Anyone use copper unvented cylinders

[kay-jay]

As the title says, I was wondering if anybody uses or has experience of copper unvented cylinders?

There is a very large block of apartments near me (600ish) and about half of them have manco copper unventeds. Pressure reducing valve set to 2.1 bar.9 yrs old and theyre all exploding. Even though the safety valves are still operational.

Not a big explosion but they are splitting on the top third.

Im not complaining as I have a couple to change and while im in there I will letter all the other properties.....

Anyone found similar issues?

 

[Roger Welton]

Not come across any but i'd imagine they use fairly hefty gauge copper, so just drop the duds round to me and I'll dispose of them for you :17:

 

[jonnyswamp]

Don't you worry yourself about taking them to Somerset, I'll pick em up....:wings:

 

[Paulplumb]

Don't forget to add a couple of photos of exploded cylinders into your letters kay-jay

 

[rpm]

Don't forget to add a couple of photos of exploded cylinders into your letters kay-jay

Nice idea that man!

 

[Paulplumb]

Lol draw a chalk outline of a body on the floor too

 

[Best]

Think copper unvented units were used years ago, before stainless steel were norm. Pressure was limited to about 2bar as not strong enough for anything more.
One I came across was a Telford unvented copper unit, - the version with the expansion vessel & gear all built into the top of unit & a white casing whole height.
The expansion vessel apparently had to be replaced twice as the membrane must have burst & the water corroded the ordinary steel of the potable vessel & mains water through the ceilings twice in the nice posh house. I assume the heat gets at the membrane where the expansion vessel is?
I advised the owner to replace for a stainless steel unit, but he delayed & the copper leaked somewhere & this time brought the ceiling down. :smile:
I replaced it with a stainless steel unit with separate exp vessel. Old unit was serious weight & I struggled to just move it. Must have been worth a fortune - I am talking about maybe at least £150 in today's low copper scrap value. But I never got the scrap.

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

Funny you should mention this. I went to a job today and the whole apartment block are on direct unvented copper cylinders on economy 10. The customer was saying he would be looking to replace it in the near future as they can no longer get parts for it. It's an old square gledhill, about the size of a wardrobe. Needless to say I left a card

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Funny you should mention this. I went to a job today and the whole apartment block are on direct unvented copper cylinders on economy 10. The customer was saying he would be looking to replace it in the near future as they can no longer get parts for it. It's an old square gledhill, about the size of a wardrobe. Needless to say I left a card ��

Was just about to say Gledhill made em, couple of hostels in Crawley had gledhills linked together! All gone now though.

 

[kay-jay]

Went and swapped it yesterday. While there the building caretaker came up to me and says another tenant had judt been doen to see him as his cylinder just popped.

Doing that one monday [emoji3]

 

[kay-jay]

Just took yesterdays out the van and put it in the garage.
Weighs a ton [emoji1] [emoji1] [emoji1]

Here it is....

The expansion vessel screwed directly into the top.

 

[kay-jay]

Did another one yesterday and a third one went pop [emoji6]

 

[oz-plumber]

We had a brand called Rheem Coppermatic - copper cylinders.

The external casing fell apart before the cylinder did, and they had a 1400kPa pressure relief valve installed.

A relative of mine has one still working after 35 years.

Not sure of the thickness of the copper on the tank, but are waiting for the day that I have to replace it - just for scrap value

Incidently - they stopped making them due to the longevity.
( about 30 years ago )

 

[Atouchofgas]

Company up here still make them
http://www.mcdonald-engineers.com/products/unvented-hot-water-cylinder

 

[spanner]

I've seen a few before. I think they're used in direct hot eco 7 with the two heat elements .. that's if its same of. I should be round there this weekend to do filter on the mains water prv as they're saying the water pressure in the whole house has dropped again.. remember to take a picture and possibly post it. But my phone don't seem to be uploading pics to UKPF for some reason. Must be my settings.. driving me nutz