not all expansion vessels are located inside the boiler. Intergas eco rf30, Worcester 24/28i junior and Baxi 105 are the ones I know about where they’re situated on the rear jig, thus removal of the boiler is often required.

Quite, but in this case it seems the OP's boiler had it inside the case, or the new one would have been located where the old failed one was.

 

[CBW]

Quite, but in this case it seems the OP's boiler had it inside the case, or the new one would have been located where the old failed one was.

If it was in the case it would have likely been swapped, so I would say it wasn’t inside the case.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

If it was in the case it would have likely been swapped, so I would say it wasn’t inside the case.

So then, if it wasn't in the case, it could have been simply swapped with no need to reposition it in such a ridiculous place?

However, adding the EV anywhere apart from in the case, might well have been a much easier job and no need for any Gas Safe involvement.

 

[CBW]

So then, if it wasn't in the case, it could have been simply swapped with no need to reposition it in such a ridiculous place?

Well if it were accessible yes, but like I said in post #5, if it were behind then sometimes the boiler needs to be removed.

 

[Madrab]

Maybe not gas qualified, just a plumber, and so wasn't qualified to open up the boiler, so did all he was allowed to do - fit it on the pipe externally.

If that's the case then he shouldn't really be doing the job, if they aren't GSR, then they aren't really a 'boiler engineer'. Also, if they aren't qualified to open up the boiler then they shouldn't really be installing/replacing a safety device that protects it, albeit is a pretty innocuous bit of work. Hopefully it's the right size and at the correct pre-charge.

It's usually a cheaper, easier option to just connect an external EV up to the return leg of the system than it is to swap out the internal one, whether accessible or not.

 

[Madrab]

If it's not a huge system and looking at the rough size in the pic, could possibly be around an 8-12Ltr jobby, then one of these for around £55 could have been much better up there.


Still don't know the boiler make/model/size - how many rads?

 

[thefurz]

, well that's a new look to a kitchen a bright red EV on top of white cupboards!! Good grief.

I think you need to have a quick word with him, even a grey EV would have looked better or even better find an alternative position for it. What boiler make and model? I presume replacing the internal EV wasn't an option?

His first idea was to place it on the work surface !

I think I will box it in, so it's less conspicuous.

It's a Worcester-Bosch boiler and he said taking replacing the internal EV would take much longer and this was the more cost effective option.

 

[thefurz]

Maybe not gas qualified, just a plumber, and so wasn't qualified to open up the boiler, so did all he was allowed to do - fit it on the pipe externally.

Yes, you can box it in, it will get no hotter than your pipework and radiators, but aesthetically better if the failed one inside the boiler is replaced.

He is a gas qualified engineer....I check his details every year .

Yes.....aesthetically it isn't great.....it sounds like a box will help. Thanks for the info.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

His first idea was to place it on the work surface !

OMG!
Are you sure he was qualified Gas Safe?

I think I will box it in, so it's less conspicuous.

Paint it white for now maybe?