daft question? DHW/CH controls

[metalhead87]

Hi, please be gentle, I think I know the answer is 'no' already, but I recently moved into a place with a rather old central heating system. There are controls to switch the heating on, off or timed and there is a thermostat on the boiler (not anywhere else) - the boiler is a Glow Worm Spacesaver 38.
When the heating is on, the hot water heats up. In the airing cupboard there is a Grundfoss Selectric 4 pump which has settings 1-4 which seem to control the heat of the hot water. There is also an electric immersion heater. The question I wanted to ask is: Is there anyway to use the boiler to heat the water tank rather than the immersion heater without putting the central heating? There are several red valves in the airing cupboard surrounding the tank - would they allow me to control this or should I (as I probably rightly assume) not touch them if everythings working?
Where I used to live the CH and HW could be switched on and off from the controls and I believe something called a diverter valve in the boiler selected where the hot water was pumped to. Sorry I have very little understanding of heating systems.

 

[D_Hailsham]

In the airing cupboard there is a Grundfoss Selectric 4 pump which has settings 1-4 which seem to control the heat of the hot water.

Does the pipework form a T after the pump, one side going to the HW cylinder, the other to the rads?.

If so you can insert a mid-position motorized valve at the T and convert the system to Y-plan. With the correct controls you then have completely independent settings of CH and HW times and temperatures.

View media item 69 View media item 70

 

[spacethegas]

There are controls to switch the heating on, off or timed

more details please.

 

[metalhead87]

Does the pipework form a T after the pump, one side going to the HW cylinder, the other to the rads?.

There are two 'T's after the pump, the first the pump is on the right side, downwards there is a pipe with a red valve on it, which seems to go to the downstairs rads. Towards the left it then goes on to another 'T', upwards into the loft somewhere and towards the left of that T into the hot water cylinder.

more details please.

It's a Danfoss 103, mechanical timer.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Any chance of a photo of the plumbing around the pump? The description of two Ts is rather confusing. You can upload pics to this site - link at top of page - and then insert them in a post.