Hot Water Cylinders West Christchurch

West Christchurch cylinders: frost on the airport side and post-war cupboards

The west is the coldest side of the city for hot water work. The airport averages around 50 nights below zero a year against 23 in the central city, and Christchurch's record low of minus 9.4 degrees was set at Wigram. Cylinders in garages in Avonhead, Burnside and Wigram lose heat faster in winter and their exposed pipes can freeze, so lagging and a sensible relief drain route are part of every install on this side of town.

Housing age changes from street to street. Burnside's post-war group housing and Avonhead's 1940s to 1960s homes often hold the cylinder in a narrow hallway cupboard, and a better insulated modern unit of the same capacity can be wider, so we measure before choosing. Riccarton's early workers' dwellings and Fendalton's large older homes and California bungalows may still have low pressure systems and older pipe, which we check before recommending mains pressure. In a big Fendalton house we also look at whether long runs to distant bathrooms call for a different cylinder position.

Ilam has many student rentals around the university, where a cylinder must keep up with several showers in a row, so sizing matters more than copying the old label. Wigram's 21st century homes are generally on mains pressure and are reaching their first replacements or valve work. Hornby mixes homes with industrial and retail sites, where staff facilities may need a larger cylinder or several units.

Local tip: If your west Christchurch cylinder is in the garage, ask for the pipework to be lagged when it is replaced, since this side of the city gets the hardest frosts.