Moving Hot Water Tank

meggles

In the house we're moving to - you can only access one bedroom through another. We want to somehow make a hallway to this 'inaccessible bedroom'. Our best idea is to use the airing cupboard as a walkway. Only problem- there's a hot water tank in it! I am a plumbing novice, but I am imagining that moving the tank would be expensive and complicated. Any pointers/insights/rough-rough estimates? Are we talking £1000 or £10000?

andrew-b

Nearer the lower end of your price bracket (perhaps even less than £1k?). All depends on how much pipework needs rerouting, distance to new location and ease of running new pipework to it, electrics for immersion and cylinder thermostat moving and if the pump and 3-way valve is in with the hot water cylinder those will need to move too.
You could instead go for a boiler change with a combination boiler rather than a gravity-fed system which would eliminate the need for the hot water cylinder and cold water tanks altogether .

You may be better off considering a boiler change and getting a combi boiler instead..then you would have no need for the hot water cylinder nor cold water tanks in the loft. Then your talking about a few grand.

I'd get a few quotes in once you move into the property for either cylinder moving or a boiler change - once you've decided on which one suits your needs and budget best.

ormus

i agree with the above, change to a combi boiler at the same time.
it would be silly to spend 500/1000 quid just to move the cylinder.

macman

The first question I would ask is 'where are you going to move it to if you retain it'?

keith969

Main justification for keeping a hot water cylinder (with an immersion heater) is that you can still have hot water if your boiler dies.

In the last house when we had an extension the airing cupboard containing the cylinder had to be moved from the bathroom to an adjacent bedroom.

jrrowleyws

keith969 wrote: »

Main justification for keeping a hot water cylinder (with an immersion heater) is that you can still have hot water if your boiler dies.

Plus, no matter what people say, even expensive combi's dont cut it pressure-wise when more than one tap is in use!

Wookey

If there is only an oil or gas fired boiler heating the cylinder then there should not be any major problems in moving it, if however there is also a coal fired boiler connected to it then this could cause a problem with pipe runs depending on where the new site for the cylinder is going to be. If the house is a bog standard semi with the hotpress upstairs and the tank in the roofspace above it then it should be no more than 2 days work for a plumber and up to 1 day for a spark. I would get the cylinder checked for approx age as it maybe better to get a new one installed rather than use the old one, if its more than 12-15 years old i would feel better replacing it.

Canucklehead

meggles wrote: »

In the house we're moving to - you can only access one bedroom through another. We want to somehow make a hallway to this 'inaccessible bedroom'. Our best idea is to use the airing cupboard as a walkway. Only problem- there's a hot water tank in it! I am a plumbing novice, but I am imagining that moving the tank would be expensive and complicated. Any pointers/insights/rough-rough estimates? Are we talking £1000 or £10000?

Good afternoon: you haven't indicated whether your HW cylinder is vented or unvented as this will have other implications beyond cost.

HTH

Canucklehead

meggles

evening all - thanks for your insight. we were thinking of moving it to an adjacent bedroom closet. i'm not sure how the current tank is vented - but your question is duely noted. i'm happy to know that this is likely in the lower end of expenses. when we get into the house (and after we've done kitchen, replaced stairs, moved doorways, etc), i'll be getting our trusty plumber round to give his advice. cheers