How long to install an unvented hot water tank ?

[garygtd]

I have a conventional gravity fed copper cylinder which is about 30 years old and planning to change to a direct mains fed hot water tank. Boiler is Gas and new (2-3 years old). I understand directed feed tanks need a drain outlet and a 22mm mains feed so that will add to the time but how long should I expect to be without hot water heating etc ?:disappointed:

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Min 1 day for plumber & apprentice

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i agree with stan, min of 1 day possibly going into a second

 

[AWheating]

2 days min imo. new controls and wiring, discharge, cold main, balanced cold, heating sealed, commission etc.........

 

[tamz]

Half an hour :wink:

 

[AWheating]

Half an hour :wink:

jobs yours 🙂

 

[tamz]

jobs yours 🙂

Don't want it the times are rubbish :smile:

 

[gasmanrob]

I'd say 2 days but I would only expect to leave the house with no hat water for the duration of the 2nd. The first day would be getting the main up in front of the airing and the discharge down and out have an early finish the next day is hard graft. Doing all the changeover that's where you'd be without heat and hot water

 

[townfanjon]

yep 2 days min on my own, but would also make sure any work booked in on day 3 was move-able 'just in case'

 

[lame plumber]

depends on whether you have easy access to ext walls floorboards or mdf panels, easy access to cupboard or does whole frame have to come off to get new cyl in , state of current heating pipework to name but a few issues.

 

[Dannypipe]

I was so expecting everyone to start writing:

"a day tops, but probably half" and for me to feel like a slow coach.

Refreshing to hear some honest answers.

PS - it'll take me around a month, plus tea breaks.....it'll be done by Christmas. :santa3:

 

[happyflyer]

Half an hour :wink:

Yes and 2 days travel from Scotland, left yourself wide open Tamz

 

[AWheating]

Yes and 2 days travel from Scotland, left yourself wide open Tamz

yes but his hourly rate is 10 grand so hes still laughing 😉

 

[sheff paul]

I have a conventional gravity fed copper cylinder which is about 30 years old and planning to change to a direct mains fed hot water tank. Boiler is Gas and new (2-3 years old). I understand directed feed tanks need a drain outlet and a 22mm mains feed so that will add to the time but how long should I expect to be without hot water heating etc ?:disappointed:

Ripped out tank and cylinder,re piped s plan,fitted unvented filled up,had a temp lead fitted to immersion,got it working for 5.00 pm,did it subbing for a mate's company.The customer was a Docter living on her own she had been ripped off by some dubious builders

 

[hammers4spanner]

everybody works at different speeds and those who have priced wrong will rush into it like a tornado and will be sorted in a few hours

those that have priced accordingly and put in decent quality of work would probably have it done without any carpet damage scratches all over the cupboard and taken care in your home in two days

 

[kirkgas]

jobs yours 🙂

Aye but be careful he charges £750 an hour

 

[sheff paul]

everybody works at different speeds and those who have priced wrong will rush into it like a tornado and will be sorted in a few hours

those that have priced accordingly and put in decent quality of work would probably have it done without any carpet damage scratches all over the cupboard and taken care in your home in two days

put carpet protector all over stairs carpet,i was only getting 200 quid ,my mate made far more than me,but hey that's life.Did have a apprentice though as a fetch and carry pig

 

[Gray0689]

I have a conventional gravity fed copper cylinder which is about 30 years old and planning to change to a direct mains fed hot water tank. Boiler is Gas and new (2-3 years old). I understand directed feed tanks need a drain outlet and a 22mm mains feed so that will add to the time but how long should I expect to be without hot water heating etc ?:disappointed:

Direct cylinder?

 

[Gray0689]

It really all depends how easy/hard it is to get a 22mm mains there and a discharge pipe of appropriate size out all else is easy

 

[tamz]

Honestly, in a std house with the airing cpd middle of the house top of the stairs, it is a 1 day job even swapping the heating to an S plan and if i was sending someone to do it that is what it would be priced on.
The only way it could be a 2 day job is if the customer was stupid enough to go for time and line.
I couldn't spin this job out to 2 days even if i went into a coma about lunchtime on the monday and woke up at 3 oclock on the tuesday.

 

[Best]

I had one that took me half a day JUST to drain old cylinder & heating & remove the cylinder!
Old cylinder was an unvented copper unit with the airing cupboard built tight around it.
So a bit of a guess to say how long it takes to fit an unvented unit. If I had to give a time on a relatively standard one, I would say 1 & 1/2 days or a very hard days work.

 

[AWheating]

Ripped out tank and cylinder,re piped s plan,fitted unvented filled up,had a temp lead fitted to immersion,got it working for 5.00 pm,did it subbing for a mate's company.The customer was a Docter living on her own she had been ripped off by some dubious builders

Honestly I hate the word temp. You can't temp anything. If it's connected it's connected, it must work as intended, tested and correct. I was asked awhile back to go and temp a gas cooker, I asked don't you mean fit a gas cooker? To which I got the reply "no it just needs temping up for the night". It's not a word that should be used. It's especially should not be done with an unvented cylinder, if it's working it should be working and not have uncontrolled heat source etc...

 

[sheff paul]

Honestly I hate the word temp. You can't temp anything. If it's connected it's connected, it must work as intended, tested and correct. I was asked awhile back to go and temp a gas cooker, I asked don't you mean fit a gas cooker? To which I got the reply "no it just needs temping up for the night". It's not a word that should be used. It's especially should not be done with an unvented cylinder, if it's working it should be working and not have uncontrolled heat source etc...

cannot all live in an ideal world mate,some of us have bills to pay,the electrician called back to temp it.Fitted temp leads on combi's hundreds of times.

 

[AWheating]

cannot all live in an ideal world mate,some of us have bills to pay,the electrician called back to temp it.Fitted temp leads on combi's hundreds of times.

Yes I understand, but what I'm getting at is the use of the word temp, it's not a temp lead. It's a lead that should be correctly wired, sized, fused, tested and safe even if it's to be changed at a later date. I'm sure that's what you do yourself, but I'm also sure you've seen like me block connectors hanging, boilers wired to immersion cable etc....

I just personally hate the word temp with these things, maybe it's because I've been electrocuted because of idiots not being able to wire a "temp" and also have known tenants get electrocuted also.

As as regards an ideal world, we all go back after the sparks to correctly commission don't we? 😉 do we ek

 

[sheff paul]

Yes I understand, but what I'm getting at is the use of the word temp, it's not a temp lead. It's a lead that should be correctly wired, sized, fused, tested and safe even if it's to be changed at a later date. I'm sure that's what you do yourself, but I'm also sure you've seen like me block connectors hanging, boilers wired to immersion cable etc....

I just personally hate the word temp with these things, maybe it's because I've been electrocuted because of idiots not being able to wire a "temp" and also have known tenants get electrocuted also.

As as regards an ideal world, we all go back after the sparks to correctly commission don't we? 😉 do we ek

On second thoughts AW,you are quite right it shouldn't be a temp it should be done right first time,been doing too much price work for too long,