Hot water storage tank in loft

[philhawthorn]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can answer my question. Is it wise to put a hot water storage tank in the loft? This is exactly what we have and the pumps etc. seem to be working overtime and I just wondered if we'd had some bad advice/tradesmanship or it is normal?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I know nothing about plumbing!

Thanks in advance,
Phil.

 

[Birmingham_Spanner]

Yes - Ideally it needs to be as high as possible and out of the way. Providing it is well supported, well lagged and has an overflow fitted I can't think of a better place for it. Can you?

What exactly are the "pumps etc" you refer to? Shower pumps always sound like the apocolypse if that is what you mean.

 

[philhawthorn]

Thanks Birmingham Spanner.

It's great in that its out of the way up ther, its just the noise of the pumps that made me worry a bit. I don't know what the pumps are for, they are the pumps that used to sit next to the hot water cylinder...the plumber moved the hot water cylinder, but left the pumps (or whatever they are) in what used to be the airing cupboard...

 

[John M]

A man/woman can never have too many pumps

 

[philhawthorn]

I need more pumps in my life

 

[John M]

 

[Birmingham_Spanner]

Do the pumps have one copper pipe in and one copper pipe out (probably Grundfos written on the side) and make a noise whenever you have your central heating / Hot water on? Or do they have four flexible connections and wake up the whole street whenever you take a shower?

 

[John M]

Nahh these is designer label pumps....... Pretty quiet

 

[philhawthorn]

John M, please, no more pump gags, my sides can't take it

Birmingham Spanner, yes they have copper pipes in/out and it's when the hot water is heating rather than the central heating i think.

 

[JohnD]

You do mean a hot water cylinder, don't you, not a Cold Water Storage Tank?

The words "Hot Water" and "Storage Tank" do not go together.

The cold tank is better if it is high

the hot cylinder isn't. It has to be lower than the cold tank and the F&E (if you have them). A cyinder does not have an overflow like a cold tank does.

As the loft is usually unheated space the cylinder and the pipes need to be extra-well insulated. the regulation pipe insulation is amazingly thick.

 

[Birmingham_Spanner]

Aye. JohnD makes a good point there. I have, rightly or wrongly, always referred to the storage vessel containing water destined for the cylinder as the "hot water storage tank" Somewhat ambiguous I agree.

The same principles apply to a cylinder in the loft with regard to support and insulation as a tank. It is quite common to see cylinders in the lofts of bungalows where space is at a premium.

@OP. Noises from your circulating pumps could be caused by air cavitating inside the pump body or vibrations. Are your pump speeds set high (3)? Try adjusting to see if you can reduce the noise - though system performance maybe compromised if you do. Also try putting your hand on the pump and or surrounding pipe work and applying a bit of pressure to see if you can eliminate vibration noise. Extra pipe fixings could then help the problem.

Good luck