Cold Water Tank Leaking

[themartyn]

Hey Folks,

Just wondering if anyone would be able to offer some advice as I've not idea where to start when it comes to these things!

I stay in a top floor flat with some loft space, i have recently noticed that our cold water tank is corroded in some parts and is starting to drip!

We currently have a cupboard in our hall which contains the water tank which I have mentioned and below the tank is a hot water cylinder. We don't not have gas - only electric heating in the flat.

I am wondering if anyone could fill me in on what options I would have to replace the tank, other than a straight swap.

I understand we could perhaps get a tank in the loft? Therefore saving some space in out cupboard.

Someone suggested to me that a mains fed system would also work? But i have no idea what this is!! Does that mean we would do away with both the cold water tank and the hot water cylinder, and install some new boiler type thing?

If it makes any difference we have an electric shower in the bathroom.

I apologise for my lame descriptions but if anyone can make sense of what I'm on about and have any suggestions that'd be great.

Thanks

Martyn

 

[seco services]

http://www.harwoodandassociates.co.uk/images/Megaflo Economy7 Unvented Hot Water Cylinder_jpg.jpg

unvented system you would have mains pressure hot/cold water.
still have a cylinder like this but not the tank in loft.

 

[muggles]

The unvented cylinder might be a good option for you, however you can't fit it yourself, you must get a registered installer in to do it. I suspect that this is the 'mains-fed' option you've been told about.

As you're in a flat, (which presumably only has one bathroom??) you could install a combi boiler if you wanted to consider making the switch from electric to wet central heating.

You could also just replace your existing cold water tank with a new one, and yes you can move this into the loft. This would be by far the cheapest option - you could even do it yourself. New tanks are plastic, not metal

 

[themartyn]

Thanks for the replies folks, i think we are going to go for a tank in the loft, and so hopefully gain a tiny bit more cupboard space!

Martyn

 

[Kev F]

id check if you own the loft 1st otherwise if anything should leak in the future your insurance may not pay out

 

[themartyn]

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll need to check that out.

I know its probably a "how long is a piece of string type question" but would anyone care to guess a rough ballpark figure of the cost in fitting either option - a tank in the loft or an unvented cylinder?