french hot water cylinder

UK ones must have loads of additional gear to stop them exploding. French ones (bought in France) can't usually be legally installed directly. Most French manufacturers can build them to UK spec, but at UK prices.

For an electric direct unvented cylinder look around here:

I thought everything manufactured in the EU now had to be legal everywhere in the EU.

In article , Christian McArdle writes

A chum bought a mains spec cylinder in a shed in France and it came with all the bits you get for UK use, cost was about half of the UK price. Don't know the location or name of the shed tho'.

the water heater. Pressure is only due to height above the outlet and is pathetic.

It's a building regulation issue and there appears to be a considerable way to go before these are harmonised. Despite this, the French manufacturers seem to have no problem cornering a large proportion (if not the overwhelming majority) of the UK market.

Christian.

Yep. Those that sell mainly to the UK market on the coast cater for the UK. You have to know what you are getting though.

Ah, of course, perfectly legal to buy it because it's from within the EU but you can't actually install it in your house. I believe there are a few other things like this too.