Whole Bathroom is 8mm Copper!!!

[pilot_pik]

Just started renovating my new house (built circa 1935). First job according the other half was a nice new bathroom.

I've started to investigate replacement and discovered the whole bathroom is plumbed in 8mm copper. Reducers have been fitted to all the taps on the sink, bath and electric shower to cater for the tiny feed.

The feed from the hot water tank and cold storage tank in the loft is 15mm, there's no 22mm anywhere.

My question is - what will happen if I replace all the 8mm with new 15mm feeds taken off the existing 15mm coming down from the loft. Will I experience poor flow or pressure at the tap / shower or should I replace the feed down from the tanks in the loft with 22mm and replumb the whole lot properly?

Also noticed the hot water tanks is miniscule which would explain why we couldn't get a decent hot bath with the existing system.

Any advise gratefully received.
Cheers

 

[oilman]

How long does it take to run a bath?

 

[cross thread]

22mm feed for hot to bath 15mm to sink ,15mm on cold if mains pressure,and bigger cylinder for more water volume

 

[pilot_pik]

It takes a while but then again, after about 3 inches of hot water in the bottom of the bath, there's no hot left anyway.

What's involved in changing the Hot Water tank? I'm a competent DIYer and have installed bathrooms before but is a tank not a Plumbers job?

Are there not boiler considerations and system balancing / sizing things to consider or is it just more pipe work and joints?

Cheers

 

[Paul Barker]

Well it's like this, I can't get my wireless router to work on my laptop any longer, why isn't it just plug it in and it works?

 

[pilot_pik]

if in doubt re-boot, if that doesn't work - go back to plumbing

 

[ChrisR]

How big IS the hot tank? Is it a copper thing with an electric immersion heater?? They don't come all that small unless they're special quick-reheat ones.

To go from scratch you'd need to learn a bit (not a lot) about how things are ususally done then see what you have of that. Start with the basics - how is the hot water heated.
Connecting tanks difficult? Well all the immigrants who can't speak Engllish seem to be managing it!

 

[pilot_pik]

Chris,

The tank is tiny, I haven't taken the jacket of to leek in detail. It's a copper tank, less than a metre base to top with the jacket on, I'd guess less than 80 litres.

The hot water is off a conventional slim-line boiler in a cupboard under the stairs. There's no electric immersion heater fitted.

Having looked at it again, it's looks pretty straight forward to replace, my only concern would be buggering the system because maybe the boiler can't handle a bigger tank or something like that. Not sure if there are "sizing" or "balancing" type concerns. I can run and join pipes no bother - but technically BTU and stuff like that I have no clue.

 

[oilman]

Post some pictures.

 

[kevplumb]

sound's like what we used to call a "caravan cylinder" ain'y seen one of those for years

no way will you fill a bath out of one of those