Replacing flange/outlet on hot water cylinder

[iep]

I am replacing the old flange on my indirect hot water cylinder with the Salamander S-Flange. However, having never worked on the cylinder before, I'm not sure what the procedure is.

Once the cylinder is emptied, I guess the procedure is as follows:

1. Disconnect the wiring from the immersion heater and remove the heater with the box spanner that I just got from the plumber's merchants. I'm hoping this won't be too tricky.

2. Disconnect the copper pipe that connects to the existing flange.

3. Use the hole created by removing the immersion heater to gain access to the lower nut of the existing flange. This seems pretty tricky to me as the immersion heater doesn't appear like it will offer a great deal of access.

4. Install new S-flange. Again, this appears tricky as the nut to tighten the flange in place will be on the inside of the cylinder.

5. Refit immersion heater.

Any tips (especially on points 3 and 4) would be gratefully received.

Cheers,

iep

 

[mrgas]

Why do you need to replace the existing flange?
Dont remove the immersion heater. Flanges dont have a nut on the inside to hold or tighten!

 

[seco services]

Once the cylinder is emptied, I guess the procedure is as follows:

don't need to empty the whole cylinder just below the flange will do.

1. Disconnect the wiring from the immersion heater and remove the heater with the box spanner that I just got from the plumber's merchants. I'm hoping this won't be too tricky.

no need to remove immersion.

2. Disconnect the copper pipe that connects to the existing flange.

yes

3. Use the hole created by removing the immersion heater to gain access to the lower nut of the existing flange. This seems pretty tricky to me as the immersion heater doesn't appear like it will offer a great deal of access.

what lower nut ? it hasn't got one.

4. Install new S-flange. Again, this appears tricky as the nut to tighten the flange in place will be on the inside of the cylinder.

it has no nut on the inside.

5. Refit immersion heater.

don't remove in the first place

Any tips (especially on points 3 and 4) would be gratefully received.

this is a surrey flange and it has no nut.
just screws straight into the top of the cylinder.

 

[iep]

Thanks guys. The salamander flange came with a nut on the inside so I assumed I would need to use it! I guess that is for installation where no thread is available.

By the sound of it though (and upon closer inspection) the outlet on our cylinder should already be threaded. Looks like this job is a lot easier than I expected!

In order to make sure the outlet of the flange point in the correct direction when fully tightened, do I just go with a whole load of ptfe to give myself a bit of flexibility?

p.s. I'm changing the flange in order to fit a shower pump. the existing one is simply a 90 degree bend feeding to the hot water pipe/vent.

Thanks again, you have saved me a world of pain dicking about with the immersion heater.

Cheers,

iep

 

[seco services]

salamander flange with a nut. never got any nuts with any flange i've brought.

all cylinders will have a thread.

useally have a fibre washer aswell. yes the ptfe will help align the flange.

if its a complete new flange you'll find you'll have to alter the horizontal 22mm pipe at the other end aswell as it will useally be higher up when flange fitted.

ps the nut your talking about is a adaptor for a 1" male cylinder.

 

[iep]

Hi seco, thanks for that.

1 inch male adapter! That makes a lot of sense as it has loads of thread (I was wondering about that).

Great, looks like I'm ready to go just as soon as my new mixer tap turns up.

Thanks again guys.

iep