Water is increased in temperature by circulating it around heated coils.
What are calorifiers?
A Calorifier is an industry term for a storage vessel that has the capacity to generate heat within a mass of stored water.
How does a Calorifier work?
Generation of heat is commonly provided by an indirect heat source via a heat transfer coil or heat tube battery. Historically, Calorifiers have tended to be designed around the capacity of daily water demand, with a low heat input coil that would re-generate the hot water supply during non- peak usage periods. However, recent manufacturing techniques and material quality mean the coil output can recover quickly to re-generate much larger quantities of hot water. Heat exchange takes place at the primary coil and is usually supplied via a primary hot water flow through a controlling zone valve from a main central heating boiler, dedicated hot water boiler, or in some cases a renewable energy source.
Where can Calorifiers be used?
Calorifiers may be installed onto an open vented system, with cold water supplied from a storage tank which provides the head pressure for the hot water system. Or, more commonly in commercial applications, an unvented system with cold water supplied directly from mains pressure. And in some cases, through a pressure booster set. Many Calorifiers are now available with the option of an additional heat output coil that is heated from a renewable energy source such as solar thermal.
