Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.
Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
 Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.




Heating and cooling: Which hot water cylinder?

Bottom of Page

1 to 10 of 10

  1.  
    • CommentAuthorXT600
    • CommentTimeOct 17th 2018
     
    I need, I think, a vented indirect cylinder with two immersion heaters.
    Currently, I'm running a gas combi boiler but because it's almost new I don't want to change it.
    I'm adding another bathroom to my property, and extra solar panels (on top of my existing grid tied system) to make use of roof space. I plan to install a 200 ish liter tank, with a heating coil heated from the existing combi (tapped into the central heating circuit?)
    I plan to have the option of diverting unused solar electricity to one of the immersion heaters, and make use of another 12/24v immersion heater connected to my 'extra' solar panels.
    I also want the option of being able to heat the tank via the combi boiler when necessary.
    I want the whole system to be fed from a cold water storage tank in my roofspace, which can in turn be filled with water from my borehole rather than mains supply.
    Does anyone see any problems with this arrangement, other than the fact that I'm not sure the tank I will need even exists? :cry:
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018
     
    Get one made by a boiler maker eg Newark Cylinders sounds fine to me but need to check water regs in in UK
    • CommentAuthorbhommels
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018
     
    It looks like what they sell as a "vented solar cylinder" would work. These have 2 coils, one for a boiler and another one for a solar thermal circuit. Most of these have backup immersions as well.
    If you are going to specify a new tank, I would recommend 2 immersion heaters. When using excess solar PV you could heat one halfway up first, and when that reaches temperature divert into another at the bottom. It is better to have half the water hot than a tepid full cylinder.
    Another recommendation would be to have 2 temperature sensor ports, at least. This allows you to play with the settings a bit to avoid short firings of the boiler.
  4.  
    Your existing gas combi boiler is actually one of the cheapest and greenest ways to heat hot water, especially if it enables your existing PV to be exported to grid to displace a fossil power station.

    Have you checked that the upfront cost of buying and fitting the extra panels and the header tank and cylinder, what with its heat losses and taking up floor space, will ever be worthwhile?

    If you are concerned about having enough hot water, most combis produce enough hot water to supply two showers. Will you ever need to run two hot baths simultaneously?
    • CommentAuthorXT600
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: tony</cite>Get one made by a boiler maker eg Newark Cylinders sounds fine to me but need to check water regs in in UK</blockquote>

    I'll look into this, but imagine getting one made specially isn't going to be cheap :-)
    • CommentAuthorXT600
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: WillInAberdeen</cite>Your existing gas combi boiler is actually one of the cheapest and greenest ways to heat hot water, especially if it enables your existing PV to be exported to grid to displace a fossil power station.

    Have you checked that the upfront cost of buying and fitting the extra panels and the header tank and cylinder, what with its heat losses and taking up floor space, will ever be worthwhile?

    If you are concerned about having enough hot water, most combis produce enough hot water to supply two showers. Will you ever need to run two hot baths simultaneously?</blockquote>

    I have some spare panels already, so cost here not too much of an issue. I just need to work out how to make use of these heating water without being grid connected. Any ideas? We moved from a house with hot water cylinder to one with a combi, and miss having an airing cupboard! I have plenty of space to accommodate a tank, and heat losses don't bother me because they aren't really losses if they're used to heat an airing cupboard and surroundings. Only on hot summers days will they be 'losses'. Also, being able to use/run two showers/baths simultaneously will be advantageous in my household! My ultimate aim, in the long term, is to ditch the gas connection and rely entirely on electricity.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018 edited
     
    There's a chap over here:

    https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,149642.msg1046148.html#msg1046148

    who uses PV into immersion heating without a full-on expensive controller/inverter in between.

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2018
     
    My specially made one was cheaper than a similar one from a specialist supplier :)
    • CommentAuthorbhommels
    • CommentTimeOct 19th 2018
     
    My DIY jobbie cost me less than £ 100 in 2011, when the commercial offerings were at least 10x the price. It has saved me about £ 150 in electricity annually since we do not have the gas boiler on in summer. /smug
    • CommentAuthorXT600
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2018
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: DamonHD</cite>There's a chap over here:

    <a href="https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,149642.msg1046148.html#msg1046148" rel="nofollow">https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,149642.msg1046148.html#msg1046148</a>

    who uses PV into immersion heating without a full-on expensive controller/inverter in between.

    Rgds

    Damon</blockquote>

    Thanks Damon, that's a neat little unit probably ideal for off grid installations. What I need however is to find a way to help heat my 250 liter tank with solar panels, without these being grid tied.

1 to 10 of 10

  1.  
Add your comments

    Username Password
  • Format comments as
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press