Another water tank has failed

[Headers]

I normally walk round the house downstairs each night before I go to bed. To make sure all is as it should be.
Friday night I did the tour. I could hear, so I thought, a dripping tap. That’s strange…nope it was our big cumulus which had decided to become an indoor water feature.
Bit of a panic because I couldn’t work out which vannes to push, so I woke the OH and we set about mopping it up having switched off the mains supply and the water.
I rang my house insurance and they gave me a couple of emergency plumbers phone numbers. But as we had it ‘under control’ we decided not to call them until Saturday morning. I called. It’s now Sunday morning and I have had no response so I’m glad we weren’t relying on them to sort it out!
We are fortunate that we actually have 3 water tanks so we can survive the inconvenience for a few days.
We are assuming that we need to replace the tank which is 15 years old. But what to choose
1. Same again
2. Some heat exchange thing

We are expecting it to cost us around 1200 as it’s a big tank (300).
I’ve looked at an online plumbing service and on the face of it a reasonable price and delivery time but their trust pilot scores are rubbish so I’m very wary.
Local plumbers are awful. Our favourite plumber has retired so finding a new one is a challenge. We recently had a plumbing intervention but he was not very impressive and he was one of the emergency plumbers from my house insurance!
My job for Monday morning - find a decent plumber in 47!

[RobertArthur]

@ Headers. 15 years of service is respectable. About your indoor water feature, may I ask where exactly the water decided to surprise you? Sometimes it is - for the more or less experienced DIY guy - a quite simple replacement of a defective groupe de sécurité, situated below your chauffe-eau. Here in more detail. The hardware is not too expensive. Sometimes it is a leaking gasket, also replacable. Not always easy to identify as you can read in this recent thread.

[Headers]

@ Headers. 15 years of service is respectable. About your indoor water feature, may I ask where exactly the water decided to surprise you? Sometimes it is - for the more or less experienced DIY guy - a quite simple replacement of a defective groupe de sécurité, situated below your chauffe-eau. Here in more detail. The hardware is not too expensive. Sometimes it is a leaking gasket, also replacable. Not always easy to identify as you can read in this recent thread.

Thankyou for replying. The water was gushing out of the top of the tank. The groupe is at the bottom and it was replaced a couple of years ago. The top has a big copper pipe with brass joints going into the tank through a plastic dome the water is coming up through that dome. Not expecting any plumber to say repair is possible and as it’s 15years old it’s time to renew.

[L Austin France]

Thankyou for replying. The water was gushing out of the top of the tank. The groupe is at the bottom and it was replaced a couple of years ago. The top has a big copper pipe with brass joints going into the tank through a plastic dome the water is coming up through that dome. Not expecting any plumber to say repair is possible and as it’s 15years old it’s time to renew.
[/quote]
Galvanic action maybe?
Sounds like no dielectric joints were used.

[RobertArthur]

@ Headers, I'm a bit surprised to read about a big copper pipe and plastic dome on top of this chauffe-eau électrique: the standard tank here in France has the arrivée (+ groupe de sécurité) and départ at the bottom side, both the vertical and horizontal types.

[Pachapapa]

Water goes in at bottom and hot water is drawn from top through concentric pipe.
BUT makes drawing down of water for winter break impossible, freezing possibility, as groupe de sécurité has à non return valve eliminating the possibility of contaminated water entering the mains.

[michael86]

To drain the chauffe-eau, I just open the groupe de sécurité. Always works for me.

Michael

[Quiksilver]

Hi Headers, not sure if this will be permitted, but there's a very helpful group here...https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468717256761419. If you specify your area, there'll more than likely be
useful recommendations. If the link is a problem, apologies to Char! and PM me for info.

[Spardo]

@ Headers. 15 years of service is respectable. About your indoor water feature, may I ask where exactly the water decided to surprise you? Sometimes it is - for the more or less experienced DIY guy - a quite simple replacement of a defective groupe de sécurité, situated below your chauffe-eau. Here in more detail. The hardware is not too expensive. Sometimes it is a leaking gasket, also replacable. Not always easy to identify as you can read in this recent thread.

We have a similar problem, the leak is from the top and is not relieved by releasing the knob at the bottom. Just a steady drip when the tap is used but it is only a 30 litre tank.

Our favourite plumber died several years ago and the next favourite then abandonned us without explanation, so I called into the shop of another in the village on Tuesday and she guessed a visit 'dans la soiree'. Today is Sunday and still no visit, or call (they have my mobile number), so I'll call in again tomorrow. Very frustrating having to be in as often as possible.

[Polarengineer]

Had exactly the same problem with the domestic hot water tank leaking badly at the top. Our tank has a top discharge of hot water with a mix valve to release only a set temperature into the system. The mix valve joint had perished, so it was a simple matter of shutting off the supply to the tank, releasing the pressure (not draining) remove the valve, cleaning the faces and inserting a new fibre ring. Then clean up the mess. The tank is by Westfa with two internal coils for the solar collector and auxilliary back boiler. It has been installed for ten years now.