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Vented Vs Unvented - hot water cylinders

Vented  Vs Unvented hot water cylinders.

Whats better in the Vented Vs Unvented cylinder battle? In previous central heating systems there were restrictions based on the technology that was available, not only boilers but also in hot water storage. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="158"]Vented Copper Lagged Cylinder Vented Copper Lagged Cylinder[/caption]

Today and with the advancement of materials and components, the choice for central heating systems is far greater. Things that were once great have been reduced to replacement only. Copper vented cylinders would really fit this category and although they are still sold and stocked at Mr Central Heating they have definitely had their day.

In a traditional system it was always necessary to have a feed and expansion tank for the heating system and a cold water storage for the hot water system. This was due copper cylinders which was deemed to be the best way to store hot water and get an adequate heat transfer only really allowing tank pressure to feed them.

In most circumstances they could not accept mains pressure so the water would have to be broken in pressure using a tank. In the early days they where not lagged and because copper is a good conductor it was settled really as a material to use. Times started to change and the heat loss from a naked copper cylinder was raised and a nationwide campaign to lag and insulate your hot water tank spread throughout the UK. It worked and manufacturers started to use a pre-sprayed insulated water storage tank that helped the heat loss of the cylinder but it is still a very bad way to store and heat hot water. These hot water tanks are also quite inefficient as a thermal store, especially when it comes to using the immersion heater for heating water because these water tanks can be quite large and it takes a lot of energy to make hot water in them. Unvented Stainless Steel Cylinders

Unvented stainless steel tanks have been around actually for well over 50 years and are now extremely popular with new installations and replacement of existing. The versatility of stainless steel tanks means that you can put them anywhere and also they work off the mains water supply. This also means that with the mains pressure the flow rate is such that you do not need to use shower pumps although some individuals still prefer to use a power shower for increased water flow.

They also stay hotter for longer and have a quicker recovery and much more reliable. Here at Mr Central Heating we stock two fantastic ranges of unvented that come in various capacities and models including, horizontal, vertical, indirect, direct, system-fit, pre-plumbed, slim-line and Rapide which has an internal expansion vessel. Making your hot water pressurised is the way forward and if you are doing a loft conversion and need to free up space there is no other better solution. This is because the central heating boiler will no longer require a cold water storage tank in the loft to operate. This cold water tank takes up a lot of space. Without this your central heating system may even fit just in the airing cupboard. So when the question is Vented Vs Unvented Cylinder, the winner has to be Unvented system for performance and efficiency.