The benefits of using an unvented hot water cylinderAn unvented hot water cylinder has become a popular liquid heating option for a wide variety of homes and commercial spaces. Being connected directly onto your mains system, an unvented hot water cylinder ensures that you have a large pool of hot liquid available whenever you need it and provide much better flow rates when operating at mains pressure.

All of this means you’ll get better use out of your hot water fixtures such as your bath, shower and kitchen sink. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of investing in an unvented hot water cylinder.

How do they work?

In an unvented hot water cylinder system there is no cold storage tank present – instead of this a sealed storage tank is fed by the cold mains. An unvented unit is maintained under pressure from an incoming liquid supply and is heated either directly or indirectly.

A direct method of heating would be an immersion heater while an indirect method would be a solar powered or boiler system.

An unvented hot water cylinder will use an outlet pipe connected to the unit that works to distribute the heated liquid to your various outlets around your home. As soon as one of these outlets is activated, the pressure of the incoming cold liquid displaces the heated liquid and pushes it towards the open outlet for your use.

An unvented system is ‘sealed’, so it will need an extra expansion vessel either adjacent to it or incorporated within the unit itself. An expansion vessel makes room for the expansion of the liquid in the system as it gets heated and works to accommodate significant increases in pressure.

Unvented units are designed to stand up to a large amount of internal forces and are incredibly safe for use when fitted out with all of the appropriate pressure gear. They are normally constructed from stainless steel because of the high amount of strength a relatively thin layer can have.

What are the benefits of using an unvented hot water cylinder?

An unvented unit frees up useful space around your home and is considered to provide a stronger amount of pressure than its open vented counterparts. This is because an unvented system is directly supplied from the mains; however this depends on the original pressure strength of the mains.

Unvented systems are perfect for saving space in the modern household. An unvented unit won’t require a feeder tank in your loft and this frees up important space around your home. Unlike a vented system, an unvented system doesn’t use gravity to work, so it can be installed just about anywhere in your home. This gives you a huge range of choice of where you want to have the system installed.

Another benefit of using an unvented system in your home is that it is less noisy than other alternatives. This is because there no cold liquid filling up in the storage cistern. An unvented unit is also completely sealed, so there is little risk of contamination or the tank freezing during winter time.

Do you need a brand new system installed?

An unvented hot water cylinder should ordinarily last for an average of 30+ years when installed to the highest possible standard. If you unvented system begins to leak, then it’s a sign it needs to be replaced before it gets worse and causes significant structural damage to your property.

Always make sure to check for wet or damp patches in the areas around the unit and make sure to consult with a plumber if you are still unsure.