Buffer Vessels
Our buffer vessels are available in either copper, mild steel or stainless steel, although we do favour copper for this purpose. For clarification on why we prefer copper to mild or stainless steel, please see our page, benefits of copper.
What is a buffer vessel?
Buffer vessels are basically cylinders, which do not supply hot water to any taps or draw off points. Their function is to receive heat from any number of heat sources and store that heat to be used as part of another plumbing system, on demand.
Are buffer vessels the same as thermalstores?
No, the difference is that a thermalstore does provide hot water to the taps as well as having all of the other capabilities of a buffer vessel. Unless you have some other method of providing hot water to your taps, then a thermalstore would be advantageous over a buffer vessel (depending on the system design).
In what situations could a buffer vessel be used?
Here is an example of a situation where a buffer vessel could be used:
All of the heat energy produced by a heat pump or a biomass boiler could be stored in a buffer vessel, and then that heat drawn off as necessary to provide heat to a radiator circuit or under-floor heating circuit.
Another use of an open vented buffer vessel, is to allow an uncontrollable heat source such as a solid fuel stove to heat an unvented cylinder without having to use extensive safety precautions. Heating an unvented cylinder via an uncontrollable heat source is not normally advised, but as the buffer vessel is open to the atmosphere the heated water is able to expand to the feed and expansion tank. This allows the user to safely control how much heat is being fed into the main unvented cylinder via the use of control stats and motorized valves.
Can Newark Copper Cylinders manufacture bespoke buffer vessels?
As with all of our cylinders, there is also the option for the customer to specify exactly what heat input(s) and output(s) they would like their buffer vessel to be able to use, for example, solar, heat pump, gas/oil boiler, solid fuel stove, under floor heating circuit, radiator circuit, etc. any of which could be used with the generic direct buffer vessel shown on the right.
We can offer design drawings prior to manufacture to ensure that all port positions are to the customer's requirements.
We can manufacture buffer vessels as either vented or pressurised type as well as direct or indirect.
Our polyurethane foam lagging can be applied up to a thickness of 100mm and is the most environmentally friendly type available, with an ozone depletion potential of zero and a global warming potential of one. And for a more aesthetically pleasing finish, we can offer a steel case with a white finish.
What size buffers vessels are available?
The most popular sizes for buffer tanks are listed below, however, such is the flexibility of copper, we can:
- Offer bespoke heights and diameters where space or water volumes are critical
- Match the kilowatt rating of the coil(s) to the kilowatt rating of the heat source(s) (allowing customizable recovery times)
- Add or omit extra connection ports and/or coils to suit your specification
- Any indirect buffer vessels can only be manufactured from copper, whereas direct versions can be specified in steel.
Just Contact us about custom sizing and/or custom specifications!
| Capacity (Litres) | Height (mm) | Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 750 | 450 |
| 140 | 1000 | 450 |
| 180 | 1300 | 450 |
| 210 | 1500 | 450 |
| 220 | 1200 | 500 |
| 250 | 1500 | 500 |
| 300 | 1700 | 500 |
| 360 | 2000 | 500 |
| 400 | 1600 | 600 |
| 460 | 1800 | 600 |
| 500 | 2000 | 600 |
| 550 | 1750 | 675 |
| 600 | 1900 | 675 |
| 700 | 1800 | 750 |
| 800 | 2000 | 750 |
| 1000 | 1750 | 900 |
| 1200* | 2100 | 900 |
| 1350* | 2300 | 900 |
*only available in steel cased finish
Sharing features
