how hard to replace hot water tank and move pipes?

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

Soldato
Joined
12 Feb 2006
Posts
17,384
Location
Surrey
looking for some advice. i will be getting a few quotes, but i'm considering doing this myself as it will be months before we can afford to pay someone any way, so may get it done quicker if i can do it myself with a brother as then it's just the parts needed.

CKCMcQ8.jpg

i'm looking to replace the current hot water tank with a slightly larger one, and then bring all the pipes and equipment that is on the left side, bring it to the right inline with the tank and above it, so that we can then one day have a built in wardrobe built around it without pipes stick out the front.

anyone know how easy this should be?

i'm also considering moving the tank into the loft, but told against this as it's more work, and the cold water would need to be raised. doesn't seem so much an issue to me personally, and is better as then the tank is gone from our room, but then i am not experience with this.
 
Last edited:
Moving to the loft won't be an option as the indirect cylinder works via gravity. The distance between the cylinder and the tank in the loft creates the pressure of your hot water. If you wanted it in the loft you would have to change to an unvented cylinder. This is mains pressure fed and would remove the need for the cold mains tank. This isnt a DIY job though.

I also think you or anyone would struggle moving all the pipework and components above the cylinder. I have not seen that done before. You might be able to repipe and make things a bit more compact but remember if there's any issues someone will need access to repair and replace parts.
 
So its currently in your bedroom?

You'll want to get something sturdy round it to stop the noise from the pump if either of you are light sleepers, even our new one makes a little bit of noise when the heating comes on.
 
Thanks all for the replies.

Swifty55 said:
Save up. Replace with a combi and have that installed in the loft and then have he cylinder/tank removed completely.
Click to expand...
I've had someone round today to get quotes so I can compare.

It was previously inside a built in wardrobe and luckily the noise wasn't loud, atm it wakes me up.

Ideally I'd prefer it not in the bedroom, but sounds like the loft idea won't be possible.

The guys today did suggest a combi instead and going to provide a quote for both. My biggest concern is that one day in the future we will get a second bathroom once we extend, and have 6 odd people in the house .

He said a combi migjt struggle but then so would a tank as it'd run out of water, so a combi would probably work better any way if you just take turns, but we could also use an electric shower to heat water in the second bathroom.

Sounded like a half decent idea. What do people think of combis?? Our boiler is easily 20 plus years so due a replacement any way
 
I think that a Combi is the way forward for you. If you are concerned that the boiler wont be 'big enough' you could always move to the next size up. If your boiler is over 20 years old, it is likely a traditional lightweight cast iron boiler. A modern combi will be much more energy efficient and you will see the difference in your bills.
 
I think it's always great to have an electric shower in a second bathroom anyway, if you ever find your boiler has played up, then at least you can still have a hot shower.
 
I had a tank like you and replaced it with a system boiler just a modified version of your pic, if I was doing it again I would do the combination boiler route, sod the tank off and have more room for what ever else.
 
Our last place had a combi and it was annoying that if you were in the shower and someone used a tap (or washing machine went on rinse etc) that the shower would pretty much stop. Don't get that with the tank now but then you have to wait for it to heat up. Maybe our last place had rubbish water pressure but it did put me off combi boilers a bit.
 
MonkeyMan said:
Our last place had a combi and it was annoying that if you were in the shower and someone used a tap (or washing machine went on rinse etc) that the shower would pretty much stop. Don't get that with the tank now but then you have to wait for it to heat up. Maybe our last place had rubbish water pressure but it did put me off combi boilers a bit.
Click to expand...

The washing machine was nothing to do with your combi boiler unless you mass failed and installed it with a hot feed (havent seen a hot feed washing machine for as long as i can remember)

It may have been due to poor water pressure i suppose but then your boiler would have been throwing faults
 
NoobCannon said:
The washing machine was nothing to do with your combi boiler unless you mass failed and installed it with a hot feed (havent seen a hot feed washing machine for as long as i can remember)

It may have been due to poor water pressure i suppose but then your boiler would have been throwing faults
Click to expand...

It was anything that opened a tap, so maybe it was water pressure but looking online its a pretty common complaint that showers in homes with a combi boiler lose a lot of flow when another tap is in use.
 
MonkeyMan said:
It was anything that opened a tap, so maybe it was water pressure but looking online its a pretty common complaint that showers in homes with a combi boiler lose a lot of flow when another tap is in use.
Click to expand...

A hot tap yes. But not the washing machine as its cold fill so wont come from The boiler.
 
NoobCannon said:
A hot tap yes. But not the washing machine as its cold fill so wont come from The boiler.
Click to expand...

This happened when anything used water (hot or cold), tap, washing machine, toilet etc but ours never had a temperature change so guess it had a thermostatic mixing valve. Quick google shows lot of people with the same complaint but most answers say poor mains pressure or bad pipework. Anyway just mentioned it as the OP said they might have quite a few people in the house.
 
Fairly sure the answer is no said:
but it will take the pressure from the boiler? so when the hot water is lower pressure when it hits the cold right before going out the shower, this will effect the temp surely?
Click to expand...

Thats not what he was saying, he said it turned to a dribble. I would assume if what you say was happening then the shower would turn boiling as the cold water was being taken away.

Im no plumber but it would more likley be water pressure related

Anyway am derailing the thread so appologies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom