Hi
I need some advice choosing a direct combination immersion cylinder i.e. one
that has a mains-fed cold-water tank on top and the water is heated in a
bigger tank below by an electric immersion element. It's to replace an old
12 gallon rusting one in a holiday home that I own, and from the research
I've done I've now got a list of manufacturers who all seem to offer similar
sizes, but the thing is I don't know which one to choose... Can someone
tell me which would be considered to be the best manufacturer? My list so
far is:
Albion, Newark, Fortic/Range, Telford, or an unknown make from this website:
http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/c..._cylinders.htm
I'm basically looking for a cylinder that is made to last and has very good
insulation.
Thanks if anyone can help
David

On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 21:25:01 +0100, DJB wrote:

Hi
I need some advice choosing a direct combination immersion cylinder i.e. one
that has a mains-fed cold-water tank on top and the water is heated in a
bigger tank below by an electric immersion element. It's to replace an old
12 gallon rusting one in a holiday home that I own, and from the research
I've done I've now got a list of manufacturers who all seem to offer similar
sizes, but the thing is I don't know which one to choose... Can someone
tell me which would be considered to be the best manufacturer? My list so
far is:
Albion, Newark, Fortic/Range, Telford, or an unknown make from this website:
http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/c..._cylinders.htm
I'm basically looking for a cylinder that is made to last and has very good
insulation.
Thanks if anyone can help
David

I think you'll find they're pretty much of a muchness. Things to watch are
that if you're in a hard water area the electric immersion element should
be a suitable type (I think the name is 'Incalloy') and you can reduce or
eliminate scaling in the cylinder by putting a Fernox bag-in-tank type
scale inhibitor in the top, tank, part. Yoy get these from some plumbers'
merchants (round here Plumb Center [sic] does them).

For extra insulation you can put some extra Rockwool (or fibreglass - yuk)
around the tank, and properly insulate the hot water pipework.

--
John Stumbles

Extremely moderate

On 12 Jun, 09:24, John Stumbles wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 21:25:01 +0100, DJB wrote:

Hi
I need some advice choosing a direct combination immersion cylinder i.e. one
that has a mains-fed cold-water tank on top and the water is heated in a
bigger tank below by an electric immersion element. It's to replace an old
12 gallon rusting one in a holiday home that I own, and from the research
I've done I've now got a list of manufacturers who all seem to offer similar
sizes, but the thing is I don't know which one to choose... Can someone
tell me which would be considered to be the best manufacturer? My list so
far is:
Albion, Newark, Fortic/Range, Telford, or an unknown make from this website:
http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/c..._cylinders.htm
I'm basically looking for a cylinder that is made to last and has very good
insulation.
Thanks if anyone can help
David

I think you'll find they're pretty much of a muchness. Things to watch are
that if you're in a hard water area the electric immersion element should
be a suitable type (I think the name is 'Incalloy') and you can reduce or
eliminate scaling in the cylinder by putting a Fernox bag-in-tank type
scale inhibitor in the top, tank, part. Yoy get these from some plumbers'
merchants (round here Plumb Center [sic] does them).

For extra insulation you can put some extra Rockwool (or fibreglass - yuk)
around the tank, and properly insulate the hot water pipework.

HW tanks are usually in a cupboard. If so, you can improve insulation
a bit further by filling the space all round the tank with loose fill
insulation. Dont let the insulation cover the mains flex though, that
needs to dissipate its heat.


NT

On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:47:53 -0700, meow2222 wrote:

HW tanks are usually in a cupboard. If so, you can improve insulation
a bit further by filling the space all round the tank with loose fill
insulation. Dont let the insulation cover the mains flex though, that
needs to dissipate its heat.

Er, don't do that! Fortic-style combination tanks have their immersion
heaters set into the side[1] and they should not be covered with
insulation. Better to use Rockwool (less irritating) or fibreglass and
leave a gap around the element head (maybe using a bit of stiff cardboard
from a carpet roll or suchlike to keep the insulation clear of the
head).

Another insulation option is to wrap a layer of that sort of metallised
bubble-wrap you get in B&Q and Wickes (or even ordinary bubble wrap) around
the cylinder (with a cutout around the immersion).

[1] except some ghod-awful designs which have them in the bottom. Along
with the drain-off cock. Try replacing one of those in a hard water area :-(


--
John Stumbles

Xenophobia? - sounds a bit foreign to me.

or an unknown make from this website:
http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/c..._cylinders.htm

I've had a custom-made cylinder from they recently (company behind the
website is 'IFS (Portsmouth) Ltd'.

It arrived in about 2 days, exactly to the design I agreed to by phone / fax
and was very well made.

I went for a solar-cylinder with twin coils and extra-thick insulation.

It's been installed for about 2 months now and has been fine.

Alan.

"Alan" wrote in message
...

or an unknown make from this website:
http://www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/c..._cylinders.htm

I've had a custom-made cylinder from they recently (company behind the
website is 'IFS (Portsmouth) Ltd'.

It arrived in about 2 days, exactly to the design I agreed to by phone /
fax and was very well made.

I went for a solar-cylinder with twin coils and extra-thick insulation.

It's been installed for about 2 months now and has been fine.

Alan.


Thanks for the info.
On the website they mention 30mm or 60mm Rockwool insulation (I guess you
ordered 60mm?), in your opinion is the insulation OK? The other
manufacturers seem to offer 50mm or 100mm urethane foam and I'm wondering
how they compare, although I do agree with the other replies about adding
additional insulation once the cylinder is installed so maybe the choice of
insulation doesn't really matter...
David

"John Stumbles" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:47:53 -0700, meow2222 wrote:

HW tanks are usually in a cupboard. If so, you can improve insulation
a bit further by filling the space all round the tank with loose fill
insulation. Dont let the insulation cover the mains flex though, that
needs to dissipate its heat.

Er, don't do that! Fortic-style combination tanks have their immersion
heaters set into the side[1] and they should not be covered with
insulation. Better to use Rockwool (less irritating) or fibreglass and
leave a gap around the element head (maybe using a bit of stiff cardboard
from a carpet roll or suchlike to keep the insulation clear of the
head).

Another insulation option is to wrap a layer of that sort of metallised
bubble-wrap you get in B&Q and Wickes (or even ordinary bubble wrap)
around
the cylinder (with a cutout around the immersion).

[1] except some ghod-awful designs which have them in the bottom. Along
with the drain-off cock. Try replacing one of those in a hard water area
:-(


--
John Stumbles

Xenophobia? - sounds a bit foreign to me.

That's a good idea about adding extra insulation, and noted about leaving
the immersion heater clear! My local Plumb Center offer a 'Superloy'
element which they said would avoid scaling, I guess it's similar to
Incalloy? Either way I'm going to look for the best one I can buy. Thanks
for the help.
David

On 12 Jun, 13:38, John Stumbles wrote:
On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:47:53 -0700, meow2222 wrote:

HW tanks are usually in a cupboard. If so, you can improve insulation
a bit further by filling the space all round the tank with loose fill
insulation. Dont let the insulation cover the mains flex though, that
needs to dissipate its heat.

Er, don't do that! Fortic-style combination tanks have their immersion
heaters set into the side[1] and they should not be covered with
insulation. Better to use Rockwool (less irritating) or fibreglass and
leave a gap around the element head (maybe using a bit of stiff cardboard
from a carpet roll or suchlike to keep the insulation clear of the
head).

Another insulation option is to wrap a layer of that sort of metallised
bubble-wrap you get in B&Q and Wickes (or even ordinary bubble wrap) around
the cylinder (with a cutout around the immersion).

[1] except some ghod-awful designs which have them in the bottom. Along
with the drain-off cock. Try replacing one of those in a hard water area :-(

so insulate keeping the heater clear, which is where the cable
goes... How much energy it saves will depend on the type of extra
insulation used.


NT

Thanks for the info.
On the website they mention 30mm or 60mm Rockwool insulation (I guess you
ordered 60mm?), in your opinion is the insulation OK? The other
manufacturers seem to offer 50mm or 100mm urethane foam and I'm wondering
how they compare, although I do agree with the other replies about adding
additional insulation once the cylinder is installed so maybe the choice
of insulation doesn't really matter...
David

Hello,

Yes, I went with 60mm insulation. The finished product is wrapped in plastic
sheet type material so all you see is a cylinder shaped object. Seems to
hold in the heat pretty well!

Alan.