Replacing hot water cylinder

[mazzab]

We are replacing our hot water cylinder this weekend. Will we have to drain off all the water in the system (meaning no water in the house all day) or is it possible to still have the cold water running?

Hubby has said something about having to drain all the water upstairs because thats where the tank is but may not have to drain it downstairs....?? something about downstairs being below the level of the bottom of the hot water cylinder?

Will that drain all the radiators too??

 

[gas4you]

If you shut the 22mm gate valve feed to the bottom of your existing cylinder and the 15mm gate valve on the cold feed to your heating system then you can leave the cold mains turned on

You won't have heating or hot water though

 

[mazzab]

Ah thats what hubby thought.... well at least we can have the cold water for the loo, kettle, washing hands etc.

Can I ask one other thing.... the old tank is leaking, water is dripping from underneath which we are collecting in a bowl for the time being. But this water thats dripping is stone cold.... I would have thought it would be warm - is it because the water at the bottom of the cylinder is cold???

 

[gas4you]

Yes. The cold water enters the cylinder at the bottom. The heated hot water leaves via the 22mm pipe on the top

 

[JohnD]

cylinders often don't have a drain-off.

Running all the hot taps till they stop won't empty it, because the water to the taps comes out of the top.

One way to do it (after running all the hot taps to dry) is to take out the immersion heater and syphon it out with a hosepipe.

there will be a certain amount of spillage.

It will be a good idea to incorporate a drain-off in the supply pipe at the bottom before fitting the new cylinder.

 

[Rob]

Yes they do. See more drain offs on cylinders than htg systems

 

[mazzab]

apparently there is a drain off on the cylinder... (now hubby tells me - why didnt he say so before I asked on here )

Think I'd better shut up now.....

 

[mazzab]

RIGHT..... hubby has just admitted he's not sure about something..... so I need some advice to pass on to him....

Regarding the coil inside the cylinder, where does the hot water feed into it - at the top of the coil???

Thanks again

 

[EliteHeat]

You must be doing wonders for your husbands self confidence.

 

[mazzab]

LOL I know.....

 

[corgiman]

wow I would love to see the end result

are your sure you and hubby should change this cylinder yourself when you are asking such basic questions???

I am not being mean but come on!

I had a mate who tried to change his own cylinder once, refuse my help as he thought ALL plumbing was basic and ANY idiot could do it. spent alot of his time taking the rise out of me, BTW he was a chartered accountant and a really nice chap so I didnt mind.

Well anyway after two days and four floods (ending up with a 750 bill from a decorator) he swallowed his pride and called me in!

It was GREAT I have never laffed so much, first flood caused by him not soldering about FOUR joints

the second caused by the failure to strip out and clean the FOUR joints, he tried to just heat em up and stuff solder in em.

The third flood was casued when he gave up on solder and brought compression fittings, but some how or other removed the olives and wondered why NONE of his fitting held!

The final flood was caused by him thinking that the immersion heater only had to out in FINGER tight, I asked him why he thought this and his answer was " well the nut was really big so I thought it would be ok"

Again with care and thought changing a cylinder can be a DIY job but please dont let your confidence gainsay your ability the results can be devastating

Oh yes My friends buildings insurance resfused to pay out as it was their belief that an accountant was not competant enough to undertake the work and therefore the damage was not "accidental"

gotta love em

 

[mazzab]

Well, excuse me, but I thought the whole idea of this forum was to ask for advice.

For your information my husband is a mechanic, and whilst this isnt a plumber, I should imagine he has a lot more idea about these matters than an accountant would.

He has already repaired a leaking loo, put a new valve thingy on the heating system, repaired the washing machine countless times, wired up a shed he built himself outside, to name but a few projects. (There are plenty more but I am too worked up at the mo to remember what they are).

Everything he was going to to has been confirmed as correct by answers given to me by others on this thread, I was just double checking that he had got it right, as I think this is better than waiting till he is halfway through the job and finding out that he got something wrong.

There are a lot of other threads on this forum that show a far greater lack of understanding than my husband has.

Posts like yours do nothing to encourage people to ask questions.

 

[corgiman]

Well, excuse me, but I thought the whole idea of this forum was to ask for advice.

I was giving advice and my advice was to take you time and think about it as it aint an easy job



thats all

if he feels like he can do it do it as you aint breaking any laws, and I am sure that the only thing that could stop your hubby is a lump of kryptonite

I am only kidding on the last

 

[JohnD]

Like most things, it's not difficult once you've done a few, but things go wrong so it's useful to be prepared.

I remember a plasterer letting me have a go, I naturally made a complete hash of it and started apologising, but he generously (and accurately) pointed out that he wouldn't know how to do my job either.

I also remember the first copper pipe I soldered; and how much better I was after I'd been shown good technique. Easy now.

 

[gas4you]

RIGHT..... hubby has just admitted he's not sure about something..... so I need some advice to pass on to him....

Regarding the coil inside the cylinder, where does the hot water feed into it - at the top of the coil???

Thanks again

Water goes in top of coil and out of bottom (of coil) This will be emptied when draining the ch system before job commences. Watch out for black sludge drips etc from old coil connections