From gravity-fed to mains pressure
A lot of older homes still run on a gravity system: a cold water tank in the loft feeds a copper cylinder in the airing cupboard, and the pressure at your taps depends on how high the tank sits above them. That's why the top-floor shower dribbles and why running a tap downstairs can ruin it.
An unvented cylinder is fed directly from the mains and delivers stored hot water at mains pressure to every tap and shower in the house. The loft tanks come out, the showers improve, and you can usually run more than one at once. It's usually paired with a system boiler, and in an older house it's one of the upgrades people notice most.
Is your home suitable?
It depends on what's coming in from the street. At the survey we measure your incoming mains flow rate and pressure, and look at the size and age of your supply pipe. If they're good enough, an unvented cylinder will make a big difference to your hot water. If they aren't, we'll tell you plainly and talk through the alternatives, rather than fitting something that won't perform.
Unvented cylinders
Mains pressure hot water to every outlet, no loft tanks, more than one shower at a time. Needs a qualified installer and a yearly check.
Vented cylinders
Still the right answer in some homes. We repair and replace them, along with immersion heaters, cylinder thermostats and motorised valves.
Unvented cylinders need a qualified installer
Unvented cylinders store hot water under pressure, so they're covered by Part G3 of the Building Regulations and must be fitted by someone qualified to do it. Matt holds the unvented qualification and our Gas Safe registration covers unvented and vented hot water systems, so we fit, commission and certify them ourselves. Manufacturers recommend a yearly check of the safety valves and expansion vessel, which we can do alongside your boiler service.
Smart cylinders
We've also fitted smart cylinders such as Mixergy, which heat only as much water as you're likely to use and can be controlled from your phone. Worth asking about if your household's hot water use goes up and down through the week.
We fit cylinders and mains pressure upgrades across Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Wellesbourne and Stratford-upon-Avon, plus the villages in between.