We would strongly recommend that pressure and flow readings are undertaken on the incoming main supply to asses the strength of the main before installing or recommending mains fed systems. Knowing the pressure and flow rate at early stages of planning will allow for the correct design of system to meet customer's demands and expectations.

Once you have your readings the next criteria required is that of demand: number of outlets, people living at the property, typical daily usage and taps and bath/shower specification. The more bathroom/ensuites and hot and cold outlets the larger the demand and the bigger the accumulator required. For high demand more than one accumulator can be installed in series to meet requirements, making them an ideal solution for sports clubs, small hotels and care homes.

The accumulator design has no power supply, drainage requirements or running cost and the design has on average a 50% air to 50% water ratio and when in operation the accumulators cannot replenish until the outlets being run are no longer in use. All these factors mean the accumulator must be oversized. Another key factor is the lower the pressure the lower the volume that can be stored in the vessel.

Accumulators can be used to increase flow rates to mains fed appliances such as combination boilers and existing unvented cylinders with the guidance of GAH.

For many years we have offered accumulator technology to increase flow rates on main supplies and with the high percentage of combination boilers sold and installed in the UK they are the perfect answer to overcome shared mains, and high demand from flats in the same building where combination boilers are often installed. The accumulator is installed on the main supply where it provides an increase in water volume that helps maintain the flow rate produced by the combination boiler and without interruptions from other outlets within the building at peak times or from cold outlets within the property. On new installations with high flow combination boilers the accumulator can offer increased flow rates, stable pressures and given the boiler specification, performances more impressive than those normally associated with standard combination boilers. We have worked with many of the leading Combination boiler manufactures over the years and continue to support them and their customers in choosing the right system for the right application.

Because each application is different it is difficult to give a simple sizing chart that would cover all options, and we would recommend contacting GAH to discuss your individual requirements. Sizes and weights of each accumulator model can be viewed under technical specification.