--- title: "Unvented Hot Water Cylinder Installation Essex | Rusupo" url: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/hot-water-cylinders description: "Vented and unvented (G3) hot water cylinders installed, replaced and serviced across Braintree, Colchester and Essex. Gas Safe registered, fixed quotes, guaranteed work." lang: en-GB --- Vented & unvented cylinders # Hot Water Cylinder Installation Across Essex Vented and Unvented, Certified Mains-pressure hot water to every outlet at once, from a correctly sized cylinder installed and certified by a Gas Safe registered engineer whose registration covers vented and unvented cylinders and water heaters. Request My Free Fixed Quote 07476 561822: +447476561822 Gas Safe 638860 · Cylinders & water heaters covered · £2m public liability insurance 8 years in business Eight years of gas and plumbing work Gas Safe 638860 Full domestic scope 10/10 on Checkatrade 27 verified reviews £2m public liability Fully insured 6-month guarantee On all workmanship Service overview ## Stored Hot Water Done Properly and Safely A hot water cylinder stores heated water so it is available at full flow the moment you open a tap. That is what makes cylinders the right answer for homes with more than one bathroom, where a combi boiler heating water on demand will always be limited by the incoming mains flow rate. There are two families of cylinder. Unvented cylinders are sealed and fed directly from the mains, so every outlet delivers at mains pressure, this is what gives a powerful shower without a pump. Vented cylinders are fed from a header tank in the loft and rely on gravity, which is cheaper to install but gives lower pressure upstairs. Unvented systems are pressurised and therefore safety-critical: they carry expansion vessels, pressure relief and temperature relief devices, and a discharge arrangement that has to be installed and terminated correctly. This is G3 work, restricted to competent registered installers. Our Gas Safe registration 638860 explicitly covers vented and unvented cylinders and water heaters. ### Why professional help matters - Unvented cylinders are pressurised systems with real safety devices; incorrect installation is genuinely dangerous, and G3 competence is a legal requirement. - Discharge pipework from the temperature and pressure relief valves must be correctly sized and terminated safely. - Cylinder capacity and coil size must be matched to the household's demand and the boiler's output, or recovery time will disappoint. - Annual servicing of an unvented cylinder is required to keep it safe and to keep manufacturers' warranties valid. ### Who this is for - Households with two or more bathrooms, or several people showering in the same period - Homes converting from a combi where hot water flow has never been adequate - Anyone replacing an old, inefficient or leaking cylinder, including foam-lagged copper units - Properties on poor mains pressure where a vented cylinder or accumulator is the practical answer - Landlords and homeowners needing an unvented system properly certified and documented ### When it is needed - Hot water runs out partway through the second shower - Pressure drops sharply when another tap is opened - There is dripping from the discharge pipe, or corrosion and staining around the cylinder - The cylinder is old, uninsulated or foam-lagged, and losing heat into the airing cupboard - You are adding a bathroom or en-suite and the existing hot water supply will not cope The cost of waiting ## Why an Ageing Cylinder Should Not Be Ignored An unvented cylinder with a failed expansion vessel or a passing relief valve will show its symptoms quietly: a dripping discharge pipe, intermittent pressure surges, or hot water that varies without explanation. Those symptoms indicate that the safety devices are being asked to do work they are designed to do only as a last resort. A leaking or corroded cylinder is a serious water damage risk. A cylinder holds a large volume of water in an airing cupboard, usually above a ceiling. When one fails properly, the resulting damage is invariably worse than the cost of replacing the cylinder would have been. There is also a straightforward efficiency cost. Older, poorly insulated cylinders lose stored heat continuously into the cupboard, which means the boiler reheats more often to maintain temperature. Modern cylinders hold heat far better, so more of the gas you buy ends up in the shower rather than in the airing cupboard. ### Common mistakes we see - Having unvented work carried out by someone without G3 competence, which is both unsafe and uncertifiable - Ignoring a dripping tundish or discharge pipe, which signals a relief valve or expansion vessel fault - Skipping the annual unvented service, invalidating warranty and leaving safety devices unchecked - Choosing cylinder size on price rather than on the household's actual peak demand - Assuming an unvented cylinder will fix poor mains pressure, it cannot create pressure that is not there Get It Looked At Our process ## How We Handle Hot Water Cylinders 1. 01 ### Demand and mains assessment We measure incoming mains flow and pressure, count outlets and peak simultaneous demand, and check the available space and pipe routes. 2. 02 ### Specification and fixed quote Cylinder type, capacity, coil size and discharge route specified, and a free fixed quote issued, typically within 24 hours of the survey. 3. 03 ### Removal and preparation Old cylinder drained and removed, base prepared, and primary and secondary pipework set out for the new unit. 4. 04 ### Installation and safety devices Cylinder installed with expansion vessel, pressure and temperature relief, tundish and correctly routed discharge pipework, plus controls and immersion where specified. 5. 05 ### Commissioning, certification and handover System filled, tested and commissioned, safety devices verified, documentation completed for warranty and compliance, and our 6-month workmanship guarantee applied. What you get ## The Practical Benefits of Getting This Right ### Mains-pressure hot water Unvented cylinders deliver strong flow to every outlet at once, no pump, no loft tank, no waiting for the shower to build. ### Handles multiple bathrooms Stored hot water is what allows two showers to run at the same time without either turning cold or losing pressure. ### Correctly sized capacity Cylinder volume and coil matched to your household's peak demand and boiler output, so recovery time is realistic. ### Properly certified Gas Safe registration 638860 covers vented and unvented cylinders and water heaters, so the installation is competent and documented. ### Loft space back Converting from a vented system removes the header tank, freeing loft space and eliminating a common source of leaks and freezing. ### Guaranteed and insured 6-month workmanship guarantee, £2,000,000 public liability insurance, and a 10/10 Checkatrade rating from 27 verified reviews. In detail ## Hot Water Cylinders Explained Properly ### Unvented versus vented cylinders An unvented cylinder is a sealed vessel fed at mains pressure. Because there is no atmospheric vent, expansion is absorbed by an expansion vessel or internal air gap, and the vessel is protected by a pressure relief valve and a temperature and pressure relief valve discharging through a tundish to a safe termination. The payoff is mains pressure at every outlet and no tanks in the loft. A vented cylinder is open to atmosphere via a cold water storage tank, usually in the loft. Pressure at the taps depends on the height of that tank above the outlet, which is why top-floor showers on vented systems are often weak without a pump. Vented systems remain a sound choice where mains pressure is genuinely poor, and they are simpler and cheaper to install. Where the incoming main is weak, an unvented cylinder will not create pressure that does not exist. In those cases the options are a vented arrangement, a pump, or an accumulator, and we assess that with actual flow and pressure figures at survey rather than assuming. ### Sizing, recovery and heat sources Cylinder capacity should be based on peak demand, how much hot water your household needs in its busiest hour, rather than a general rule. Undersize it and you run out mid-shower; oversize it substantially and you pay to keep water hot that nobody uses. Recovery time depends on the coil surface area and the boiler output feeding it. A high-recovery coil on a system boiler reheats a cylinder considerably faster than an older low-surface coil, which matters far more in practice for a busy household than a slightly larger volume. Cylinders can be heated by the boiler coil, by an immersion heater as backup, or by additional coils for solar thermal or a heat pump where those are present. Immersion heaters are worth specifying as a fallback: they keep hot water available if the boiler fails. ### Servicing and maintaining an unvented cylinder Unvented cylinders should be serviced annually. The service checks the expansion vessel charge, tests the relief valves, checks the tundish and discharge arrangement, inspects the immersion and thermostats, and confirms operating pressures. Manufacturers make this a condition of warranty. The most common fault we find is a discharged or waterlogged expansion vessel, which shows up as pressure surges and a dripping tundish. Left alone, the relief valve is repeatedly asked to relieve pressure it was never intended to handle routinely, and it eventually passes permanently. Scale is the other factor in harder water areas: it reduces coil efficiency and can affect immersion elements over time. Where scale is an issue, we will discuss treatment options as part of the specification rather than after the cylinder is in. ### Cylinder work across Essex and Suffolk We install and replace cylinders in Braintree, Colchester, Kelvedon, Tiptree, Feering, Halstead, Sudbury, Sible Hedingham, Coggeshall and the surrounding villages. A very common job in this area is converting a vented, tank-fed system in an older house into an unvented arrangement when a second bathroom or en-suite is added. Cylinder work usually pairs with boiler and heating work, since the boiler is the heat source and its output determines recovery. Where both are due, doing them together avoids paying twice for the same access and the same drain-down. Local coverage ### Areas we cover for hot water cylinders - Hot Water Cylinders in Braintree: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/braintree - Hot Water Cylinders in Colchester: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/colchester - Hot Water Cylinders in Kelvedon: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/kelvedon - Hot Water Cylinders in Tiptree: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/tiptree - Hot Water Cylinders in Feering: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/feering - Hot Water Cylinders in Halstead: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/halstead - Hot Water Cylinders in Sudbury: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/sudbury - Hot Water Cylinders in Sible Hedingham: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/sible-hedingham - Hot Water Cylinders in Coggeshall: https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/areas/coggeshall Based in Earls Colne, Colchester. See the full service area map (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/#areas) or read verified customer reviews (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/reviews). Recent work ## Hot Water Cylinders We Have Completed Photographs from real hot water cylinders jobs completed across Essex and Suffolk. More on the our work (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/our-work) page. Image: Hot water cylinder replacement before and after, old cylinder swapped for a new insulated cylinder, fitted by Gas Safe registered engineers in Essex (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/__l5e/assets-v1/3a0cdd4c-8b97-4817-b827-168c30dd0bae/hot-water-cylinder-replacement-before-after-01.jpg) Image: Vented hot water cylinder installation with new copper pipework and blue expansion vessel, fitted by Gas Safe registered engineers in Essex (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/__l5e/assets-v1/c7261cc1-1bde-4e1c-a713-2e2ebac35335/hot-water-cylinder-vented-installation-after-01.jpg) Image: Immersion heater element and thermostat fitted to a stainless steel hot water cylinder, fitted by Gas Safe registered engineers in Essex (https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/__l5e/assets-v1/b794e20b-e10b-47ab-b830-bf9987b6bef9/hot-water-cylinder-immersion-element.jpg) Questions ## Hot Water Cylinders Questions Answered Something not covered here? Call 07476 561822: the 24-hour line is usually answered personally by Matt. ### How much does an unvented cylinder installation cost? It is quoted per property, based on cylinder size and specification, the pipework and discharge route, and whether the system is being converted from vented. The survey and fixed quote are free and typically returned within 24 hours. ### How long does a cylinder replacement take? A straight replacement in the same position is usually a one-day job. Converting a vented system to unvented takes longer because pipework, controls and discharge routing all change; your quote sets out the expected duration. ### Do you need special qualifications to install an unvented cylinder? Yes. Unvented hot water work (G3) requires specific competence, and our Gas Safe registration 638860 covers vented and unvented cylinders and water heaters as well as domestic pipework and boilers. ### Will an unvented cylinder improve my water pressure? It gives you mains pressure at every hot outlet, so if your incoming main is good the improvement is significant. If the incoming main itself is weak, no cylinder can create pressure that is not there, which is why we measure flow and pressure before recommending anything. ### What size cylinder do I need? It depends on your peak simultaneous demand, bathroom count, shower types and household routine, plus the boiler output feeding the coil. We size it against that rather than against the cylinder that happens to be there now. ### How often should an unvented cylinder be serviced? Annually. The service checks expansion vessel charge, tests the relief valves and discharge arrangement, and confirms the controls and thermostats. It is also a manufacturer warranty condition. ### Why is my tundish or discharge pipe dripping? That usually means a relief valve is passing or the expansion vessel has lost its charge. It should be investigated rather than ignored, because those valves are safety devices, not everyday pressure controls. ### How long does a hot water cylinder last? A modern cylinder that is serviced annually, with its expansion vessel maintained and any scale issues managed, gives many years of service. Neglected expansion vessels and untreated scale are what shorten that life. ### Can I remove the tanks in my loft? Converting to an unvented system removes the cold water storage tank and the feed and expansion tank, which frees loft space and removes a common source of leaks and freezing. It requires an adequate incoming main, which we check first. ### Do you install cylinders in Colchester and Braintree? Yes, along with Kelvedon, Tiptree, Feering, Halstead, Sudbury, Sible Hedingham, Coggeshall and the surrounding Essex and Suffolk villages. Related work ## Other Services Often Booked With This ### Full Central Heating Installations Central heating installations https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/central-heating-installation ### Boiler Installations Boiler installations · Essex & Suffolk https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/boiler-installation ### General Plumbing General plumbing · Essex & Suffolk https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/general-plumbing ### Bathroom Fitting Bathroom fitting & plumbing https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/bathroom-fitting Next step ## Get Strong Hot Water to Every Tap at Once Free survey with actual mains flow and pressure figures, a fixed quote within 24 hours, and G3-competent installation covered by our Gas Safe registration. Call 07476 561822 (+447476561822) - Gas Safe registered: reg. 638860 - £2,000,000 public liability insurance - 6-month workmanship guarantee - 10/10 on Checkatrade from 27 verified reviews ## Request Your Free Quote Call Now: +447476561822 Request Estimate ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/#organisation", "name": "Rusupo Heating and Plumbing Ltd", "alternateName": "Rusupo", "url": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk", "logo": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/icon-512.png", "image": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/icon-512.png", "email": "rhp@rusupo.co.uk", "telephone": "+447476561822", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Anderson" }, "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "13 Coggeshall Road, Earls Colne", "addressLocality": "Colchester", "addressRegion": "Essex", "postalCode": "CO6 2JP", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/RHPLimited", "https://www.instagram.com/RHPLimited", "https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/rusupoheatingandplumbing" ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/#website", "url": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk", "name": "Rusupo Heating and Plumbing Ltd", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "publisher": { "@id": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/#organisation" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Services", "item": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hot Water Cylinders", "item": "https://rusupoheatingandplumbing.co.uk/services/hot-water-cylinders" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "name": "Hot Water Cylinders", "description": "Vented and unvented (G3) hot water cylinders installed, replaced and serviced across Braintree, Colchester and Essex. 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