Copper header tanks
What is a header tank?
Header tanks, also called feed and expansion tanks, are used in all vented hot water and central heating systems, as a means of supplying a particular appliance or system with cold water, as well as taking up any expansion that comes as a result of the water being heated up.
A copper header tank has the same purpose as a plastic header tank, except that it provides extra protection where water can get exceptionally hot in solid fuel installations. Unlike many plastic header tanks, our copper header tanks come with all water connections pre-installed.
What are the advantages of a copper header tank?
The main benefit of using a copper header tank to feed your hot water cylinder or heating system is that, unlike the more common plastic tanks, they will not be susceptible to melting or warping due to overheated water. This can be a particular problem on a system which incorporates a solid fuel boiler or uncontrolled heat source, as they are capable of heating the water to in excess of 100°C.
Our copper feed and expansion tanks have the following features as standard, which saves installation time and provides overheating protection all round.
- Manufactured in copper to prevent tank melting and deformation
- Pre-installed float valve with copper float
- Pre-installed cold feed connection in 22mm compression
- Pre-installed overflow connection in 22mm compression ready to add copper overflow pipe
- Insulation fitted to tank
- When used with a thermal store, float arm is pre-adjusted
How is a copper header tank insulated?
We supply the header tank and fitted lid pre-insulated, using either insulation board on the rectangular units or sprayed foam insulation on the round units, both to a depth of 30mm. This will help to contain any heat that is returned to the header tank by expansion, increasing efficiency, but also eliminating the risk of frost damage.
Can Newark Copper Cylinders manufacture bespoke header tanks?
Details of our standard range of copper header tanks can be found below, however, as with our copper cylinders, we are able to supply copper header tanks in completely bespoke sizes to suit the customer's requirements, where the height, width or depth are critical. All header tanks are supplied with a float valve and copper float which is necessary for correct operation (shown fitted in photos above). The tank fill connection and the overflow connection are both supplied as 22mm compression but are also available in other sizes on request. If an unusually large capacity header tank is required, it can in some cases be preferable to split this between multiple, smaller, header tanks.
Standard copper header tank range
Our copper header tanks are designed for use in heating systems which use solid fuel, or other uncontrollable heat sources. The header tank would, in many cases, be attached directly to the gravity feed of the appliance. However our copper header tanks can also be used in conjunction with a Thermalstore cylinder. When the thermal store is heated directly by an appliance, the following table offers information as to the size of header tank required. Header tanks to be used with thermalstores will be delivered pre-configured according to cylinder capacity. + More details about pre-configuration of header tanks
When used with a Thermalstore, a header tank needs to provide room for greater expansion due to the greater capacity of hot water. Using the cylinder capacity, we will calculate what is called the B-Value and adjust the float arm accordingly to provide the correct expansion volume in the header tank.
Please note, that the sizes specified below are designed to cope with the feed and expansion, to and from the cylinder only. If the header tank is to be used to feed any additional systems (e.g. a radiator circuit), then consideration must be taken as to whether a larger header tank would be required.
| Capacity (Litres) | Dimensions (Rectangle header tank, H x L x W) (mm) | Dimensions (Round header tank, H x D) (mm) | For use with Cylinder with volume of (Litres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16* | 290 x 370 x 300 | 300 x 450 | 40 - 180 |
| 35 | 290 x 500 x 400 | 310 x 500 | 180 - 320 |
| 55 | 370 x 500 x 450 | 390 x 500 | 320 - 500 |
*this is a standard size feed and expansion tank. The size is often referred to as 4 Gallons.
If none of the sizes above are suitable for your requirements, please Contact us for custom sizing!
Standard Copper Header Tank Specification
Our round header tanks offer the same features and connections as the rectangle header tank shown in the diagram.
| Letter on diagram | Feature |
|---|---|
| A | Float valve tapping |
| B | Compression overflow connection |
| C | Compression cold feed connection |
| D | Expanded water level |
| E | Cold water level |
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