Hot Water Cylinders (examples)

The humble hot water cylinder has been in service for many years and has a pretty good service record. There are a couple of types for this particular piece of plumbing equipment.

Below are two examples of water tanks or cylinders that are used in a domestic hot water system:

1). Vented (Indirect).

A vented version of this type of water cylinder is fed with its cold water from a tank called a storage tank that is above its location. The water heating process in the cylinder is done by passing hot water from a boiler directly through a copper coil inside the tank. This coil arrangement is called a heat exchanger. This system could also actually get its feed from a solar powered system. The cylinder has cold water entering at the bottom of the cylinder, there is also a small drain cock there. Then, the water is heated and returned to the hot water system pipework via a connection on the top of the cylinder. A heat transfer takes place in the cylinder as a result of the coil being hot. As there isn’t any direct contact between water and heat source it is called ‘indirect’, describing the way the heat is transferred. An Ilford Plumber is experienced in the operation of this type of system.

2). Vented (direct).

The direct type of water cylinder works by heating the water contained in it using an electrical heat source called an element, which heats up as electricity is supplied to it. The heat from this element then, passes into the water in the cylinder.
It is a simple system in as there is no boiler, making it perfect for a home with little room. This systems cylinder will feed the bath or a shower. These cylinders can be quite large and sometimes have 2 or 3 heaters inside. Ilford Plumbers are professional plumbers with knowledge of this kind of cylinder.