Installing and Essex Flange?

Hi, Just wonder what's involved with installing an essex flange, i

there much to it? I googled it and can't find too much info on it. An help appreciated.....

-- Fatboise

Reply to
Fatboise
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There's lot to read over at diynot.com forums section.

Make sure you do an advanced search and then select 'plumbing'.

After reading the posts there I personally realised that it was too hard. The hardest part is the cutting of the hole in the tank. There does not seem to be an easy DIY way of doing it.

So I currently still have a pump in the loft that will never be used (at this home anyway !)

Reply to
andysideas

Whats an Essex flange?

Sounds like something rough you would find on a good nite out i Clacton!

-- Cordless Crazy

Reply to
Cordless Crazy

Cutting the hole in the tank isn't the hardest part, although you do need a bit of Dutch courage when you realise you're damaging the cylinder. Make sure you drain it completely (using a hose on the drain-off valve at the bottom) and then make sure you use the correct size hole cutter in your drill. If you've got an immersion heater it helps to remove it if you need to see inside where to cut the hole.

The hardest part is fiddling the washer through the hole while holding on to the wire that stops the body of the flange from dropping inside the cylinder. The tip here is to tie a length of string onto the wire and the flange so you can pull them back out if you happen to let go. Other than that it's not difficult at all! :o)

Reply to
Peter Taylor

On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 18:02:16 +0000 someone who may be Fatboise wrote this:-

It may be easier to replace the cylinder with one which has a shower boss already fitted. You may also take the opportunity to get ready for, or fit, solar water heating.

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is an example of killing two birds with one stone, but other suppliers can provide cylinders without solar coils that do have a shower boss should you not want a solar coil.

Reply to
David Hansen

Yes, I bought one on spec but looked at the instructions and locked it away in a glass-fronted box (for emergency use only :-). Apart from a Surrey or Warix flange (which requires removing the fitting from the boss at the top of the cylinder) it occurred to me that if the top connection is straight rather than angled (i.e. there's an elbow above it) then some gnarly hack is probably possible by replacing the elbow with a 22mm compression tee with a 22x15mm reducing set in the top and a bit of 15mm dipping into the tank for the shower connection.

^ vent pipe | | | /=== -> shower | | || | | ||||

Reply to
john.stumbles

An extra draw off connection that you add to the side of a hot water cylinder. Placed toward the top of the cylinder it allows hot water to be drawn off without risk of also getting any air in the water which may happen when you take water at a high rate from the normal top connection. This makes for better performance from shower pumps etc.

Reply to
John Rumm

Oh, now that is an idea I may just try in a couple of days ;-)

Any reason for doing the tee in compression? ISTM that it ought to work in capillary as well (22mm equal tee with a 22 to 15mm fitting reducer stuck in one end).

(installing shower pump for someone shortly... the initial intention was to see how well it worked in its current configuration, but with the anticipation that a surrey flange would probably be needed - this solution may be preferable since it involves less risk to a 36 year old hot water cylinder!)

Reply to
John Rumm

Have a 22mm x 22mm (centre) x 15mm compression tee. Drill out the pipe stop on the 15mm part of the fitting. Then just slide the pipe through into the cylinder. A reducing set will not allow you to slide the 15mm pipe through. Then an install and very cheap Surrey/Warix flange.

The protruding 15mm pipe should have an internal cap on the end. Holes should be drilled around the 15mm pipe. This to ensure only hot water from the top of the cylinder is collected.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Even better, bosses on a standard HWC are 28mm dia. It's usual to fit a

28/22 reducing male boss to the top outlet, but you can fit a 28mm male boss and then a 28 x 22 x 22 reducing tee and have separate 22mm HW supplies, one for the shower and one for everything else: 22 compression vent and HW supply ^ |

----->22 compression HW to shower | |

28 compression | | short length of 28mm pipe | 28 male boss/compression on HWC

The benefits over an Essex flange are that the water temperatures at both outlets are similar, and if you run a new 28mm CW feed to the HWC, the shower is completely unaffected by drawing off hot water elsewhere. Using a shower valve with 22mm hot and cold connections (Grohe Automatic 2000 for example) and a 9" overhead shower rose, who needs a shower pump? It's like standing under Niagara Falls.

Reply to
Peter Taylor

You have mixed up 1" BSP and 28mm copper pipe. What you have done is not put a draw off point "inside" the cylinder, relying on a 28mm pipe being man enough to supply. This will not always work. Having a pipe inside the cylinder prevents air being drawn in 100%. The simple drill out the 15mm pipe stop I suggested is the simplest and cheapest way to make your own Surrey flange and a lot cheaper too.

And a water bill that is sky high, requiring a very large cylinder that takes a lot of energy to heat. Not recommended.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Maybe, but you knew what I meant.

Why not? It's much better than trying to get a 22mm AND a 15mm outlet through a single 22mm connection like you're suggesting.

Why would air go downwards in the shower supply when it can go straight up the vent pipe? Anyway, what's the big concern about air in the shower supply?

Rubbish. It uses far less water than a power shower. The flow rate is high but the pressure is low. What's a "very large" cylinder? Mine is 450 dia x

1200 high (162 ltrs) and copes very well.
Reply to
Peter Taylor

A low head will create problems.

What I suggest is super easy. All you need is a drill to drill out the pipe stop in the fittings.

A pump with draw air down the vent pipe.

As you serious?

Not so.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

I realised that after posting :-(

Of course you could drill out the end stop on the reducing set: this might be easier than drilling out the end stop on a 22 x 15 x 22 [1] Tee since you could probably do it with a step drill, whereas you'd need a big twist drill or reamer for the Tee. Depends what tools you have in your toolset.

[1] 22x22x15 is a branch reduced, not end reduced Tee.[2] [2] Just had to prove you wrong on something.[3] [3] You know you love it really :-)
Reply to
john.stumbles

Nope. Both are valid. It used to be A, B, C, where B is centre. Then it became A, C, B. IT depended on area, company, etc. I always state which is centre.

Drilling out a Conex tee is easy.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

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