Spiral Tap and High Pressure System

[stem]

I've bought this tap from Aldi and had planned to install it in our utility room for washing veg, walking boots etc. The online details I've copied below say that it's not suitable for "low pressure systems". We have a open vented hot water cylinder, the F&E tank is in the loft and the utility room is on the ground floor, such that the water level in the F&E tank is 5 metres above the level of the existing tap outlet. It provides a pretty good hot water flow rate, although obviously the pressure is not as high as the mains fed supply to the cold tap next to it.

So my question is, will this tap work for me? Or would it only work with a combi boiler? I assume by it not being suitable for "electric storage heaters" they are referring to a stored hot water supply, which would also rule out an unvented hot water cylinder, but can't imagine why.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

No, the pressure is not adequate for a gravity flow system.

 

[fixitflav]

I've bought this tap from Aldi and had planned to install it in our utility room for washing veg, walking boots etc. The online details I've copied below say that it's not suitable for "low pressure systems". We have a open vented hot water cylinder, the F&E tank is in the loft and the utility room is on the ground floor, such that the water level in the F&E tank is 5 metres above the level of the existing tap outlet. It provides a pretty good hot water flow rate, although obviously the pressure is not as high as the mains fed supply to the cold tap next to it.


View attachment 252637

So my question is, will this tap work for me? Or would it only work with a combi boiler? I assume by it not being suitable for "electric storage heaters" they are referring to a stored hot water supply, which would also rule out an unvented hot water cylinder, but can't imagine why.

It's not the F&E tank, it's the cold water storage tank (CWST) level that matters (though it's probably about the same). I also raised my eyebrows at "electric storage heaters"!
With 5m head you might get low but acceptable flow, but I don't suppose you can install it and then take it back if not. Is it possible to ask the supplier what he means by low pressure?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is it possible to ask the supplier what he means by low pressure?

Unlikely an Aldi shop assistant would know that. High pressure is full mains pressure supply, stored water is low pressure.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Your pressures will be unbalanced. Hot will be about 0.5 bar, mains is likely to be anywhere between 1 bar an 5 or 6 bar or even higher.
2. The cold pressure will overwhelm the hot and you won't get much, if any, hot out of it.
3. There is no fixed definition of what is low pressure and what is high pressure. The decent manufacturers of taps will either specify the minimum operating pressure, or better still, give flow rates at different pressures. So far as I know Aldi isn't in the plumbing business, and won't have a clue.

 

[Madrab]

Either return it or buy a pump

 

[stem]

Thanks all Mrs Stem will take it back this afternoon

 

[fixitflav]

Unlikely an Aldi shop assistant would know that. High pressure is full mains pressure supply, stored water is low pressure.

I was thinking of a contact from the website

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I was thinking of a contact from the website

In six months, you might receive a reply saying '...we only sell 'em'.

 

[fixitflav]

In six months, you might receive a reply saying '...we only sell 'em'.