CH2. Hot Water Supply

ETB 2142 Building Services and management
Chapter 2: Hot Water Supply
1. Temperature and water
Amount that water expands in a hot water,
Due to expansion of water with temperature,

 heating systems must incorporate a means for accommodating expansion.
 a fail-safe mechanism must be provided.
2. Types of Hot Water Supply Systems

o Direct System of Hot Water Supply
 The hot water from the boiler mixes directly with the water in the cylinder.
 The storage cylinder and associated pipework should be well insulated to reduce energy losses.
 If a towel rail is fitted, this may be supplied from the primary flow and return pipes.
o Indirect System of Hot Water Supply

 This system is used in `hard' water areas to prevent scaling or `furring' of the boiler and primary
pipework.
 Water in the boiler and primary circuit is not drawn off through the taps. The same water
circulates continuously throughout the boiler, primary circuit and heat exchange coil inside the
storage cylinder.
 Fresh water cannot gain access to the higher temperature areas where precipitation of calcium
would occur.
 The system is also used in combination with central heating, with flow and return pipes to
radiators connected to the boiler.
 Boiler water temperature may be set by thermostat at about 80oC.
Direct System Indirect System
3. Storage type water heaters and Boiler heated Systems

Domestic hot water supply installations of the storage type may be either vented or unvented.
Vented system Unvented systems
• Operates at atmospheric pressure with • Hot water expansion is accommodated by a
an open vent and hot water expansion cushion of air in a spherical vessel.
pipe above the feed cistern, which
• In addition to a water temperature control
thermostat, the hot water storage cylinder
contains the excess of hot water on must have a temperature- and pressure-relief
heating. valve. These may combine as one valve that
satisfies both functions and it should
• A water temperature control thermostat
discharge through a tundish and safely into
is fitted to the hot water storage
the atmosphere.
cylinder (set at 60o- 65oC). The boiler is
fitted with a thermostatic control • Further safety features are the boiler control
o
(manually set at about 80 C) to prevent thermostat and a non selfresetting over-
the water from boiling. temperature energy cut-out to disconnect the
supply of heat to the storage vessel.
• The boiler pipework has a pressure-
relief valve.
4. Fixings in Unvented Hot Water Systems

o Internal Air Gap
 For all hot water systems, a purpose-made hot water storage cylinder designed with provision
for an `air gap' or `bubble top' is an effective alternative to installing a separate expansion
vessel.
 As the water expands on heating, the volume of trapped air is compressed to provide
adequate delivery pressure and flow.
 After some time, the air may become depleted due to turbulence by water movement through
the hot water storage cylinder. This will be noticed by the pressure-relief valve discharging.
 The `air gap' is recharged by draining the system and refilling.
 Some manufacturers fit a floating baffle between the water and the air, to reduce the effect of
turbulence.
o Expansion Valve
 Designed as a safe means for discharging water when system operating pressure parameters
are exceeded.
 Care should be taken when selecting expansion or pressure-relief valves.
 They should be capable of withstanding 1.5 times the maximum pressure to which they are
subjected, with due regard for water mains pressure increasing overnight as demand decreases.
o Temperature-relief Valve
 Designed as a safe means for discharging water when system operating temperature parameters
are exceeded.
 These should be fitted to all unvented hot water storage vessels exceeding 15 litres capacity.
 They are normally manufactured as a combined temperature and pressure-relief valve.
 In addition to the facility for excess pressure to unseat the valve, a temperature-sensing element
is immersed in the water to respond at a pre-set temperature of 95oC.
o Pressure-Reducing Valves (Pressure Regulators)
PRV are used in UVHWSS to,
 prevent undue wear and damage to the lighter gauge fittings and fixtures at the end use.
 provide a maximum safe working pressure to prevent injury to end users.
 regulate supplies at a constant value or desirable secondary pressure, irrespective of inlet
pressure variations and changes in demand.
o Strainers
 A strainer is used to filter out and trap fluid-suspended debris, pipe scale and carbonate
deposits from hard water.
 This facility is essential to prevent component wear by erosion and abrasion, and interference
with the efficient operation of pipe system controls.
 Strainers are a standard installation on processing plant and other industrial applications.
 An independent pipeline strainer can be installed upstream of the unit.
5. Hot Water Storage Cylinders

 Modern boiler systems use the indirect system, in which the primary circuit is a closed circuit:
hence the rate of furring up of the pipework is greatly reduced.
 This arrangement makes use of a heat exchanger inside the hot water cylinder.
 Hot water circulates through the heat exchanger in the same way as it would through a central
heating radiator.
 The primary flow from the boiler through the heat exchanger may be by gravity
(thermosiphonic flow) if the pipe runs are short.
 In most cases pumped flow is normal; this arrangement is necessary where there are long
primary pipe runs.
 The heat exchanger is simply a coil of pipe in which the higher-temperature primary flow
inside the tubes transfers heat to the surrounding water.
 The primary pipework, heat exchanger and boiler are initially filled with water, for use by that
circuit.
 The cold water tank used for this purpose is known as the feed and expansion tank, and is
considerably smaller than the storage tank.
o Primatic Hot Water Storage Cylinders

 An indirect hot water system may be installed using a `primatic' or single-feed indirect
cylinder.
 Conventional expansion and feed cistern, primary cold feed and primary vent pipes are not
required, therefore by comparison, installation costs are much reduced.
 Only one feed cistern is required to supply water to be heated indirectly, by water circulating
in an integral primary heater.
 Feed water to the primary circuit and boiler is obtained from within the cylinder, through the
primary heater.
 The heat exchanger inside the cylinder has three airlocks which prevent mixing of the primary
and secondary waters.
 No corrosion inhibitors or system additives should be used where these cylinders are installed.
6. Types of Water Heaters
7. Types of Boilers
7.1. Conventional Boilers
o Cast iron sectional boiler
 Are made up of a series of hollow sections, joined
together with left- and right-hand threaded
nipples to provide the heat capacity required.
 When installed, the hollow sections contain water
which is heated by energy transfer through the
cast iron from the combusted fuel.
 Applications: domestic to large industrial boilers.
o Fire tube boiler

 Hot combusted fuel and gases discharge
through multiple steel tubes to the extract
flue.
 Heat energy from the burnt fuel transfers
through the tube walls into cylindrical
waterways.
 Tubes may be of annular construction with
water surrounding a fire tube core.
 Applications: commercial and industrial buildings.
o Copper or steel water tube

 These reverse the principle of fire tubes.
 Water circulates in a series of finned tubes
while the combusted fuel effects an external
heat transfer.
 These are typical of the heat exchangers in
domestic boilers.
7.2. Condensing Gas Boilers

These boilers consist with two heat exchangers to optimize nearly all the energy from combustion
of fuel by transferring it into the primary and heating water circulation.
Heat exchangers-
• Hot flue gases to water pre-heat exchanger.
• Combusted fuel to water heat exchanger.
 Condensing boilers have a greater area of heat transfer surface than conventional boilers.
 In addition to direct transfer of heat energy from the burning fuel, heat from the flue gases
is used as secondary heating to the water jacket.
 Instead of the high-temperature (200-250oC) flue gases and water vapor discharging to the
atmosphere, they are recirculated around the water jacket by a fan.
 This fan must be fitted with a sensor to prevent the boiler from firing in the event of failure.
 Condensation of vapor in the flue gases is drained to a suitable outlet.
 The overall efficiency is about 90%, which
compares well with the 75% expected of
conventional boilers.
 However, purchase costs are higher, but fuel
savings should justify this within a few
years.
 This system saves considerably in
installation time and space, as there is no
need for cisterns in the roof space, no hot
water storage cylinder and associated
pipework.
 The `combi' gas boiler functions as an
instantaneous water heater only heating
water as required, thereby effecting fuel
savings by not maintaining water at a
controlled temperature in a cylinder.
 Water supply is from the mains, providing a
balanced pressure at both hot and cold water
outlets.
 This is ideal for shower installations.
 Boiler location may be in the airing cupboard, leaving more space in the kitchen.
 The system is sealed and has an expansion vessel which is normally included in the
manufacturer's pre-plumbed, pre-wired package for simple installation.
8. Secondary Circulation
• To prevent user inconvenience waiting for the cold water `dead-leg‘ to run off and to
prevent water wastage, long lengths of hot water distribution pipework must be avoided.
• Where cylinder to tap distances are excessive, a pumped secondary flow and return circuit
may be installed with minimal `dead-legs' branching to each tap.
• The pipework must be fully insulated and the circulation pump timed to run throughout the
working day, e.g. an office system could be programmed with the boiler controls, typically
8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., five days a week.
• A non-return valve prevents reverse circulation when the pump is not in use.
9. Water Heaters
9.1. Electric Water Heaters
• In electric water heaters the energy conservation is achieved with an integral thermostat set
between 60oC and 65oC, which is sufficient to kill any bacteria.
• The immersion heater must have a circuit protective conductor to earth and the cable supplying
the heating element must be adequate for the power load.
• An electric immersion heater may be used within,

 Conventional hot water storage cylinder
 Self-contained open outlet heater
 Cistern-type heaters
 Pressure-type electric water heater
 Instantaneous water heaters
9.1.1. Pressure-type Electric Water Heaters
 This system is located with the water
level at least 1.5 m above the water
draw-off taps.
 For insufficient spaces, where cannot
accommodate larger systems of this
type, smaller types are also available to
locate under the sink or elsewhere in the
kitchen.
9.1.2. Instantaneous- type Electric Water Heaters

 These systems are relatively compact non-storage units suitable for use with individual sinks,
basins and showers.
 For user safety,
• fitted with a pressure switch to
disconnect the electricity if the
water supply is interrupted and
a thermal cut-out to prevent the
water from overheating.
• mains pressure maintained
below 400 kpa (4 bar) and at
high-pressure supply areas
pressure-reducing valves are
installed on the service pipe.
9.2. Solar Energy Systems

 The solar energy collected by the
plate collector is circulated to a
storage cylinder.
 This cylinder must be provided
with an auxilliary source of
energy, either fossil fuel or
electricity, in order to provide hot
water during the night or at times
of inadequate solar gain.

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CH2. Hot Water Supply

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ETB 2142 Building Services and management

Chapter 2: Hot Water Supply

1. Temperature and water

Amount that water expands in a hot water,

Due to expansion of water with temperature,

2. Types of Hot Water Supply Systems

o Indirect System of Hot Water Supply

Direct System Indirect System

3. Storage type water heaters and Boiler heated Systems

4. Fixings in Unvented Hot Water Systems

5. Hot Water Storage Cylinders

o Primatic Hot Water Storage Cylinders

o Fire tube boiler

o Copper or steel water tube

7.2. Condensing Gas Boilers

• An electric immersion heater may be used within,

9.1.2. Instantaneous- type Electric Water Heaters

9.2. Solar Energy Systems

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