What Type of Water Cylinder Should I Install in My Extension?

If you are planning building work to your current home. You should take a moment and think about what type of water cylinder you should install in the extension. Maybe you’re building a connected granny flat or maybe you’ve finally decided to build that home pub. Whatever the case, there’s a good chance you’ll want hot water at the taps in the extension. Efficiency of delivery will depend greatly on the type of water cylinder you already have. Rather than connecting yet another line to your current cylinder, it’s probably wise to invest in a new one. But what type of water cylinder should you choose?

The Options Available Today

Today there are more options available when it comes to water cylinders. Vented and unvented cylinders are the two primary groups. While both will heat water for your use, they’re far from the same, and it’s important to choose the right one.

Vented: Vented systems have been around for a very long time. They usually consist of an outer shell and an internal cold-water tank and are open to the atmosphere. Vented cylinder cylinders could be gravity fed. This means that they use the height difference from the top of the water in the cylinder to the tap to produce pressure. Or they could be a thermal store type, which provides mains pressure water.

Gravity cylinders are not directly fed by the mains. This type of cylinder acts more like a reservoir and must be located high up in the home, so that gravity will feed the hot water to the taps. This creates an uneven flow of water. Rooms at the bottom of the home will have higher pressure at the taps than those nearer the top. This also results in an imbalance between the hot water at gravity related pressure and the cold water at main pressure. Remember the problems you have had in the past with trying to get the water in the shower at just the right temperature. Well it’s this imbalance that causes that problem.

Unvented: Unvented cylinders are dramatically different from vented cylinders. These cylinders are connected directly to the mains. They can use either indirect heat or direct heat to warm the water. However because there is no vent the water is pressurised.

Every tap in the home will have the same water pressure. This is great news for taps farther away or on the any level in the house regardless where the cylinder happens to be located. Unvented cylinders can be installed anywhere, from the ground floor to the basement because they don’t use gravity to feed the taps.

Choosing the Right Option

For most people, when it comes to answering the question. What Type of Water Cylinder Should I Install in My Extension? An unvented cylinder is going to be the better choice for their extension. Whether you have just a couple of taps or you’re building something more elaborate. An unvented cylinder is the type of cylinder that offers the reliability, performance, and flexibility that you need.

• You can install an unvented cylinder anywhere, giving you more flexibility in design
• You’ll have mains pressure water at all the taps
• You don’t need to worry about performance or temperature issues related to cold weather

Whether you’re building an extension for an aging loved one, to accommodate a growing family. Or because you’ve have just decided that you just want more space, an unvented cylinder can give you the mains pressure hot water you need.

However, you’ll need to work with a trusted professional to install that unvented cylinder in the extension. Under UK building regulations, only a G3-certified plumber can install, maintain, troubleshoot, or repair unvented cylinders because of the internal pressures involved.

EasyFlow are here to help. Our G3-certified team has experience working with all types of installations. We’ll help you choose the best place to install your new cylinder, choose the right model for your needs. We can also provide annual maintenance to keep your cylinder in peak condition.