The unvented hot water cylinder has slowly but surely risen in popularity and can be found in a large number of modern homes. Being connected directly onto your mains system, the unvented system ensures that a large amount of hot liquid is available whenever it’s needed and offers much better flow rates by operating at mains pressure.
An unvented hot water cylinder improves the performance of fixtures like your bath and shower all year round! Let’s take a look at some of the key advantages of an unvented hot water cylinder for your home.
How does it work?
An unvented hot water cylinder has no cold storage tank – instead a sealed system is directly fed by the cold mains. An unvented system has pressure kept on it from an incoming supply and is heated by a heat source located outside the tank or by immersion heaters.
The unvented tank has an outlet pipe connected to it so that the heat is distributed to multiple outlets around your property. The minute an outlet is activated, the pressure from the incoming cold supply displaces the heated supply in the tank towards the open mains pressure outlet.
An unvented system is ‘sealed’, so that it requires an expansion hot water cylinder next to it or incorporated within it. An expansion tank allows for more supply to be stored in the system as it continues heating and accommodates increases in pressure.
An unvented system is designed to endure large amount of internal pressures and is very safe to use when outfitted with the right equipment. They are normally constructed from stainless steel because of the high amount of strength that a thin amount of material has.
What are the benefits of an unvented hot water cylinder?
An unvented system helps free up space on your property and are considered to provider stronger pressure than a traditional open vented system. This is due to the fact that an unvented hot water cylinder gets it supply directly from the mains; however this depends on the resilience of the mains system to begin with.
An unvented hot water cylinder is a great way to save space in the modern household. An unvented system doesn’t need a feeder tank and this frees up even more space on your property. Unlike regular vented systems, the unvented system doesn’t need gravity in order to work, so it can be installed pretty much anywhere you like! This makes storage easier and more convenient.
Another advantage of an unvented hot water cylinder is that it’s less noisy. This is because there is no cold liquid filling up the storage cistern. The unvented tank is also completely sealed, so there is no risk of contamination and you don’t need to stress about it freezing in winter time.
Do I need to upgrade my system?
An unvented hot water cylinder will, on average, last around 30+ years when installed to the highest standard. If the tank shows signs of leaking, then it needs to be replaced. If left untreated, the leak can get worse and cause significant damage to the structural integrity of your home. Always make sure to check regularly for damp spots around the tank and talk with your plumber to investigate it further.
What types are available?
The capacity of a hot water cylinder will vary between 90 – 400L for a normal domestic demand. To make sure you get the right system for you needs, make sure to consult with experts who understand what the ideal setup looks like.
Some of the available systems are:
- Standard unvented
- Pre-plumbed unvented
- Horizontal unvented
- Slimline unvented