Hot Water Cylinders Explained.

The cylinder in your home stores hot water for you to bathe, shower, wash dishes, and do laundry without waiting for water to heat. Your choice of hot water cylinder will depend upon how much you intend to use in the course of a day and the type of boiler system you have. The type of cylinder you use is determined by the way water enters that cylinder: unvented and open vented. The way the water is heated in the cylinder is determined by whether you have a direct or indirect – or solar – cylinder.

Mr Central Heating stocks a full selection of hot water cylinders:

Unvented cylinder

Because this storage system feeds off mains water pressure it requires no cold-water storage tank and head of water to increase that pressure. Hot water flow rates and water pressure are high and, to take advantage of the resulting free space, the cylinder may be sited almost anywhere. Unvented cylinders are usually stainless steel and most carry a manufacturer’s warranty of up to 25 years. They also keep the water hotter for longer and recover a lot quicker than copper.

Open vented cylinder

Also called a cold-water storage fed cylinder, the open vented cylinder has a header tank placed in a loft area. The header tank relies upon gravity to bring cold water from the mains and stores to feed the hot water cylinder and deliver hot water to your taps. Made of Grade 3 copper, this cylinder is usually associated with a conventional heating system.

Direct cylinder

The water is heated inside this cylinder by an internal element, or immersion heater. (Large capacity cylinders may require up to 3 immersion heaters.) Because water is not heated by an external source, such as a boiler, it’s an electric only option. Hot water from the cylinder is fed out the top to the outlet – bath or tap. Copper cylinders start below one hundred fifty, and stainless tanks below four hundred.

Indirect cylinder

The indirect cylinder is heated by an external source through a coil, such as a boiler. An internal coil transfers heat from the external source to the water in the cylinder. Immersion heaters may be used as supplementary heat sources. Indirect cylinders heat and recover faster than direct cylinders and are available in both vented and unvented models. Copper cylinders prices start well under two hundred, and unvented models under five hundred.

Solar cylinder

These cylinders are designed specifically for solar heating installations. A mixture of water and Glycol liquid passes through solar panels, heat is transferred to the stored water through an internal coil, hot water is produced, then the water is rerouted through the solar panels to be reheated. An additional coil may provide heat from an alternative source, as required. Direct unvented solar cylinders are here at prices starting below five-hundred fifty.

Hot Water Cylinders such as the Megaflo are available at http://www.mrcentralheating.co.uk/megaflo-unvented-cylinder