Hot Water Systems

If your hot water fails 100% Plumbing will always be on hand to repair a heater or replace it if necessary. A continuous and plentiful supply of hot water is often taken for granted until suddenly its taken away. Call to arrange a visit and be assured of a prompt response from our team if your system fails.

Hot water is available from many heat sources.

The most inexpensive hot water system to install is an electric immersion tank. All this requires is a space large enough to fit the tank a hot water pipe nearby and electric socket. Small under the counter heaters can be an inexpensive solution for a hot water supply in the kitchen.

Although cheap to install the running costs are often higher than hot water from alternative fuel sources.

Instant gas fired water heaters.
A gas water heater is great for a continuous supply of hot water and is more cost efficient to run than an electric hot water cylinder. It can however be impractical if you are looking to run hot water in various bathrooms simultaneously as instant fired heaters have a limited flow rate, so that pressure will drop off when demand is high.

Other considerations are the need for a gas supply ventilation ( ventilation is required for most gas appliance for safety reasons). In all cases an exterior wall is required so that the fumes produced whilst the heater is running can be safely expelled to the exterior via a flue. It is important to note that instant fired hot water heaters can sometimes give problems when used with thermostatic shower taps.

All gas water heaters are required by law to be balanced flue models.

Storage gas water heaters.
A storage gas water heater is a better option for larger properties with more than two bathrooms. The system is cheaper to run than an electric water heater and provides a store of hot water with a continuous supply indifferent to demand. Considerations include the need for a gas supply and ventilation, space for installation as the tanks tend to be large capacity. Disadvantages include the need to crouch down low to re light which is problamatic for those with even minor mobility issues. They can also tend to be stubborn lighting and should be handled with caution as gas can quickly build up in the lighting process and blow back on ignition.

Combi Boilers
A common option for those with central heating is to install a boiler with combined hotwater feature. In some cases this may give the same disadvantages as an instant fired hot water heater. With hot water pressure dropping as demand increases although some boilers have an storage tank incorporated giving the best of both worlds. Boilers more commonly feature an XXL hot water feature with large flow of water. It is important to note that Combination boilers can give problems when used with thermostatic shower taps.

Solar Hot Water will give a plentiful supply of hot water with little or no running cost during 10 months of the year in Spain.

Compact systems provide the most affordable option but systems can be designed using components seperately. A solar system will require a flat or inclined roof or terrace area which ideally will be South facing.

Disadvantages include aesthetics if the tank and panel(s) cannot be hidden on a roof or out of site. Care should also be taken especially in the summer as hot water can become scolding hot.

Aerothermia. One of the latest develpments in green energy is the water heater which uses a heat pump system similar to an air conditioning unit. After Solar (which by all intent and purpose is free) this is the cheapest and most efficient hot water system. The tanks look similar to an immersion tank and will occupy a similar amount space. It also will require an exterior wall for the compressor unit.