BS 6700:2006

Annex C (informative) Guidance on the calculation of hot

water storage capacity
The storage capacity required to achieve an acceptable quality of
service depends upon the rate of heat input to the stored hot water as
well as on the pattern of use. The time M (in minutes) taken to heat a
quantity of water through a specified temperature rise is given by:
M = (VT)/(14.3P)
where
V is the volume of water heated (in litres);
T is the temperature rise (in degrees Celsius);
P is the rate of heat input to water (in kilowatts).
This formula ignores heat losses from the hot water storage vessel, since
over the relatively short times involved in reheating water after a
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draw-off has taken place their effect is usually small.

For an electric immersion heater, a directly gas-fired storage water
heater and a direct boiler system, the value of P is the output of the
heating appliance. For an indirect boiler system, the value of P will
depend upon the temperature of the stored water, since heat will pass
from the primary circuit to the secondary circuit at a faster rate when
the secondary water is cold than when it is hot. For practical purposes
a simple approximation by taking an average value for P will usually
suffice. An indirect cylinder conforming to BS 1566-1 will accept heat
inputs up to about 15 kW, with pumped primary flow.
Typical values for P are:
3 kW for an electric immersion heater;
3 kW for a gas-fired circulator;
6 kW for a small boiler and direct cylinder;
10 kW for a medium boiler and indirect cylinder;
10 kW for a directly gas-fired storage water heater (domestic
type);
15 kW for a large domestic boiler and indirect cylinder.
The application of this formula to the sizing of hot water cylinders is
best illustrated by the following examples, in which figures have been
rounded.
Examples of application
Case 1. Small dwelling with one bath installed.
Maximum requirement: one bath (60 l at 60 C plus 40 l cold water) plus
10 l hot water at 60 C for kitchen use followed by a second bath fill after
25 min.
Thus draw-off of 70 l at 60 C followed after 25 min by 100 l at 40 C is
required, which can be achieved by mixing hot at 60 C with cold
at 10 C.
Firstly assume good stratification, e.g. heating by the top-entry
immersion heater.

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 BS 6700:2006

To heat 60 l from 10 C to 60 C using a 3 kW input takes

(60 50) / (14.3 3) = 70 min so the second bath has to be provided
from storage. In 25 min the volume of water heated to 60 C
is 14.3 3 25 50 = 21 l.
Therefore the minimum storage capacity to meet requirement
is 70 + 60 21 = 109 l.
To heat 60 l from 10 C to 60 C using a 6 kW input takes
(60 50) / (14.3 6) = 35 min so, again, the second bath has to be
provided from storage.
In 25 min the volume of water heated from 10 C to 60 C is
14.3 6 25 50 = 42 l. Hence the minimum storage capacity to meet
the requirement is 70 + 60 42 = 88 l. To heat 60 l from 10 C
to 60 C using 10 kW input takes (60 50) / (14.3 10) = 21 min so
the second bath requires no storage and minimum storage requirement
is that to provide bath plus kitchen use, i.e. 70 l.
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With 15 kW input of heat to the water the storage volume could be

reduced to 60 l since while the first bath is running, taking about 3 min,
the heat input to the water is sufficient to raise about 11 l water
from 10 C to 60 C, so providing for kitchen use. This could be negated
by mixing, and is not recommended for this duty.
Now assuming good mixing of the stored water, as would occur with
heating by a primary coil in an indirect cylinder, the temperature of the
stored water immediately after the 70 l draw-off would be
{(V 70) 60 + 70 10} V, which simplifies to 60 3500/V. The
formula shows that heating for 25 min at 3 kW will raise the
temperature through 3 25 14.3/V or 1072.5/V.
Since a water temperature of at least 40 C is required to run a second
bath:
(60 3500/V) + (1072.5/V) = 40 (or more)
where
V = 122 l
Using 6 kW heat input the temperature rise in 25 min is 2145/V which
gives a minimum size of 68 l. This, however, would not meet the
requirement of 100 l at 40 C for a bath. In fact, a vessel of 88 l capacity,
which would attain a temperature of about 44.5 C after 25 min would
just suffice, but for simplicity a cylinder of about 100 l capacity would
normally be chosen.
For heat inputs of 10 kW and 15 kW a 70 l hot water storage vessel is
required as before, the need to draw-off for bath and kitchen use
dictating the minimum storage capacity.
Thus for case 1, the minimum sizes of storage vessel are given in
Table C.1.

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 BS 6700:2006

Table C.1 Minimum sizes of storage vessel for case 1

Heat input to water Minimum storage capacity
l
kW With stratification With mixing
3 109 122
6 88 88
10 70 70
15 70 70

Case 2. A dwelling with two baths installed and having a maximum

requirement of 130 l drawn off at 60 C (2 baths + 10 l for kitchen use)
followed by a further bath (100 l at 40 C) after 30 min.
The calculations follow the same procedures as for case 1 and the
results for case 2 are given in Table C.2.
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Table C.2 Minimum sizes of storage vessel for case 2

Heat input to water Minimum storage capacity
l
kW With stratification With mixing
3 165 260
6 140 200
10 130 130
15 120 130

These calculations, which may be carried out for any particular

situation, indicate the value of promoting stratification wherever
possible and show the order of savings in storage capacity that can be
made without prejudice to the quality of the service to the user by
increasing the heat input to the water.

Annex D (informative) Pipe sizing calculations

D.1 Determination of flow rates

D.1.1 General
In small, simple installations such as those in single dwellings, it is often
acceptable to size pipes on the basis of experience and convention. In
all other cases the probable flow rates and pipe sizes required should be
calculated using a recognized method of calculation, such as the method
given in this annex.

D.1.2 Assessment of probable demand

In most buildings all appliances are seldom in simultaneous use. For
reasons of economy a simultaneous demand which is less than the
maximum demand from all appliances should be provided for. This
simultaneous demand can be estimated either from data derived by
observation and experience of similar installations, or by application of
probability theory using loading units.

118 BSI 2006