How to fit a Techflange Essex flange for shower pump

[FoxtrotOscar]

This thread is for people Googling 'Techflange' as I did. It describes how to fit an Essex flange style Techflange (click me for example) to a hot water cylinder. I'm very much an amateur DIYer, and a total plumbing novice. This was my first 'big' plumbing job. I hope someone finds it useful.

My system is indirect vented (y-plan).

The flange arrived and it looks like this. It loops upwards to catch the hottest water at the highest part of the cylinder. I fitted the lever valve beforehand, so if I dropped it it wouldn't fall through the cylinder:

I started drilling the hole using the supplied hole saw. I read and re-read the instructions and followed them to the letter. The only problem I had was that the supplied hole saw was poor. Blunt, teeth wildly off centre, one tooth sticking out at 45 degrees. So I braved my 3 year old hole saw set and it went through no problems.

I was concerned that the copper was a different colour nearer the seem...not sure whether this is due to the extra heat there or because it's thicker, or what. At one point the cylinder looked like it was buckling under the pressure I was exerting, so I backed off and used slightly higher revs.

The hole saw comes with a circle template. Use this to mark the position of the washers. They must be central to the hole you cut for stability of the connection.

Drill a small pilot hole. Then take the hole saw with centre drill and go to work on the cylinder. Use medium speed with fairly firm pressure. Be careful and take it steady.

Thankfully the biscuit stayed on the drill bit. Even if it makes no difference, I'd have been peed off if the copper disc had fallen in.

The flange section in the star shape is designed so that you can manipulate it through the hole. Bend the split washer slightly and rotate it on the pipe so that it goes through to the rear of the cylinder, then stuff the rubber sealing washer through the hole just by squeezing it and pushing it through. Now tighten the nut as hard as you can by hand, then turn another 1/2 (max) with a spanner.

Flange fitted:

Close up of flange:

Very close-up of flange, note the red dot so you know where the upward bend is pointing inside the cylinder:

Pipe work, not sure on how correct that run of pex to the mixer is:

Pipe work:

Hope this helps someone. This is THE best way to connect a hot cylinder to a shower pump. No air, dedicated full bore 22mm feed, takes the hottest water unlike a standard Essex flange. The pump is a 1.5 bar Salamander CT50+, so this setup might be considered overkill. However let me tell you, the pump is damn quiet and flow is excellent. I'm no expert, but connect the hot correctly (not off vent pipe) and you'll be grateful you did. Imo this method trumps Surrey and Warix as an installation method and if like me you'd need to re-plumb the vent pipe to accommodate a Surrey, then all the more reason to fit Essex.

Any questions, let me know.

 

[ChrisR]

Pipe work, not sure on how correct that run of pex to the mixer is:

Since you ask, it's not correct. It'll put quite a strain on the joints at the top end. Pushfit can leak where you do that, especially if the grab ring decides to break. Iirc they say to support the pex every 600mm - which nobody does normally. Your pex is supported on the flexy connectors at the bottom - oops!
Elbows in the pex would have meant you could have clipped it to the underside of the shelf with straight lengths vertically.
Also the copper in the big P shape needn't be all bends. Elbows are equivalent to half a metre or so of pipe, not of any significance here and would have allowed much neater pipework, which would have been easier to support. As it is you've got the weight of the pipe supported on the joint in the cylinder at one end and the wobbly flexies at the bottom - not a good idea.
It's obviously not easy to support the pipes somewhere like this. A 50mm square batten fixed across the cupboard horizontally would make it easy to support all 4 pipes if you used clamp type pipe supports, and not plastic clips, which pipe slips through.

Regarding pipe resistance, don't forget that both the hot and cold water will probably have to go together down a hose something like 1.2 - 1.5 metres long, and about 10mm diameter. So an extra metre or two even of 15mm in a supply pipe after the pump isn't significant.

Salamanders are particularly fussy on the supply side, so 22mm is v wise.
They have a tiresome habit of leaking after only a few years, so it's a good idea to put them in a tray of some sort. A cut-off f&E tank works well.

 

[kittedup]

Pipe work, not sure on how correct that run of pex to the mixer is:

Elbows in the pex would have meant you could have clipped it to the underside of the shelf with straight lengths vertically.
Also the copper in the big P shape needn't be all bends. Elbows are equivalent to half a metre or so of pipe, not of any significance here and would have allowed much neater pipework, which would have been easier to support. .

Poor guy, got slated in his other posts for using elbows now is getting slated for using bends.

For a DIY'er I'd say it's a good job and I have seen some "professionals" do worse,

Be proud of what you have done and enjoy your shower.

Ted

 

[muggles]

Excellent work on the Techflange, nice neat installation down to the pump, but what went wrong afterwards? Looks like you got bored of plumbing and just wanted to get the job over as quickly as possible the way those Speedfit pipes are slung in there. It'll work, but it doesn't look pretty

 

[heatingman]

All in an excellent post post by a novice proving that diy can be done to a reasonable standard and saving quite a few quid. Us so called pro's will always find fault with someone elses work. I do agree that all the pipework requires adequate support, but looking at whats been done I expect it will be rectified to an acceptable standard.
I too have seen far inferior work that has been extortionatly charged for.

Well done.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Yes, good effort. Small point, but as others have said, pipe support is a bit lacking.

Change the speedfit for two lengths of copper with a right angle bend in each, clipped to underside of shelf, then it's job done.

Like the curve in the 22mm copper. Did you have to open a can of spinach first?

 

[commercialman]

Great effort for a novice , well done.

Why not try your hand at replacing leaking circulator valves to central heating system?

 

[ChrisR]

Poor guy, got slated in his other posts for using elbows now is getting slated for using bends.

Not really slating

Just shows that pros would do things different ways. It doesn't matter much between bends and elbows, choose whichever suits the situation.
Sure, bends are cheaper, but the resistance doesn't usually matter and I never worry about elbows leaking because they (almost ) never do.

 

[obiplumbkinobi]

Poor guy, got slated in his other posts for using elbows now is getting slated for using bends.

Not really slating

Just shows that pros would do things different ways. It doesn't matter much between bends and elbows, choose whichever suits the situation.
Sure, bends are cheaper, but the resistance doesn't usually matter and I never worry about elbows leaking because they (almost ) never do.

Agree with ChrisR. When you have done a few for other people, you will know. On that size installation, elbows vs machine bends is pointless.

Impressed with the bending effort, not so with the pushfit.

 

[FoxtrotOscar]

Thanks all. All opinions are welcome, best way to learn! I didn't get time to adjust the piping today as I had to replace the silicone around the bath (grrr, worst bathroom job ever?). However one coming weekend I'll probably go down the 15mm copper route with elbow bends and supported on the shelf.

I'm slightly concerned though, that this will increase the noise from the shower pump, as it's currently very quiet?

Whitespirit66 - haha, I put one handle on the floor and my full bodyweight on the other handle. And I still had to jump up and down to bend it! Good fun though!

ChrisR - thanks for the detailed response. A tray under the shower pump is an interesting one...my last Salamander actually burst spewing water all over my kitchen. However I'm hoping that this pump will stay intact, due to the quality of the supply. The one that blew was installed by Stevie Wonder I believe.

commercialman - you've lost me there. I don't have a leaking circulator valve to central heating system.

 

[ChrisR]

Don't use 15mm on the supply side, at least. I'd probably keep it all 22 though there would be little loss in that length.

You can keep the plastic pipe if you llike, yes it does help with the quietness. You can use compression if you want to mix , but somewhere like that I see no problem with plastic pipe - at least it's inspectable.

my last Salamander actually burst spewing water all over my kitchen

I hate to say I told you so, but... it's a Salamander..

I put one handle on the floor and my full bodyweight on the other handle. And I still had to jump up and down to bend it!

Cheap pipe seems to be harder. Heat the bend area first. Bend while still a bit warm.

I had to replace the silicone around the bath (grrr, worst bathroom job ever?).

Easy compared to changing some **!*&^£% bath taps

 

[obiplumbkinobi]

FXSR impressed with your cando attitude, plumbing is no dark art, I remember this one salient point 'all a plumber needs to know is that ****e goes downhill! but with practice and experience you will find there are techiniques that will do the same job as the text book stuff, dosn't mean cutting corners. Take your pump install, machine bends opposed to elbows will have imo no material effect on the performance of your shower, whereas space for stuff in the airing cupboard will affect the missus. The list of customer demands are endless, ranging from the 'I just want it to work' to the ' I want to see no pipes, hear anything' for a start. I wish you luck in all your endeavors and hope that in the process you will see that it is not so cut and dried for the tradesman.

 

[commercialman]

commercialman - you've lost me there. I don't have a leaking circulator valve to central heating system.

Sadly you do Foxtrot......................not so much of an issue on the discharge side of circulator as the suction side.

 

[FoxtrotOscar]

Sadly you do Foxtrot......................not so much of an issue on the discharge side of circulator as the suction side.

Oh you're referring to the cylinder connection? Not the valve itself? I can't see any leaks at the valve itself...

 

[commercialman]

Sadly you do Foxtrot......................not so much of an issue on the discharge side of circulator as the suction side.

Oh you're referring to the cylinder connection? Not the valve itself? I can't see any leaks at the valve itself...

Ok , i'm refering to the heating pump valves (grundfos).