2. What size hot water cylinder do I need for a two- or three- bedroom house?

What size hot water cylinder do I need for a 2 or 3 bed house?

Getting a hot water cylinder that is the right size for your property depends on several individual factors. Taking these all into account and weighing up other considerations is key to ensure your cylinder delivers what you expect.

Read on to learn about: 

 

  • Important terms for hot water cylinders
  • How to choose the right hot water cylinder
  • Typical cylinder sizes for two or three bed properties
  • Getting a Baxi hot water cylinder installed
What size hot water cylinder do I need for a 2 or 3 bed house - Cylinder sizing guide

Important terms for hot water cylinders

 

When talking about the ‘size’ of a hot water cylinder, we’re actually referring to its capacity, although its physical size is also important as we’ll come onto. You’ll also need to know a little about the different cylinder types:

 

  • Direct cylinders: these heat the stored water by using an in-built immersion heater.
     
  • Indirect cylinders: these rely on the use of a boiler to heat the water it contains. 
     
  • Vented cylinders: these rely on gravity to supply the home from water stored in a header tank.
     
  • Unvented cylinders: these draw water from the mains system, often resulting in higher pressure. 

 

Knowing the different types of cylinders available to you will help you choose the one that is right for both your average hot water usage as well as your physical space, as we’ll look at in the next section. 

How to choose the right hot water cylinder

The size of your hot water cylinder depends on various factors. Start by thinking about how often your household uses the shower or bath, how much water you use for the washing up or laundry, and usage for other daily activities. If you have en-suites in your home, then a larger cylinder might be needed.

 

Often, hot water cylinders are located in the airing cupboard, but can also be installed on other parts of the property. For smaller properties that still have a fairly high water demand, a slimline unvented cylinder such as the Megaflo Eco Slimline cylinder provides a practical solution.

 

Getting the size of your hot water cylinder right is vital for energy efficiency and ensuring that heat isn’t wasted by warming water when it’s not needed. Coils within larger cylinders, naturally, will take longer to heat the water stored within it, yet a cylinder that is too small may not have enough capacity to meet demand. 

 

Your installer should work closely with you to calculate the right cylinder to meet your needs, so you can be sure that you have hot water when it’s required.

Hot water cylinder sizing guide for two or three bedroom house - Baxi

For smaller properties that still have a fairly high water demand, a slimline unvented cylinder such as the Megaflo Eco Slimline cylinder provides a practical solution.