Hygienik Tank

The IDM Hygienik Hot Water Tank is a thermal storage system heated up by the heat pump.

The Hygienik Tank system acts as

• a thermal store for domestic hot water
• a buffer tank for the underfloor heating

The Hygienik Tank provides domestic hot water and heating for your system. It is a dual function tank that is both a thermal store for domestic hot water and a buffer tank for the underfloor heating.  Fresh mains water is passed through a heat exchanger on the outside of the tank.  The result is fresh hot water that's never been stored so bacteria such as legionella cannot build up.

The Hygienik Tank is a hot water cylinder and thermal store where you can "dump" warm water from other heat source (eg ground or air source heat pumps, solar panels, oil/gas boilers, wood, wood chip or wood pellet-burning stoves, road energy system), providing a fully integrated package.

Tanks are available in sizes 500 litres to 2000 litres delivering up to 70 litres of hot water per minute.

Click on the above schematic to see how the Hygienik Tank integrates with a heat pump (ground or air source), underfloor heating and solar thermal to deliver heating and hot water.

Hot Water Efficiency

Even though building standards are if anything reducing the requirement for extra heat, demand for hot water is increasing.  Many domestic water systems are not designed with conservation in mind. Please read our suggestions on hot water efficiency for our advice in this area.  IHS supplies a range of domestic water fixtures and fittings, some of which are profiled here.

Individual Thermostatic Control

Any well designed underfloor heating system should feature individual thermostatic room control as standard. The Hygienik Tank allows this level of control by acting as a buffer for the heating (some other systems use the underfloor itself as a buffer which minimises individual zone control).

How the Hygienik Tank Works

In a conventional hot water tank, the hot water remains in the storage tank for a long period.  Sludge and dirt accumulate at the base - this is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria such as legionella.

With the Hygienik Tank, cold mains water runs over a large surface stainless steel heat exchanger only when the hot water tap is turned on and is heated up by the heat from the hot water buffer storage tank within seconds, so that the water is always fresh.  The water in the storage tank is only used for heating; this is pumped round the heat exchanger when the tap is turned on.  It is therefore only heat that is stored in the hot buffer - not the hot water.

Function & Technology

The Hygienik Tank is a layered storage tank where the upper area is heated up ready for heating mains water, thus rendering it always fresh and hygienically clean.

The speed of the circulating pump depends on the quantity drawn off when the tap is turned on.

The IDM heat exchange station can also be built onto an existing heat storage system.  This means that:

• Old installations can be modernised
• Special storage tanks (for solar heating, district heating, block heating generators etc) can be equipped with fresh water technology
• Larger installations can be carried out (with several heat exchanger stations)
• Heat exchanger stations have tap capacity from 25 to 70 litres per minute

For technical data, please click here.

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