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Author Topic: Copper coil in the hotwater cylinder  (Read 3788 times)

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Offline stevie

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Copper coil in the hotwater cylinder
« on: March 13, 2012, 08:07:11 PM »
Hello...I have a 225L low pressure HW cylinder with a wetback 20mm copper coil running off a Rayburn coal range. It appears that the coil is at the top of the cylinder, instead of at the bottom where I would normally expect it to be installed. The cylinder appears to be about 4 yrs old and works fine. However, I wonder if the heat storage capacity is affected since the coil is at the top? Is it worth getting a new cylinder with the coil installed at the bottom, but will that make much difference?  The heated water at the top is probably circulating to the bottom anyway via natural thermosyphon within the cylinder.
Any advice much appreciated...thanks!

Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/q-and-a-hot-water-cylinders/44/copper-coil-in-the-hotwater-cylinder/1042/

Offline Thunderhead

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Re: Copper coil in the hotwater cylinder
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2012, 09:07:16 PM »
i would say that the coil is at the top for the sole purpose of quick recovery of hot water if all the existing hot water should be drawn out of the tank at one time just fire up the coal range and presto half an hour to an hour later and you should be able to draw of hot water again...to me this is the logical reason why the coil is higher in the cylinder...and as the water sits in the cylinder it forms strata layers based on relitave temprature and density of the water...which is the reason the draw off point for hot water is at the top of the cylinder and not in the middle or the bottom, so the heated water at the top will not be circulating as you suspect this will only happen when you open a hot water tap introducing cold water into the cylinder causing disturbance and mixing up the strata layers.
You heat storage capacity would be more affected by poor insulation of the cylinder and flow and return lines of the coal range heating coil so if your worrying about it then get a cylinder wrap which should give you a more efficent heat/energy/money storage check if your pipes are lagged at least intill they dissapear into the wall as this will also help prevent heat loss.

good luck.

Offline Plumber

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Re: Copper coil in the hotwater cylinder
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 09:44:40 PM »
Thunderhead you absolutely right, the coil at the top is for quick recovery, usually a gas califont is connected to the coil while the cylinder can be heated by solar or wet back (if low pressure). (common on batches with limited power, califont would run on LPG for quick recovery if no solar or wetback activity) Do you have any other connections on the cylinder? What size are the connections on the top coil? If it was Wetback it would be 25mm otherwise it's only 20mm and that's not suitable for Wetbacks.   

Plumber
Please note that the advice I am giving is only my opinion and not necessarily a fact.  Please refer to our terms and conditions.


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