Using Indirect Cylinder To Heat Radiators

[Beegee69]

Hello, I’m wondering if I could use an indirect cylinder to heat the water for a small central heating system. My plan is to use the the heat from inside of the cylinder to heat the coil and then use a pump connected to a thermostat to circulate the water to around 6 radiators. I ask because where we live we don’t have a gas boiler and our garden is far too small for oil and access is difficult for lpg to be installed. Could this work? An expansion vessel will be fitted obviously.

 

[SimonG]

How you heating the cylinder?

 

[Pickwickpick]

For starters I can't see your electric immersion heater providing enough heat to heat your water and 6 rads. Also this isn't something you could set up yourself, its an unvented system, so would require a plumber with G3 unvented qualification and they wouldn't touch this with a barge pole I'm afraid as it would be using appliances for purposes not approved by the manufacturer which in turn would be contravening building regs. That's my take on it at least, others might have a different opinion.

 

[SimonG]

Amptec electric boiler, won't be cheap to run but more efficient than what you are thinking about.

 

[Pickwickpick]

How you heating the cylinder?

I presume they mean they'd use the electric immersion heaters on the indirect cylinder to heat it and rather than the coil being hooked up to a boiler in order to heat the cylinder, they hook the coil up to the rads and use the immersion heaters effectively to heat the coil and the rads.

Although I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but that's how I read it...

 

[SimonG]

I presume they mean they'd use the electric immersion heaters on the indirect cylinder to heat it and rather than the coil being hooked up to a boiler in order to heat the cylinder, they hook the coil up to the rads and use the immersion heaters effectively to heat the coil and the rads.

Although I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but that's how I read it...

That's what I was thinking but want confirmation.

Always room for an oil tank. Bundled steel tanks made to order.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Direct Thermal store but won't be cheap to run

 

[Aire]

If you don't have gas and can't get oil or lpg have you considered an air source heat pump?

 

[Beegee69]

For starters I can't see your electric immersion heater providing enough heat to heat your water and 6 rads. Also this isn't something you could set up yourself, its an unvented system, so would require a plumber with G3 unvented qualification and they wouldn't touch this with a barge pole I'm afraid as it would be using appliances for purposes not approved by the manufacturer which in turn would be contravening building regs. That's my take on it at least, others might have a different opinion.

I’m aware of that, it will take longer to heat with an element.

 

[Beegee69]

Amptec electric boiler, won't be cheap to run but more efficient than what you are thinking about.

Wouldn’t an electric boiler work out about the same in terms of energy use?

 

[Beegee69]

Direct Thermal store but won't be cheap to run

Yes, although how would it be powered? I don’t have solar panels or a boiler?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yes, although how would it be powered? I don’t have solar panels or a boiler?

normally two or three elec immersions

 

[SimonG]

Wouldn’t an electric boiler work out about the same in terms of energy use?

Nope.

And in answer to your original question. Yes it would work, very badly. You would dissipate heat faster than you could input it. So in effect would be circulating cold water around your radiators with a 3kw immersion buzzing away for nothing.

If the jobs worth doing then it's worth doing properly, and that is definitely not the way to do it.

 

[Beegee69]

normally two or three elec immersions

So a thermal store is the way to go? I don’t see any where you can have 3 immersion heaters the max amount is 2 and wouldn’t running 2 or 3 at the same time be a safety issue?

 

[SimonG]

If you're going thermal store then look at adding a multi fuel stove to help feed it in the winter.

Imho tho I would go direct unvented hot water (subject to flow and pressures) and an amptec heating system.