Hot Water Cylinder Installation
We fit and commission vented and unvented hot water cylinders so your home has hot water at a pressure you can rely on, at every tap. From sizing the cylinder to testing the safety controls, we handle the whole job and leave the cupboard tidier than we found it.
What's involved
From a like for like swap to a full unvented upgrade, here is the work a cylinder installation usually covers.
Unvented Cylinder Installation
Mains fed cylinders that give strong, even pressure at every outlet, with the expansion vessel, relief valve and discharge pipework fitted and tested.
Vented Cylinder Replacement
Straight swaps on gravity fed systems, including the loft tank, cold feed and vent pipe where they need renewing alongside the cylinder.
Old Cylinder Removal
Isolating, draining and lifting out the old unit, plus any redundant tank and pipework, with the route sheeted before anything moves.
Testing And Handover
Pressure testing every joint, proving the safety valve lifts and reseats, setting the thermostat and walking you through the controls.
Choosing between vented and unvented
A hot water cylinder is one of those things you only think about when it misbehaves. If yours is weeping at a seam, rusting, or simply too small for the way the household has grown, replacing it is straightforward once someone has looked properly at what you already have.
The first question is vented or unvented. A vented cylinder is fed from a cold water tank in the loft and relies on gravity, which is why upstairs showers on older systems can feel gentle. An unvented cylinder takes its supply straight off the mains, so the pressure at the shower matches the pressure coming into the house. That is the appeal, but it only works if the incoming main can actually deliver the flow, so we measure it before recommending anything.
The right cylinder is the one your mains supply and your household can genuinely make use of.
Size matters as much as type. Too small and the last person in the shower gets a cold surprise; too large and you pay to keep water hot that nobody draws off. We work it out from the number of bathrooms and the way you actually use them, not from a rule of thumb.
How the installation goes
We isolate the electrical supply and the water, drain the old cylinder down, and take it out along with any redundant loft tank and pipework that is no longer doing a job. A cylinder is heavy and awkward to move, so the route out of the house gets sheeted before anything is lifted.
The new cylinder needs a level base strong enough to carry it when full. From there we run or adapt the pipework, fit an isolating valve so it can be serviced later without draining the house, and connect the heat source, whether that is a boiler coil, an immersion heater, or both.
On an unvented cylinder there is a set of components that are not optional: an expansion vessel, a temperature and pressure relief valve, and a discharge pipe routed to a safe, visible termination. They go in to the manufacturer's instructions, and then they get tested.
Safety controls are only worth having if somebody has proved they work.
More information
What we check before we hand it over
- Every joint and connection under full working pressure with the cylinder filled
- Expansion vessel charge pressure set to the manufacturer's figure
- The temperature and pressure relief valve lifting and, just as importantly, reseating cleanly
- Discharge pipework falling correctly and terminating where it can be seen
- Immersion heater, thermostat and any motorised valves wired and switching properly
- Cylinder thermostat set to a sensible, efficient temperature
- Air bled through from every hot tap so the system runs quietly
Then we show you the controls, leave the manuals and paperwork with you, and explain what an unvented cylinder wants by way of an annual check. If you ever see water running from the discharge pipe, that is the system telling you something; leave the controls alone and pick up the phone.
Planning it into bigger work
Cylinders rarely live in isolation. If you are planning a bathroom, an extension or a loft conversion, it is far cheaper to size and position the cylinder at the design stage than to move it afterwards. We do complete bathroom design and installation, along with first and second fix plumbing, so the hot water can be planned around the rooms rather than the other way round.
We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.
Recent work
Vaillant boiler and cylinder plant room installation
We installed this compact plant room as part of a full house refurbishment, centred on a Vaillant boiler with a low loss header, system pump and zone valves. It works alongside a Joule hot water cylinder and a booster set, with the wiring completed by an electrical contractor.
Plumbing for two new build flats
We completed the plumbing for two more new build flats, signed over and ready for new tenants to move in. The flats were fitted with Joule cylinders along with Vado shower valves and bathroom items.
Hot water cylinder installation
A newly installed Joule hot water cylinder, finished with polished pipework and black pipe clips.
Boiler and cylinder installation in Ditchling
Pipework from a recently completed job in Ditchling, where we installed a Vaillant boiler and a Joule cylinder.
250 litre Joule hot water cylinder installation
We installed a 250 litre Joule direct hot water cylinder, completed in a single day.
Unvented cylinder installation in a loft
An unvented cylinder installed in the new loft of a full house refurbishment. The system is up and running and ready for lagging.
Sara Durward-Brown
Worth considering
Unvented Cylinder Installation
Mains-pressure hot water cylinders supplied, fitted and commissioned by a Gas Safe registered team in Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Unvented Cylinder Installation→Toilet Installation
Toilets repaired and fitted level, sealed and leak-tested, from a simple swap to a wall-hung pan, for homes across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Toilet Installation→Tap Repair
Tidy, reliable repairs for dripping, stiff or noisy taps across Brighton, Hove and surrounding Sussex towns.
Tap Repair→Low Water Pressure
Diagnosis and repair of low water pressure at taps, showers and appliances, for homeowners across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Low Water Pressure→Pipework Repair
Tidy, tested repairs for leaking, burst or corroded pipework, serving Brighton, Hove and nearby Sussex towns.
Pipework Repair→Immersion Heater Replacement
Faulty immersion heater? R.K Plumbing & Heating replace elements and seals safely, restoring hot water without fuss.
Immersion Heater Replacement→Before you book
The questions we are asked most often before a cylinder goes in.
Should I choose a vented or an unvented cylinder?
What size hot water cylinder do I need?
Do you take the old cylinder away?
What safety equipment does an unvented cylinder need?
Does an unvented cylinder need any upkeep once it is in?
Can a new cylinder be planned into a bathroom or an extension?
How do I get a quote for a new hot water cylinder?
Which areas do you cover?
Let's sort your hot water
Send us a few details about your cylinder and we will tell you honestly what your options are.
Call 01273 911551