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Expansion vessel for UVC


Gav_P

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Simple question that I couldn’t find an answer for when googling...

 

How far from an Unvented Cylinder can you put an expansion vessel? 

 

The reason for asking it to simplify access for annual testing. My UVC is a horizontal cylinder in a small loft space and you have to mimic a catapillar to get alongside it. I’d like to place the the vessel near the loft hatch (2metre approx from the point it currently is).

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The inlet or control group is the multifunction valve that has the 3bar PRedV, the balanced cold draw off point ( where ALL cold feeds for mixer outlets must originate from without exception ( however there is a compliant work-around if it’s a retrofit so ask if you need more info  )) and must be within 500mm of the UVC. You can bend that rule a bit, say to locate the group at the attic hatch end of the UVC, but keep it as close as possible. 

The EV question is easy, carry on with what you want. The absolute rule is no valves / anything between the EV connection point and the EV other than a lockable service valve. Link

I routinely fit these as it makes the annual inspection SO much quicker and easier, but good observation of local isolation and some drain points make this unnecessary.  

 

Is this a new install ? Have the balanced cold feeds been done from the control group? 

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The input group is what the cold water into the cylinder passes through. It has a pressure reducing valve, typical pre set to 3 bar, and an over pressure relief valve. This is installed by the plumber usually close to the tank.

 

The tank itself has an over temp /pressure relief valve usually connected directly to the tank by the manufacturer.  This one cannot be remote mounted it has to stay on the tank.

 

Both need to be accessible.

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@Nickfromwales & @ProDave ah I understand. In that case, yes it has the input group with the balanced cold feed to the rest of the house (except outside tap). 

 

It is is a new (middle of last year) install, done as part of my building works. But access was very different at the time as no plasterboarding has been some. 

 

The PRV on the cylinder was the one I mentioned above and that is accessable enough to test. 

 

The PRV on the input group is a bugger to get at, but is currently about 250mm from the UVC. Moving this to somewhere more useful would put it about 1500mm away from the cylinder, so a bit of a no go. 

 

I think I’ll just move the EV and add one of those lockable service valves recommended by Nick. 

 

Thanks Chaps :)

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  • 2 years later...
On 17/11/2018 at 14:24, Nickfromwales said:

Don’t forget to do your annual inspection and get the benchmark book stamped to keep your warranty in check ;) 

2 years on and I’ve eventually ordered the bits to move the EV. 

 

This was only because water was splashing out of the tundish (cheap small one fitted) and dripping into the room below... possibly due to me not having the annual inspection and the EV has lost pressure ?

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9 hours ago, Gav_P said:

2 years on and I’ve eventually ordered the bits to move the EV. 

 

This was only because water was splashing out of the tundish (cheap small one fitted) and dripping into the room below... possibly due to me not having the annual inspection and the EV has lost pressure ?

If water is regularly coming out of the tundish, you have a problem.  The "solution" is not to change the tundish, but find and fix the problem.  Most likely related to the EV.

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45 minutes ago, ProDave said:

If water is regularly coming out of the tundish, you have a problem.  The "solution" is not to change the tundish, but find and fix the problem.  Most likely related to the EV.

Yeah, it’s only coming out at night time when the cylinder is heated by economy7 powered immersion. So I’m fairly certain it’s the EV - which I am sorting out today (the tundish I will just replace as a consequence of the splashing, not as a fix to the venting). 

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You need at least 300mm of vertical pipe above the tundish to have the water come out ‘straight’ eg without ‘turbulence’, which is usually the main cause of water splashing out / over the tundish. Don’t forget to ream the pipe internally to remove the cup end, formed by rotary pipe cutters. 
Even though you can get away with the factory supplied 15mm in > 22mm out jobby I alswsus upgrade to a 22mm in > 22 or 28mm out to alleviate any such issues ;) 

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4 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

You need at least 300mm of vertical pipe above the tundish to have the water come out ‘straight’ eg without ‘turbulence’, which is usually the main cause of water splashing out / over the tundish. Don’t forget to ream the pipe internally to remove the cup end, formed by rotary pipe cutters. 
Even though you can get away with the factory supplied 15mm in > 22mm out jobby I alswsus upgrade to a 22mm in > 22 or 28mm out to alleviate any such issues ;) 

 So ideally it needs at least 600mm of straight in total? This extra 300 above plus the reg 300 below? 

 

I have actually ordered a 22mm to 32mm Hotun

as it’s discharging into a soil stack. I’m gonna get rid of the existing fanny trap too, as the Hotun is supposedly a trap too. 

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Out of interest, could anyone educate me as to why the expansion vessel is located on the cold feed pipe between the input group and the cylinder and not from the cylinder directly? For example I have a spare inlet for the Secondary Return. Could the EV be connected there instead? Would there be any difference in how it performs its task or is it something to do with protecting the cold feed? 

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  • 1 month later...

I’ve got a duff immersion thermostat on my UVC. Just ordered a replacement, but it got me thinking about which immersion should be the primary.

Normally it’s obvious in a vertical cylinder (lower one for whole tank heating, upper one for quick / small amount of hot water)... but I’ve no idea on a horizontal cylinder. 
 

Any suggestions? 
 

Here is a picture of it with locations (end and middle):

 

16B8B10A-0DAD-4E6C-9162-60112AF13BB5.jpeg

Edited by Gav_P
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12 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Which is the water out..??

Funnily enough the diagram doesn’t show it.  It’s actually where the PRV is (and the PRV is nearer the middle), so straight out the top above the coil.

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On 27/12/2020 at 18:09, PeterW said:

Bladders last longer with cold water - don’t get as much degradation of the EDPM as you would with water at 55-70°C. 

Plus you don't want an incidental 'warm radiator' instead of a cold EV ;) 

Edited by Nickfromwales
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1 hour ago, PeterW said:

I’d have the boost one as the one through the coil then. What length is the immersion ..?

Both 11”

 

Currently the other way round... I think I’ll swap them over then. 

Edited by Gav_P
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