Copper vs stainless steel cylinder

[Dan1706]

Hi all, happy new year

Current set up - 210 litre vented direct copper cyclinder with 2 immersion heater. For last 2.5 years have only used the top immersion as bottom one was connected to old fuse board which wasnt working (now removed).
What are your thoughts whether a copper or stainless steel is best to be used?
I will want to install a smaller one around 100 L to make use of airing cupboard space as my flat has poor storage. Also shower is electric so only hot water for kitchen, basin and bath which is rarely used.
I am currently doing my plumbing qualifications so will do the work myself as is good practice.

Thanks for any help

 

[SimonG]

Copper, something to weigh in down the road.

Seriously though I use quite a few vented rm stainless cylinders. Not had any issues.

 

[Welder]

Just remember in a stainless cylinder you must have special immersion elements which cannot contain copper.

 

[SimonG]

Aye, and its more expensive.

 

[SimonG]

The immersion, that is.

 

[Dan1706]

I will definately be weighing in my omd cyclinder at some point. What is coppers value now for weigh ins?

Would that be a titanium immersion? Think I would use one anyhow as hard water area??
On that, what is a good tip to remove immersion heaters?

 

[SimonG]

whilst the cylinder still has water in it. Box spanner on and a few gentle taps. Or heat, worst case drill it out and hacksaw.

Did an immersion change on a cylinder on Monday. Short one on bottom of a direct cylinder. Gate valve goosed and no isolation on mcw to cwcs. So drained tank through cylinder, hose on. Whilst its draining iso on mcw and swap out seized gate valve for new lever valve. Little did I know that as i changed the gate valve it split the cylinder at the cold feed. That was until the electric went and all the fire alarms sparked up. Nice little cylinder change. Just as well though because it was corroded through at the back.

 

[Ric2013]

What happens if you put the wrong immersion in? Guilty of that myself as I told the guy at Plumbase I needed it for a stainless cylinder and he sold me a standard one - said it would be fine. I've always wondered...

 

[SimonG]

It rots out. I should know 🙁

 

[Ric2013]

Oh well. I can live with that when it happens.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

around 40 for the last cylinder i got

and ss for me

 

[Dan1706]

Was that on a copper cyclinder simonG?

Correct me if I am wrong but copper is a more noble metal than steel i.e its a cathode and steel is the anode. So through galvanic corrosion the steel will start corroding??

 

[Ric2013]

Monument makes a nice cast steel spanner you can hit with a hammer or a lump of wood. It may serve to shock torque the nut which could be better than sustained leverage?

 

[SimonG]

Was that on a copper cyclinder simonG?

Correct me if I am wrong but copper is a more noble metal than steel i.e its a cathode and steel is the anode. So through galvanic corrosion the steel will start corroding??

Copper, but old. Although it was a direct system it was actually an indirect cylinder that had had the coil capped off. It had rotted around the cylinder blanks.