What Size of Hot Water Cylinder Do I Need?

A lot of U.K. households may be used to the lack of hot water in their home. They will also be used to how long they need to wait whilst it heats up. However, this should not be the norm. Instead, it points to a major issue in your home heating system. If the hot water cylinder is the correct size for your home, it should never run out of hot water – even during peak usage.  

What are hot water cylinders?

Hot water cylinders are used to store water for home usage. There are two main types of water cylinder, indirect hot water cylinders or direct hot water cylinders. In a direct hot water cylinder, the water is heated within the cylinder itself using immersion heaters. An indirect hot water cylinder is reliant on an external appliance such as a boiler to generate the heated water. Some indirect cylinders have an immersion heater installed too for additional heat that may be required. They are usually for backup or to boost function if the hot water has run out due to extended usage. These aren't to be confused with your cold-water storage tank. That is often found in the loft, as these are very different things.  

How small is too small?

It can be daunting when considering the right size hot water cylinder for your home, but it is essential to ensure that your hot water demands are being met. A hot water storage cylinder that is too large will waste energy and water when it needs to heat up. Alternatively, a cylinder that is too small won’t be able to meet the needs for hot water in your home. Those with a hot water cylinder that is too small and use too much hot water will find that they end up with cold water at inopportune times. The capacity of a cylinder will change depending on whether it’s being heated by an indirect heat source (e.g. a boiler) or directly.  

We’ve got you covered

Normally, the cylinder capacity is measured in litres, which can be a bit confusing. When thinking of showers or washing up loads, we dont normally think about how much water is being used. However, as a rule of thumb the easiest way to work out what optimum size and capacity you’ll need is by how many bathrooms and showers you have. You can find lots of information online and usage calculators, suggesting sizes based on the litres on line. Often buying a new hot water tank can be beneficial since the energy efficiency increases and heat loss is reduced in the hot water system. The good news is that Mr Central Heating stocks a vast range of sizes of water heaters and hot water tanks to suit all your needs.  

Storage solutions

Maybe you have the correct size hot water tanks for your usage, but you’re considering adding a loft conversion or en-suite bathroom to your home. One effective solution would be to temper the water in your home. Essentially, tempering would mean raising the temperature of water in the cylinder, mixing it with a tempering valve to achieve a lower water temperature output, therefore producing more hot water from the same size cylinder. However, this won’t work in all scenarios. It’s best to check with a heating engineer or installer because if you’re doing extensive work – you may need to upgrade your cylinder. Sometimes you might even need a new boiler.   The domestic hot water cylinder can meet household hot water demands from multiple places. This includes if your dependence on your central heating system or combi boiler increases. This provides a great solution in comparison to other products on the market. These usually cannot continue to work under the pressure of more demand.

Browse our extensive water storage range for a whole host of options available.