Putting a cylinder jacket on a foam 'insulated' tank

silvercar

My main concern is that the foam covered hot water tank doesn't keep the water hot for long. And I can open the airing cupboard and let out tons of heat.

Step one is to work out what is hot in the airing cupboard. If the foam covering the hot water tank is already cool, there is little point covering it with anything as it is already doing it's job.

twopenny

Jeepers_Creepers said:

As far as I can see, there are potentially two issues here, and I'm not sure which one is more relevant to your problem.

The first is heat loss from the hot water supply pipes to your taps. From your first post, I gathered that this was the problem? Ie, you run a hot tap, the delivered water is initially cold and it takes a good few seconds before hot water is delivered, you shut the tap off and then turn it back on 5 minutes later - hey presto, water is coldish again for a good number of seconds before running hot? In which case the cause is heat loss from the delivery pipe. 

I guess thats what I'm trying to solve. I'm not going to shorten pipes as it's taken 2yrs to try and get a bathroom put in but I take your advice along with Freebears and get that done if I'm able to do it myself. The insulation around the tank does get very warm when the heating/hot water if on all the time.

Thanks Silvercar for giving me specs. I'll do that.

There is no radiator attached to the hot water that I notice, there was in my old house which was useful..

The heating is a whole other problem but I'm warm so that's the main thing at the mo but trying to get reliable hot water when the heating isn't on is my main aim.

One dilemna at a time!

Apodemus "Depending on the type of installation there is also an outside chance that the motorised valve to the cylinder is remaining open and that on shut-down" Thanks, that's something I can bear in mind if, when I've insulated if that doesn't improve the problem.

It's all a lot better when the heating is on plus hot water twice a day. Summer with just the hot water heating is when I get frustrated.

Jeepers_Creepers

twopenny said:

 but trying to get reliable hot water when the heating isn't on is my main aim.

It's all a lot better when the heating is on plus hot water twice a day. Summer with just the hot water heating is when I get frustrated. 

Hmm, that suggests a tangible cause - something not working as it should. 

What kind of system do you have? 'S' or 'Y' plan? Any chance of a photo of the gubbins inside your airing cupboard - valves and pumps? (S-plan has two small motorised valves, and Y has a single three-port valve with three pipes going to it). The former is better. 

twopenny

Good grief that sounds complicated, I have no idea. But it's a small, simple bungalow so should be able to get something.

I'll try and sort it tomorrow. Not sure there's much to see. There are several boxes in there to operate a disabled shower (not mine) and some miscelaneous. Even the plumber wasn't sure how it's worked. The place was designed for someone disabled it turns out. Then owned by people who only used it for a few days a year with plug in electric radiators.

southcoastrgi

you need to find out why your cylinder isn't getting hot, the whole cylinder isn't going cold because it's not covered in a sleeping bag, it's just not getting hot