Thermal stores - still nobody wants to sell one

Me again - back on the subject of a thermal store/heat bank for export to the Falklands.

None of the companies that I have contacted seem interested; Albion, Range and DPS. I've emailed and faxed them a comprehensive spec. of what I want. Albion and DPS have not responded at all.

Range came back and suggested that I wouldn't get enough flow rate through a thermal store and as I was heating it from one source there was no advantage going down that route, and suggest an unvented cylinder. To me that is a non starter as I will have to mess about with shower pumps etc.. to get decent pressure upstairs.

As a final option one of the local dealers imports Telford products. I see that they do a thermal store, not exactly what I wanted because it uses a coil and not a heat exchanger, but it's an option. Does anybody have any experience with Telford thermal stores, what is the quality like etc.?

Another thing that attracts me to the thermal store and heat bank concept is that I would like to add some solar heating in the future. So provided I put the right connections in place I should be able to quite simply add the panels later.

Chris

Hi Andy,

That's pretty much what I am thinking of doing. I went to see the guy who imports the Telford

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stuff this morning, and he is getting me some prices for the Tristar and Tristor products, which don't seem to appear on their website.

One of them is almost what I want without the external heat exchanger. So I would only have to add the heat exchanger, a pump, blender valve and some controls.

I was thinking that it is simpler to have the cylinder water heated by the boiler, or rather the cylinder water and the radiators. That is if the heat source is only a boiler.

On some diagrams I have seen a two pump primary system, where there is a pump circulating water from the cylinder to the boiler and another circulating water from the cylinder to the rads. However I don't see why I can't do that with one pump and two zone valves, as in a normal S (I think it is) plan.

That way there would only be two pumps in total. One for the cylinder and Rads and another to pump the water from the coil through the heat exchanger.

I was planning on putting a small header in the loft above the highest rad and therefore keeping the whole system vented.

Anyone see any problems with that arrangement?

I've just sent them a mail. Hopefully they will be quicker than the others. I guess it might just be that it is holiday season over there!

I need to at least make contact early next week, as I'm traveling to the UK myself on Thursday. Visit my sister in London and do some shopping for kitchens and bathrooms - I was hoping to get in some holiday too, but as SHMBO is coming I guess I'll be looking in shoe shops most of the time!!!

If I can make contact with a good firm, I could visit them with plans under arm to discuss the options.. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

I'm using Wilson Logistics to consolidate and forward my stuff. I've used them before and they are used to dealing with the Falklands, but thanks anyway.

Chris