What does converting over to unvented hot water mean?
Basically, it means that both your hot and cold water supplies will work on the incoming water mains pressure.
So why would you convert over to unvented hot and cold water?
There are a few reasons why you would convert over, but I will explain the main reason first.
You have a shower, that when using, is very slow and just about gets you wet when showering, it’s annoying, you want to feel clean and refreshed after your shower.
You may be in the shower and someone opens a hot tap somewhere else, your shower then goes cold, even stops until the tap is closed.
Another good reason for converting over is freeing up space in the loft.
You will no longer need the cold water storage tank, normally located in the loft, sometimes it’s on the roof, even in a cupboard, by removing the tank it frees up valuable space, that we all need these days.
Something else that most people don’t even think about when converting over, is it’s more hygienic, Let me explain.
With a cold water storage take, it’s not completely sealed, so birds, vermin and more can get into the tank.
Once they enter your tank, your water could become contaminated, you could be bathing, even brushing your teeth in contaminated water.
Many years ago a customer of mine, asked if I would attend his property, he had small brown hairy bits coming out of his bathroom basin tap, and would I come and take a look.
Once at the property, I went into the loft to check the cold water storage tank, to my amazement, there were 5 or 6 dead squirrels in the tank.
They had been in there for some time as they were starting to break apart, this explained why my customer was complaining of brown bits coming out of the tap.
So you can see why converting over to unvented hot and cold water is so much more hygienic.
All unvented hot water cylinders are directly fed from the incoming mains water supply and have no openings for any form of vermin to enter, it’s completely sealed.
So what are the pros and cons of converting over to unvented?
High pressure at all water outlets for both hot and cold supplies, including the shower.
Freeing up valuable space by removing the cold water storage tank.
For me though, the most important of all is, being more hygienic.
Before you have any work carried out, the incoming water mains needs to be checked, to ensure you have enough pressure to supply both the hot and cold outlets.
The pipework needs to be of the correct size to supply the outlets, you may have a very good pressure but if the pipework is too small, it will work but not as good as it could.
All unvented hot water cylinders must be maintained, this usually involves an annual service.
It’s a good idea to ask the company that carries out the annual service on your gas boiler to carry out a service on the unvented cylinder at the same time.
All companies and engineers who work on unvented systems need to be registered by law, just like anyone working with gas.
Converting over to unvented hot can an will be more economical to use.