Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dazmond on August 31, 2011, 11:02:23 pm
-
if my tank is full to the brim is it possible to put an immersion heater in the top lid of a full tank of pure to heat it up?or is this dodgy practice?
dont want to spend thousands on a hot system and dont fancy faffing about with gas bottles/diesel just to heat water even with a fogwash or L5.
warm water would surely be better for keeping hoses supple on cold winter days though.
any ideas?cant fill tank with water from my hot tap either as the rubber connector just falls off due to the hot water and it runs out quick as my central heating tank doesnt hold 350L!!
if i cant do the above has anyone got any pics of fitting these immersion heaters to their tanks and the equipment needed to do it?
ive got a mate who could do it i think.dont fancy doing it myself.id probably cock it up!!
many thanks in advance guys
best wishes
dazmond
-
daz dont bother m8
iv posted this b4
propex heater's all you need ;)
-
hi gav does this propex heater just heat the back of the van?they are expensive though arent they?around £450?is that right?then do you need a gas bottle to run it?sounds a very expensive way to keep the van warm.
if its a good heater that will last for years i might be tempted to get one though if it keeps me working through the cold winter days.
regards
dazmond
-
if my tank is full to the brim is it possible to put an immersion heater in the top lid of a full tank of pure to heat it up?or is this dodgy practice?
dont want to spend thousands on a hot system and dont fancy faffing about with gas bottles/diesel just to heat water even with a fogwash or L5.
warm water would surely be better for keeping hoses supple on cold winter days though.
any ideas?cant fill tank with water from my hot tap either as the rubbwhat kind of er connector just falls off due to the hot water and it runs out quick as m
if i cant do the above has anyone got any pics of fitting these immersion heaters to their tanks and the equipment needed to do it?
ive got a mate who could do it i think.dont fancy doing it myself.id probably cock it up!!
many thanks in advance guys
best wishes
dazmond
what kind of tank you got and how much water dose it hold
-
daz just contact justin at clean n clear
he took my advise yes about 450 m8
works off a gaz bottle n a thermostat
just google propex heaters you will be the only guy working
up manchester thats for sure , look at it like this you lose 3 days
at 150 a day thats yr propex simples ;) you only gota stop the
damage innit ice is a killer ;)
-
DOUGALDUM ive got a 350L LAYFLAT TANK.
thanks gav.seems a bit expensive.maybe a oil filled radiator would do the same job mate.
-
If you just want to stop the water freezing a 300w pond heater is a good bet. About £50 on ebay
-
DOUGALDUM ive got a 350L LAYFLAT TANK.
thanks gav.seems a bit expensive.maybe a oil filled radiator would do the same job mate.
daz youve spend pure dollar wots 450 ;) ;)
-
DOUGALDUM ive got a 350L LAYFLAT TANK.
thanks gav.seems a bit expensive.maybe a oil filled radiator would do the same job mate.
cost me 40 pounds to have a immersion heater fitted in my tank now i have hot water when i want it if you want one have got 1 and a 3 kw just need to get a lead cost 7pounds to if interested let me know
-
Someone before said to use a mechanical flange to allow you to fit it.
Machine mart sell both the immersion heater and the flange.
That's what I plan to do.
Last year I used an oil filled rad and it worked on all but the coldest days, but I am down south....
-
I fitted a immersion heater last winter kept me going only lost 1 week and that was because you couldnt park anywhere because the snow was that high . cost about 75p a night to run leaving it on for 4 or 5 hours . water was nice and warm and so was the van. you got to fit it low in the tank or it wont work well . Cost about £70 all in .I fitted 2 more in my mates vans too.Got to make sure all your cables are up to using 3 kw of power ,I used immersion heater cable .
-
aquarium heater 1 kw £50.00 inc P & P from ebay there is a link from nat in oil rad post its the ebay.ie but the guy is based in the uk in yorkshire , MIKE
-
I've done it for a few winters. It does work but hot water rises, so the water that comes out the bottom of the tank is just warm, but warm enough to keep you working. In comparison gas boilers will deliver very hot water, I'd have another look at the l5 Fogwash route.
Simon.
-
ive decided not to bother!!just gonna get a oil filled radiator and keep it on throughout frosty nights and bring all my other gear inside(poles,reel,trolley).
only thing is i have a 70m of hose now and just concerned about the managabilty of it in cold weather!!
-
For me the idea of the immersion was not to work with hot water but to be able to start at 9am in a morning with nothing frozen & have lovely supple hoses all day long.
My element is fitted approx 1/3 up from the bottom of the tank. The theory of the water below this being cold isn't correct as warm water will rise & create circulation + as soon as you set off, all the water mixes up anyway.
Cost me approx £50 for all the stuff from toolstation. I used a mechanical flange & got the immersion cable from City Electrical Factors for a couple of quid. No sealant/silicone was used, only PTFE paste & tape & it has never leaked one drop or caused me any problems. Took me about 1.5 hours to do it first time but fitted another for a friend in 1 hour.
-
What's a mechanical flange, win? Got a linky?
Cheers. ;D
-
If you do have one fitted, it should run off the correct cable and have its own fuse in the fuse box. Unsafe otherwise.
-
What's a mechanical flange, win? Got a linky?
Cheers. ;D
Flange
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central+Heating/Mechanical+Flange+2+14/d230/sd2708/p38614
And the element which fits into it.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central+Heating/Immersion+Heater+Resettable+Thermostat+27/d230/sd2708/p40149
Basically, you fit the flange to the tank & this replicates the fitting on a domestic hot water tank. The element then screws in to this as it does on a hot water tank. The flange makes a proper, solid fixture which can also be blanked off with a cap in future if needs be or the element can be replaced without hassle or disruption to the tank.
-
If you do have one fitted, it should run off the correct cable and have its own fuse in the fuse box. Unsafe otherwise.
Correct cable is correct but own fuse is nonsense!
I consulted a fully qualified & experienced sparky (my best mate) about the whole thing before I did it. ;)
-
All the bits, about £30 (including an extension cord to get from the house to the van to power it..)(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr242/cactusmelba/misc/IMAG0126.jpg)
Hole cutting time.. nervous much? yup.(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr242/cactusmelba/misc/IMAG0127.jpg)
Cut the hole tight, so the immersion heater makes its own thread in the plastic of the tank. I had a flange to screw on the back (like a big nut, but one wider flatter edge) but the tank plastic was so thick I could only get half a turn on it. Hence lots of waterproof silicone.
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr242/cactusmelba/misc/IMAG0128.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr242/cactusmelba/misc/IMAG0130.jpg)
the view from inside the tank. Only had to use it half a dozen times this year, but it works a treat, and not a drop of water leaked yet...
Just dont forget to put it on a TIMER (3-4 hours or so).. I forgot one night, left it on for about 8 hours, the van was warm through and through and the water was as hot as hot bath water!! toasty!
-
The flange which Jason has used is not a mechanical flange & like he said, there were hardly any thread protruding through the hole.
The standard wydale tanks are 1/4" thick & with the mechanical flange there is ample thread to use.
Good pics though. ;)
-
If you do have one fitted, it should run off the correct cable and have its own fuse in the fuse box. Unsafe otherwise.
Correct cable is correct but own fuse is nonsense!
I consulted a fully qualified & experienced sparky (my best mate) about the whole thing before I did it. ;)
Have a look at this then.
http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4158&p=0
http://sparky.uku.co.uk/installations/immersion_heater.htm
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/immersionheater.htm
-
If you do have one fitted, it should run off the correct cable and have its own fuse in the fuse box. Unsafe otherwise.
Correct cable is correct but own fuse is nonsense!
I consulted a fully qualified & experienced sparky (my best mate) about the whole thing before I did it. ;)
Have a look at this then.
http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4158&p=0
http://sparky.uku.co.uk/installations/immersion_heater.htm
In the middle of the night, which is when this immersion heater will be "on" there will be no other high consuming units running also.
You should not run anything else from the same socket though. I use a plug in RCD on mine but even if I didn't the worst that could happen is the fuse would blow. ;)
-
You would think one company would sell the tanks with a unit already fitted, I am sure they would sell plenty
-
If you do have one fitted, it should run off the correct cable and have its own fuse in the fuse box. Unsafe otherwise.
Correct cable is correct but own fuse is nonsense!
I consulted a fully qualified & experienced sparky (my best mate) about the whole thing before I did it. ;)
Have a look at this then.
http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4158&p=0
http://sparky.uku.co.uk/installations/immersion_heater.htm
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/immersionheater.htm
There's nothing there to suggest if done properly this would be unsafe. However, it's up to each individual to make certain that what they do & use is correct & safe.
The immersion element I have has a resettable thermostat & safety over-heat cut out.
You need heat resistant cable from the element to the plug. From this plug you run an extension cable which will be rated at 3kw or higher & be fully unwound when in use. Do not run any other electrical items from the same socket as the one you use for the immersion. Use a quality timer unit & an RCD breaker plug in the house socket.
-
Thanks, win, for a top post, mate.
Cheers.
-
Thanks, win, for a top post, mate.
Cheers.
Thank you. ;)
-
for those considering it, I posted fuller details of how to go about hacking your tank in another forum, I understand it may well be bad form if I were to post a link to another forum, but if anyone wants to read it before taking the plunge, just google search for "cheap as chips hot water system"..
-
putting in an immersion was the best thing i did last winter , paid for its self 100 times over.
-
I have done the same as Winpro last year. All my gear from Tool-station, mechanical flange, heat resistant cable, waterproof sealer and hole-cutter for drill. I researched topic fully from threads on the forum ;D, cheers. The biggest leap of faith is cutting the hole in your precious tank :o, no joke, when I was doing it my heart was thumping, but it worked out nicely. By plugging it in for a few hours before bed time kept ice off and few hours before going out in morning, water warm enough to keep pipes supple and keep pipes from icing-up, works great. Mechanical flange is better option than straight fix of element to tank because if element fails you can easily screw it out of flange and replace it
-
Just a thought; what about your IBC. If your water is frozen in there, how are you going to transfer it into your van?
-
Just a thought; what about your IBC. If your water is frozen in there, how are you going to transfer it into your van?
I'm DI only so don't have an IBC. Box your IBC & insulate it maybe?
-
what about pump and hose to reel? doe sit keep water in these also at decent temp?
-
what about pump and hose to reel? doe sit keep water in these also at decent temp?
With a 400ltr radiator in the van NOTHING freezes in it! ;D
-
Just a thought; what about your IBC. If your water is frozen in there, how are you going to transfer it into your van?
Why not insulate your IBC (like I did two years ago) and put an element in that?
-
Just a thought; what about your IBC. If your water is frozen in there, how are you going to transfer it into your van?
Why not insulate your IBC (like I did two years ago) and put an element in that?
I'm lazy!
I will though, thanks!
;D
-
would like to try this but dont wanna knacker my tank. electricity and water also a deadly mixture
-
I'm not really an expert, but a bit of fizzicks here.
1 - Using an immersion heater. To be efficient, the heater needs to be fitted near the bottom of the tank. Convection inside the tank will spread the heat fairly evenly throughout the tank. No matter what the size, all the heat will go into the water and very little of it will be lost by radiation.
But the bit that will be lost by radiation will probably keep the chill off the rest of the gear in the van.
2 - Using a radiator or fan heater. This is going to be a very expensive way of doing things. Most of the heat will simply disappear out through the sides and top of the van. Very little of it will get conducted through the (insulating) plastic of the tank and into the water.
-
I'm not really an expert, but a bit of fizzicks here.
1 - Using an immersion heater. To be efficient, the heater needs to be fitted near the bottom of the tank. Convection inside the tank will spread the heat fairly evenly throughout the tank. No matter what the size, all the heat will go into the water and very little of it will be lost by radiation.
But the bit that will be lost by radiation will probably keep the chill off the rest of the gear in the van.
2 - Using a radiator or fan heater. This is going to be a very expensive way of doing things. Most of the heat will simply disappear out through the sides and top of the van. Very little of it will get conducted through the (insulating) plastic of the tank and into the water.
That's pretty much spot on! ;)
I tried the heater in back of van but it wasn't very effective. Heat rises & most is lost through the roof & side panels. None seems to penetrate the tank either.
With the immersion, the water gets hot which heats the plastic tank. The water & tank stay warm for much longer than I ever expected, surprisingly, virtually all day.
-
do you use the 27 " or the 11" ive got a 500 litre upright will 27 " be to big??
also do you have a link to the cable i need etc im gonna order the flange and immersion now, also what drill bit do you need?
Cheers very much
sean
-
just make sure its not near the baffle when you cut hole. i used 11inch
-
will 11 inch be enough for 500 litre tank?
cheers
-
the length has nothing to do with it they are stil 3 kw
-
What about putting two heaters in - at opposite ends of the tank.
-
i thought that but is it overkill?
does it take more electric to heat with a smaller element then?