Essex Flange for a Shower Pump

[Jonplumb]

I want to install an Essex Flange to the cylinder for a shower pump. (Cylinder is surrounded by shelving plus is about 15 years old and has overlapping pipes at top connection so I'd prefer to drill a hole in the cylinder and leave the older connections alone)
The flange I have is the E1R type

3/4 inch with no compression fitting. Can I use male couplers on either side of this type of flange to connect 3/4 inch pipe to and from the cylinder? Or would you solder some suitable brass threads onto the outside of the flange to convert it to a compression fitting type flange? Is it advisable not to have a compression fitting inside the cylinder submerged in water permanently? Would really appreciate any advice. Thanks very much in advance!! (Sorry for sending PMs of this to a few guys!! My first time using this!)

 

[Ben-gee]

Yes, sorry Best you’re right. Just I like to cut a nice tight hole if at all possible to get better coverage on the washers.

 

[Best]

Yes, sorry Best you’re right. Just I like to cut a nice tight hole if at all possible to get better coverage on the washers.

I used to just fit brass tank fittings.
Far superior job, tight fit hole in cylinder and no rubber washers. Much cheaper too!
Used to fit 15mm tank fittings for return connection to Willis Immersion heaters (you probably won’t have heard of them)
Prefer to buy cylinders with extra bosses now.
And the 1/2” drain tapping doubles up for Willis pipe

 

[Ben-gee]

External immersion feeds back into top of cylinder, never seen one in ‘real life’ though.
If a new cylinder, our merchants do gledhill who will make up to your exact requirements- a god send when replacing in a tight space (the old - put cylinder and pipe work, then build cupboard too tight- six the next plumber).
You can have as many bosses of chosen size precisely where you want! It’s a great service, have had it next day.

 

[Best]

External immersion feeds back into top of cylinder, never seen one in ‘real life’ though.
If a new cylinder, our merchants do gledhill who will make up to your exact requirements- a god send when replacing in a tight space (the old - put cylinder and pipe work, then build cupboard too tight- six the next plumber).
You can have as many bosses of chosen size precisely where you want! It’s a great service, have had it next day.

Yes, a lot of copper cylinder manufacturers do “specials”.
Very handy in a tight space, as you say and well worth the effort to survey the job and make it easy for yourself later.

The Willis heaters use a 3kw (usually) 11” element. Save money because you can have a small amount of very hot water in a couple of minutes. It was invented in NI and very common here

 

[rpm]

I want to install an Essex Flange to the cylinder for a shower pump. ............

(My edit)

Would really appreciate any advice. Thanks very much in advance!! (Sorry for sending PMs of this to a few guys!! My first time using this!)

No worries about the PM as a newbie, far better off posting it here and getting replies plus you learnt a valuable lesson, Shaun the mod will read, edit or delete PM`s as he see`s fit being Judge, Jury and Executioner.
Enjoy the forum.

 

[Jonplumb]

No worries about the PM as a newbie, far better off posting it here and getting replies plus you learnt a valuable lesson, Shaun the mod will read, edit or delete PM`s as he see`s fit being Judge, Jury and Executioner.
Enjoy the forum.

Thanks!

 

[Jonplumb]

Top of the cylinder is a pain and is 20 inches below ceiling slab as cylinder is raised off the floor.

I was going to use this set up. Probably insane but is it a possibility? Pipe on the left of the set up to go into the cylinder is this one:


Connection would be in this handy area just below the seam.
Don't mind drilling the hole. Only concern is the compression fittiing on the inside. Is it doable, possible, madness??
Thanks!

 

[Best]

Looks easy enough just to use a Warix flange to top of cylinder!
Loads of space

 

[Jonplumb]

Looks easy enough just to use a Warix flange to top of cylinder!
Loads of space

Great. That would be way handier then. No messing with loads of connections. Cheers!

 

[Jim Goodenough]

All interesting stuff...
Recently I was asked to survey a job to check whether a positive or negative head pump was required for a shower installation job required, ... this is what I found!

 

[Jonplumb]

All interesting stuff...
Recently I was asked to survey a job to check whether a positive or negative head pump was required for a shower installation job required, . this is what I found!
View attachment 35925

FFS!! Did you run like hell? !!!

 

[Jim Goodenough]

FFS!! Did you run like hell? !!!

Not half.... said there's no way I'm touching that - replaced electric shower instead.

 

[fixitflav]

I want to install an Essex Flange to the cylinder for a shower pump. (Cylinder is surrounded by shelving plus is about 15 years old and has overlapping pipes at top connection so I'd prefer to drill a hole in the cylinder and leave the older connections alone)
The flange I have is the E1R type

3/4 inch with no compression fitting. Can I use male couplers on either side of this type of flange to connect 3/4 inch pipe to and from the cylinder? Or would you solder some suitable brass threads onto the outside of the flange to convert it to a compression fitting type flange? Is it advisable not to have a compression fitting inside the cylinder submerged in water permanently? Would really appreciate any advice. Thanks very much in advance!! (Sorry for sending PMs of this to a few guys!! My first time using this!)

Why add a connection to the cylinder, with possible problems? You could take it from the HW cylinder vent pipe in the loft, and put the pump up there. Cold to pump direct from the CW storage tank. As long as the pump is > 0.5m or so below CW tank top level it's OK. Usually the pipes from the pump can drop conveniently straight on the shower inlets. They do say the vent pipe should be at 45° and the pump suction taken off downward (there are pics somewhere on the forum) to avoid risk of air into the pump. I don't know whether that's essential, once things have settled down there shouldn't be any air, and traces entering the pump won't hurt it.
I have a gravity shower piped that way (tee'd straight off the vertical vent pipe) and it works fine.

 

[dan_the_plumber]

You obviously don’t live with hard water!
Leave tank full to crack open immersion, as you say to maintain integrity of wafer thin copper.
Then whip off top connection, bung hose pipe in and suck away! Syphon out tank in minutes - but via draincock at bottom amongst all the sludge it takes hours!
Plus no worry of drain cock weeping afterwards.
To finish off , 9 iron or wedge through immersion hole and oik out the scale with aid of wet vacuum.

Personally I’d use a sandwedge and a putter on my approach to the immersion hole 🙂