How To Install A Geyser

Prophylactic tips for geyser installation

The intention of this commodity is to inform you, in the interests of safety, what you should and should non come across if you happen to stick your head into the ceiling space to check out your geyser. If your geyser installation is significantly unlike from what is described here, I suggest that yous become a reputable plumber to expect at it.

In this article I will describe the typical basic requirements of a sound, modern loftier force per unit area, horizontal installation. If you need detail, and so I advise that you have a look at the IOPSA website (www.iopsa.org.za/iopsa-regulations.htm). For anyone looking for plumbing services, arrive touch with your local plumbing organisation.

The following clarification relates to a modernistic high pressure (400/600Kpa) system typically made past Kwikot South Africa.

Horizontally mounted 150 or 200 litre units are by far the near common in modern domestic installations. Less common are old low force per unit area systems (100kpa) open up piping or "Latco" blazon systems. Be aware that the parts are Non interchangeable between the two singled-out systems - Loftier pressure level and Depression force per unit area! It is possible to remove an old low pressure level organisation and replace it with a modernistic high pressure organization notwithstanding - you buy a new high pressure geyser and install information technology according to the current specification. Vertical geysers are also common.

The same rules utilize just there are some special considerations detailed at the end - with a diagram.

paradigm kwikot

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Here is what you should run into - in no particular social club:

• Drip Tray - The virtually obvious thing that you should notice right away. The geyser sits in a tray fabricated of plastic (oft red) or tin plate. I prefer the plastic ones. They don't leak. Since June 2001, the drip tray is not optional - its got to be there and there has to exist a bleed piping for it! The drain is a 50mm PVC waste pipage that drains the tray by piping the water out the house. I take seen many drip trays installed without drains! If your installation pre-dates June 2001 yous may want to get a plumber to wait at it. At that place is a fair chance that there is no drip tray.
• The next about noticeable feature would be the vacuum breakers. These are small brass components mounted at the end of a 30cm length of piping. The ii vacuum breakers stand up vertically nigh 30cm above the geyser. These are important, as they finish water siphoning out the geyser when the common cold supply is stopped. The other other function is to prevent a vacuum forming in the tank and collapsing information technology. It tin be argued that this is the primary office, but I don't run into it every bit such. Think that vacuum breakers are a reasonably new requirement - at that place are still thousands of old HP systems out there without vacuum breakers and I am notwithstanding to run into one plummet. Only because I haven't seen it doesn't mean it's non happening nevertheless! It is too more likely to happen in a multi-story building considering the siphon can draw a more powerful vacuum. New systems must have breakers!
• A shut off valve (tap) on the common cold water side. The cold water side is the side that directly connects to the drain cock and enters the geyser at the lesser. After the shut off valve you would usually observe a Force per unit area Command Valve (PCV). At that place are a number of different types, mostly made of brass just some are made of plastic. Y'all should notice a overflow piping connected to the PCV that leads to the exterior of the building. This is where the PCV releases pressure and this is the piping that frequently drips. Don't panic if you lot cannot find the PCV next to the geyser - information technology may be mounted up to x metres abroad, often in a more than accessible place on a wall outside. Sometimes it'due south in a lilliputian plastic box outside.
• A safety valve, known as the Temperature and Force per unit area safety valve (T&P Valve) mounted on the geyser towards the meridian, often on the opposite side to the drain cock. This is a vital component that should never be messed with or 'repaired'. This valve should have a metal (copper or steel) pipe connected to it and the pipage must lead straight out the building. This vent pipe is an important rubber feature of the whole system. It must be made of copper or steel - not plastic. The pressure rating on this valve must friction match the pressure rating on the geyser. The T&P valve is the to the lowest degree optional component - information technology has to be at that place!
• Support - The weight of the geyser must exist adequately supported on the roof trusses - a minimum of two supports nether the 'feet' of the geyser. If it looks shaky get a plumber to check it out. Goose egg like a full (hot) geyser on the kitchen tabular array to get anybody talking!
• Electric isolator switch within about 1m of the geyser. This was non a requirement on onetime geysers, but it is now and it's worth plumbing fixtures ane. The geyser has to be earthed! I have seen many geysers with the earth wire unconnected. All the copper pipes must also be earthed and bonded to the geyser world. This is not a trivial precaution! Go a qualified electrician to check your installation if the bonding is missing or looks dodgy. Electrocution in the shower is always unpleasant!
• In that location should be a encompass over the thermostat and chemical element. Again, these are often merely left lying next to the geyser. There are essentially only 2 primary thermostat types - the modern round "Kwiktherm" in newer Kwikot geysers and the VK (rectangular block) blazon in older geysers and in some newer non-Kwikot units.
• The geyser may be fed (cold water) with polcop (plastic) piping - upward to the shut off valve, just the piping into and out of the geyser must exist copper or galvanized steel. The PCV and T&P vent pipes besides accept to be steel or copper, specially the T&P vent. The hot water side should be copper, steel or suitably rated (70°) plastic or blended pipage. Note that you must have at least 1m of copper/steel pipe out the geyser - yous may not connect plastic (blended) piping directly to the geyser.
• Every bit in a higher place, the PCV and T&P must exist fabricated of copper or steel - specially the vent out of the T&P valve. Why y'all enquire? Well, in the issue of the T&P (safety) valve releasing, the water coming out is likely to be very, very hot! If the pipe is fabricated of polycop then it volition simply melt and then vent this water randomly into your ceiling space! This is not likely to happen on the PCV valve, but the regulations say that it should also be fabricated of metal. I accept seen a number of installations where the installer has only run a short length of 22mm copper into the baste tray with the thought being that the T&P can vent directly into the drip tray. A very bad thought considering the hot (100° +) water/steam melts the drip tray and the PVC drain pipe.
• Note that water enters (cold) and leaves (hot) from above the geyser top - await at the diagram below. The PCV is typically above the geyser and the cold h2o flows down into the geyser. This is quite of import considering information technology forms an anti-syphon loop that prevents the geyser from draining back through the inlet in the event of a water supply failure. If you get hot water coming out your cold taps when the water supply fails so this is non working correctly. Get a plumber to come and take a look at it.
• The pipes into and out of the geyser should be lagged. This is important if you take 'Think Pink' or 'Isotherm' ceiling insulation. This is for two reasons: You lose oestrus through the unclad hot h2o pipes and all the pipes are more decumbent to freezing (and bursting).

• There must plain exist no signs of h2o! Any h2o lying in the trip tray is a sign of trouble.
  

Please note:
I take described a typical, modern loftier pressure (400-600kpa) arrangement - by far the most common type in South Africa.
Vertical geysers are different although much of the clarification withal applies.
Low pressure systems (100kpa) are significantly different, simply adequately uncommon now.

Vertical Installation

The aforementioned general rules apply equally to a higher place, just the outlet and T&P valves must be at the very elevation of the geyser. If the geyser does not have ii outlets at the top then a banjo articulation should exist used to combine the two. The element and thermostat must always exist at the very lesser. Permit plenty room underneath to let the changing of the thermostat and element. I doubtable that there is a greater temperature differential in a vertical geyser - in other words the thermostat is a couple of degrees cooler than the outlet water. I tend to plough the thermostat down a tad more for this reason.

article by blockbuster plumbing

Source: https://www.home-dzine.co.za/diy/diy-geyser-safety.htm

Posted by: stellateps1959.blogspot.com

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