DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all, I'm a newbie here so thanks in advance for any help!

We have just bought a property that currently has no central heating system, and what looks like a very old electric heat tank.

The property is an old Edinburgh tenement flat that has access to Gas but hasn't been hooked up in a very long time. We are looking to install electric radiators throughout, as there is no plumbing in place for central heating, and we would like to install some form of an electric heater for the kitchen and bathroom.

I've no idea what our options are in terms of a water heat source when we are not using electric for central heating.

Any ideas, or if someone can point me in the right direction that would be awesome. Happy to answer any subsequent questions.

thanks now,
Paul

Domestic hot water can be heated and stored or instant heated as used. Much depends on how many taps, supply to property, and where power can be taken from.

Under sink heaters normally have special taps so although it looks as if you are turning on the hot water tap at the sink, what you are really doing is turning on cold water to the heater which forces the hot water in the heater out, as the new hot water heats up and expands you see a few drips from the tap. However easy to fit, and can work on as little as 1000W so can be plugged into and near by socket.

The instant type need a special dedicated supply all the way from consumer unit, and water is slow coming out.

Having a central heat store is more normal, can be heated with an immersion heater, and there are many types, some have a coil inside to heat up cold water from the store without actually using the water in the store, which means mains pressure hot water and a shower will work a lot better, or you can use the hot water direct, which means a header tank and lower pressure on the hot water.

Also the immersion heater can be a double unit, heating only top normally and only heats all the tank when you want a bath, there is also the willis water heater where the immersion heater is outside the cistern and it heats from top down, so you get hot water within minutes of switching on.

There is no best, it depends on what you want, and with gas being so much cheaper than electric it may be better to use something cheap as temporary measure only while you get gas fitted and a combi gas boiler.

Today plastic pipes can be used for most of the central heating, normally copper straight onto boiler then into a manifold and plastic which is just as easy to install as electric cables, the water today is cooler than in the old days, as we want to use the latent heat of evaporation, and plastic pipes have also improved, if they will take air around a factory at 150 psi taking water around the home at 45 psi (3 bar) is nothing, there is also copper micro bore if you don't like plastic.

If it were me I would get a quote for gas and a quote for electric, although you can still get off peak electric it will never really turn off during the day with storage radiators, only real way is with a central store be it bricks or water using hot air and ducts or water pipes same as gas, what changes things is when the flat is occupied, if some one home all day maybe off peak is worth it, but out to work all day then unlikely work it.

Ronan Point collapsed on 16 May 1968 resulted in many flats not being able to use gas, some councils were slow to act, so although there was gas, it does not mean you can still have gas.