Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

In a previous post I said I was having a gas heater installed. Now up and running the water is really hot too. Happy bunny me.

Ours is too, but what luxury!

Can someone advise if these gas water heaters can be installed in a house with four bathrooms or are they fitted to one water source only i.e directly to one shower only.

I have two bathrooms. In the booklet it says water pressure must be high enough for more than one outlet. Dont think you could use four taps at the same time.

Please can you give details of who to contact regarding gas boilers? Will they call and estimate? I guess if too many people have them installed, the Government will increase the price of gas!!

I dont have a phone number but the shop is in Catalkoy small parade before Pitstop garage.

We have had ours three years and so glad we had it fitted. Other half loves it cos means she can draw a full bath of hot water not just what is in hot tank from emersion heater.
Being on builders electric it is an added bonus saving money!

Hi Dogwalker,
I believe everytime the electric charges go up the price of petrol, gas etc go up as well. So doesn't seem to make any difference. Plus sign, I suppose if there is a power cut.

A gas cylinder should last at least two months may be more depends on usage of course, cheaper than three months electric for heating water.As you said we still have hot water in a power cut.

Hi Deniz1, really interested in what you've posted - can I be cheeky please and ask the cost of the appliance and installation? Thank you in advance for any reply received.

Total amount was 650tl. 399tl for the appliance and the balance for fitting.

Thanks for that Deniz1 - will definitely go for that, well worth the price

Not sure how long they will be at that price better get a wriggle on!

Thanks for the nfo about this shop. We have a water heater that was installed by someone WHO has since left the island. It didn't work when we went to switch over from the solar panels so I called at the shop today and the man came straight out and repaired it - cost 50TL. Great service from him Thanks.

That was the only thing bothering me as the switch is on the roof so every summer someone has to come and do it but he said he will.

We had a Omeko 12litres per minute fitted.Just have to turn off valve from hot supply on roof,2 lever valves on gas boiler on & away you go.Hot water on demand. Should have read "from roof",we have a valve on our roof terrace.

Becker was that that fitted by the company near Pitstop too?

It was supplied & fitted by Ersem,Alsancak.05338689915/03928212492/05338602754.Celal is one of the boss's & speaks very good English.

With my water heater I don't have to get on the roof to switch it over, the guy that installed it put the handle to switch it over from solar to gas in the gas housing unit, so maybe it can be converted so that you don't have to climb on the roof.

Just had the same company from shop near pitstop round and have quoted 1000TL for the Ariston water heater/(metal cabinet 170TL) all parts and labour on our 4 bed villa, happy with price and having it installed on Thursday 26th and even offered to come Wednesday but we are out for Christmas lunch.

I am still happy with mine still had a hot shower during the power cut on Sunday.

Becker, could you let me know whereabouts in Alsancak Ersem company is please. Thanks.

Coming from Girne,towards Karsiyaka,Starling on right,Ersem is a bit further down on the opposite side on a crossroads.

We called in on the off chance to the shop on the Karakum road (next door but one to the Pork Shop) and asked about the Ariston Water Heaters. This was on 1st Jan. On 2nd Jan received a phone call to arrange a time and date that day to visit. Today 3rd Jan, the system is to be fitted. Total cost 1128tl. The boiler is 399tl, and the rest is being made up of fitting, extra piping etc needed from Boiler to the tank and an extra on/off valve needed plus a weather proof cover for the boiler. If you live in a bungalow or the distance from the boiler to the tank is shorter than ours will be, then obviously the cost will be that much less. Nevertheless, at the present rate of the Lira we think it a very good deal for total hot water to kitchen, downstairs bath room and shower and basin, plus upstairs ensuite shower room and another bathroom, shower and basin. We're looking forward to a switch on later this afternoon.

You won't be disappointed Sophie we have had ours for just over a week and wish we had known about it sooner as hot water at the turn of a tap in winter is fantastic!!!

Bought the Ariston boiler 3 weeks ago from the shop near Pit Stop. Fitted it myself with a friend. Total cost 550lt including the cabinet for outside plus 40tl for parts and it is excellent. Should have done it years ago!

sorry if this is a silly question but are the gas cylinders you use for the water heater the big ones rather than the one for the cooker ?If so do the people fitting the water heater supply the gas cylinders too or where do you get them from. Thanks

Fitted today, took about 3 hours and we are a bit disappointed. What noone had told us that it isn't instantaneous, at least not for us. It takes at least 2 large washing up bowls of water which we have to throw away, before hot water comes through. Boiler is downstairs, it then has to go up to the roof and then down and around the house, through un lagged pipes. Unfortunately I don't really like the way the outside pipes are draped across a very obvious and visual part of the roof. It all depends on the design of your house I suppose. If you live in a small or squareish shaped house, or better still a bungalow then I would imagine it's terrific. The other point being that the pressure in the hot water taps is less than it was when the hot water came via the immersion heater. I suppose we'll get used to it in time. We went out and bought three new small gas cylinders which are lined up underneath the boiler. We're told a gas cylinder should last us a month, but I have my doubts because of the length of time it has to be on before the water is actually warm enough.

Obviously the same people fitted ours and we live in a square shaped villa, pressure is the same and the water comes down from the hot tank on the roof through the gas water heater to the tap or shower, it is not instantaneous because you still have to run the water which is under our floors in the pipe between water heater and tap/shower but it was still the same with immersion/solar heated water before so an improvement for us.

kedikat2903 wrote:sorry if this is a silly question but are the gas cylinders you use for the water heater the big ones rather than the one for the cooker ?If so do the people fitting the water heater supply the gas cylinders too or where do you get them from. Thanks

You just use the small blue 15kg Calor bottle which we supplied, everything else was supplied in the price quoted.

I'll be going back to the shop this morning because something is obviously wrong (1) If someone is having a shower or running a tap in one room, no-one else can draw water without the person under the shower freezing to death i.e. system cannot cope with two taps running at the same time. It takes at least 90secs before water becomes even tepic. (try putting your hand under very cold water for 90secs - it feels like an hour!!) Sparky, when you say "at the turn of the tap" do you mean after running 3 or 4 washing up bowls of cold your water starts to slowly warm up?

The company will have to come back and adjust the pipes on the roof as there is roughly 30+ metres just draped over the front roof (not fastened to anything) and its dreadful. As pipes are not lagged here and the roof faces the base of the mountains, I reckon that as the weather gets worse then hot or even warm water is going to be virtually impossible. If anyone thinking of converting, they are more than welcome to come and see ours because obviously the system is not always brilliant.

I have a time lag with either electricity or gas systems. I think the benefit of gas is it is an on demand system ie it is not heated, stored and cooling down like the electricity does and you only heat to order. We use 1 big gas bottle a year and to be honest we only get solar 3 months a year. With gas, electricity or solar there is always a temperature fluctuation when you switch another tap on we find but we live with this.

sophie wrote:I'll be going back to the shop this morning because something is obviously wrong (1) If someone is having a shower or running a tap in one room, no-one else can draw water without the person under the shower freezing to death i.e. system cannot cope with two taps running at the same time.

This is the problem with instant Gas boilers as there is only so much water that can be heated at any one time, depends on the model of boiler as some are more efficient (hi-flow) than others. Not that different to Combi boilers used in the UK for heating and hot water. Depending on the number of users and bathrooms sometimes combi boilers are not recommended so I guess it would be no different in Cyprus. I don't know, but I wonder whether a more efficient solar system (evacuated tube panels as opposed to the common and less efficient flat plate collector panels) would be better!

Deniz1 wrote:As you said we still have hot water in a power cut.

Wouldn't work of course for those that don't have direct fed mains water and need pumped water!

guru wrote:

Deniz1 wrote:As you said we still have hot water in a power cut.

Wouldn't work of course for those that don't have direct fed mains water and need pumped water!

Can't speak for these but most boilers require some sort of electrical connection to power controlers, safety systems etc so would not work in a power cut

It has battery powered ignition.

sophie wrote:I'll be going back to the shop this morning because something is obviously wrong (1) If someone is having a shower or running a tap in one room, no-one else can draw water without the person under the shower freezing to death i.e. system cannot cope with two taps running at the same time. It takes at least 90secs before water becomes even tepic. (try putting your hand under very cold water for 90secs - it feels like an hour!!) Sparky, when you say "at the turn of the tap" do you mean after running 3 or 4 washing up bowls of cold your water starts to slowly warm up?

The company will have to come back and adjust the pipes on the roof as there is roughly 30+ metres just draped over the front roof (not fastened to anything) and its dreadful. As pipes are not lagged here and the roof faces the base of the mountains, I reckon that as the weather gets worse then hot or even warm water is going to be virtually impossible. If anyone thinking of converting, they are more than welcome to come and see ours because obviously the system is not always brilliant.

When I said at the turn of a tap obviously you have to run off the water between the gas water heater and the tap with any system, and ours now has a shorter run because the water in the pipe from the roof to the heater is now not needed to be run off, and as previously asked no need for electric as also ignited by batteries.

Unrelated but the man who fitted my gas water heater came to my house and sorted out a problem with my water after I have waited 5 days for the plumber who didnt turn up.Also he wouldnt take any money. what a kind man.It was nothing to do with the gas heater by the way.

Oh bliss this morning a piping hot shower I am a happy bunny.

I don't want to appear to be a moaning minny but picture this (a) went for a shower yesterday evening, ran the water for 8 minutes (lord only knows how much wasted water that was) Suddenly - virtually no water - grabbed a dressing gown and shouted down the stairs "turn the B****tap off", returned to shower, cold and fed up, waiting for water to re-warm up. (b) Got up this morning, turned on tap in ensuite, went down stairs, made a cuppa, came back up stairs and water was just off being tepid, 30 seconds later it started to become warm. How much water did I waste - heaven only knows.

Yesterday I went to the office and finally got someone to admit that in reality only one tap should be on at one time. When I said that I didn't like white pipes just being draped over one of the roofs, I was told that I could paint them red if I liked!!!

Any time now we're going to be making the decision what to do, but I suspect its going to be dumping the thing and accepting that "once again we have been conned into buying a good idea " which is suitable for small properties, flats or a house that is virtually square. The system cannot cope with property that is designed slightly off the norm as it were. Unfortunetly you don't discover this until you have paid over good money (which by the way appears to have increased from 700tl to over 1000tl in a very short time). BTW, strange how some people rave about the system on this Forum, but when discussing it face to face, admit that there are flaws!! The TRNC is a very small place.

I can only speak as I find and my systems works fine for me. Piping hot shower every morning. The price has increased as he was doing a special offer previously to get started. The kitchen tap takes a bit longer but its the same as using the immersion heater I had to wait the same amount of time for the hot waster to come through. collect the water in a bucket and use it else where washing the car or in the garden.

I can honestly say our system works better than before and we do wait for the cold to run off but only for 30 seconds or so and it is so hot you cannot hold you hand under it or shower without adding cold, Sophie sounds like your water source is a long way from the house is there any way they can refit the system?????

When he fixed my other problem the gas man said I really needed a bigger pump as I have a lot of pipes a long way from the tank but even so its fine. He did say if the lady concerned is not happy with the pipes he could try to disguise them for her.

I'm not going to add any more to this thread because obviously the system suits a lot of people, other than to say it upsets me when I have to run off gallons and gallons of water unecessarily, just to fill up half a basin of hot water. If someone wants to have a shave, then it'll be back to filling one gas kettle and letting it heat up. In our case, the shape of the roof obviously doesn't suit i.e. it consists of 5 different angled areas, but you don't find that out until the work is completed and you've handed over your money. BTW the source of the water is about 3ft or less from the boiler. I did ask if buying a larger pump would help and was told no because the pipes within the boiler are still the same diameter and would not make hot water flow quicker. But as I said, I'm delighted for those who are happy with the system, but as someone who abhors water wasteage it really goes against the grain for me.

After 4 months I have had my first change of gas bottle I think thats pretty good and there was enough left to connect to the hob for a couple of weeks. My electric bill was 92 lira this month about half what is was before.

My friendly gas heater man came today and opened up the solar panels again. 6months of hot water with gas and only 1 1/2 gas tanks used.

More or less the same as us, with a difference though. We have found a plumber who agreed that we have about 25m too much piping. If the original plumber had given some real thought to the matter, he would have realised that he could have drilled two holes into the downstairs bathroom wall, one for cold and one for hot and we could have had virtually instant hot water. Instead we have piping running all over the roof and have to waste gallons of water. We're having the work done in time for next winter, approximate length of piping will be 2.5 metres.

That should be better then. My upstairs bathroom gets the water quickly but I have to wait a bit for the downstairs tap but I collect the water and use it for the garden.

Just asking if you are all still happy with your gas water heaters as we will be wintering there this year and it's so wasteful and annoying to put immersion on just for a morning wash or a bit of washing up etc

We have two bathrooms one up stairs one down stairs and a kitchen. Can they all be connected into a system and where are the gas bottle and boiler placed indoors or outside.
Sheila

It can be connected to the entire water system my heater is outside under cover but if exposed you would need the metal cover made for it.