Gas hot water heaters

We are doing a reform and our walls are very thick, too thick to easily put in ventilation holes for gas appliances etc. I am thinking of siting my bottled gas water heater outside in a purpose built brick  shed with a vent pipe to air. Does anybody know if this set up complies with regs as a similar set up is ok in the UK.

Also has anybody had a pellet burner installed by a company rather than installing it themselves, we are interested in costs. Any reccomendations would be useful, we are in Jaen

they actually sell interior & exterior gas water heaters. Many spaniards do not like them in the house at all.

our gas water heater is outside in the back yard open to all the elements with only a upvc canopy over the vent and has been there for 4 years now. it takes a bit of starting after a few months of being away but we just blow the dust out of it really hard and off it goes. i prefer it outside for safety reasons and the whole of our development in Almeria is the same.

We had to have our gas water heater replaced for another heater and was advised by the plumber (he had been call out several time to fix the boiler) to buy an electric water heater the reason was every time we went to Spain the heater did not work because of all the sand and dust which meant we had to call the plumber out to fix.  Were not sure if this will work out too expensive ?

Frank  

 Thanks for all the replies, I think I will go for an one sited outdoors but in a weatherproof and vented brick shed. I have seen a few heaters in Brico, are there any better places to look and are there any specific outdoor models/recommendations

Get one that ignites when the water is turned on, not one with a pilot light.  The savings are substantial.

Electric water heaters or thermal stores are more expensive to run, however for people who only live in Spain part time or use their property as a holiday home they are much more practical. No moving parts, so no problems. Most thermal stores come with a 3 year guarantee and they come in sizes from 50 litres to over 200 litres.

However in General gas water heaters come in lots of guises. In their simplest form they have a pilot light which when there is a demand for hot water ignites the gas, either propane or butane, via a simple gas valve. The next step up is a water heater with electric ignition powered by battery. Then you have electric ignition powered from the mains, then you have ignition via a water generator.

The water generator is the most expensive option, but is the best way to go if price is not an issue. As soon as the water starts to flow through the boiler it rotates a small water wheel which generates a spark, thus igniting the gas. They are generally a better appliance and are more reliable. All gas water heaters are rated by how many litres of water per Minuit they can heat. Common sizes are 9 litres a min up to 18 litres a min. 18 litres per min will give you enough hot water for two showers simultaneously as long as the water system foes not have a pumped water supply. If you have a pumped water supply 18 litres a min will give you plenty of hot water but probably not enough for two showers to be used together.

You could also fit a combi boiler which will give you any amount of hot water you want, however when fitting a combi boiler to be used for domestic hot water you would also need to fit at least one radiator for the system to work correctly.

Bored yet???  

OK

The best answer would be to fit a 120 litre thermal store also known as an electric water heater, to give you plenty of hot water, fit a pump to give you plenty of pressure if you need it, and if two people need to shower at the same time, fit a larger shower tray and enjoy the shower together……………it’s cheaper, less problematic and more fun in the long run

 Cheers Chris

That is a comprehensive answer, we were looking at thermal stores in Brico and it makes sense but our place is small so a large unit would dominate it, also all the sparks and water are set up to go outside. What you say makes sense though, it could run off of the cooker point as that has sufficient cabling,we just need to do some tricks with the water routing. Thanks for your answer, really helps

Sorry forgot to add, the themal stores can go outside.

JohnandCaroline...

At 3000 feet altitude, like us, you are well within the normal snow line and subject to low outside temperatures during the winter. You need to be aware that Butano can be unreliable as a fuel source when air temps drop below 0C. May seem daft but lagging the bottle and external gas pipework may help avoid any freeze-ups. Obviously the same goes for any external water pipes.

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My location is shown as Granada... in reality that refers to the province rather than the City itself. You are actually slightly higher than us, our village is built on the side of a cliff with altitudes varying between 2600 and 2800 feet. All that apart, your local Repsol or Cepsa supplier can advise which is the best gas for your location.

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You would be fine with propane as its freezing point is minus 42 degrees celcius while butane freezes at zero degress centigrade. Butane is classed as a leisure fuel while propane is a designated heating fuel hence it being cheaper to buy......not easy to explain after a hard days work and a few beersQQ