Greetings;
Just before last summer we bought a house and were told at the time that the wetback had been disconnected. After suffering luke warm showers etc, the first thing I did was check the cylinders thermostat and found it set at 70C. Checked the stand pipe and it wasn't leaking either. So I figured luke warm water was just something we'd have to put up with and forgot all about it, despite shaking my head at the monthly power bill for it.
With the onset of the southern winter, we of course lit the wetback one night and later in the evening I jumped in the shower to find it beyond stinking hot - the wetback wasn't disconnected at all! It was that hot we actually turned the cylinder off as the fire was being lit daily and provided more than enough heat for the HWC.
But now I have a problem. If I light the fire over summer to boost the hot water, all the neighbours will think we're mad and the house will be sweltering. If I don't, we're back to luke warm showers etc. I tend to think the wetback is acting as a heatsink for the HWC, as in any hot water it is making is heating the cold wetback surfaces first and foremost with the heat subsequently disappearing up the chimney.
What are my options? Putting isolating valves on the direct wetback circuit seems to me to be the most logical answer; just cut off the dead leg when you don't need it. Or is there a far easier explanation for the luke warm water problem? Any and all help is welcomed!
Regards,
Chris D.
ps I'm a ticketed boilerman, so I don't need an explanation on what's going to happen if the wetback circuit is isolated and some dick lights the fire... LOL
Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/q-and-a-hot-water-cylinders/44/peter-cocks-dual-180l-hwc/903/
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Topic: Peter Cocks Dual 180l HWC (Read 4920 times)