Hot Water Tank fitted on it's side???

[AFreeSpirit]

I still think it is worth having a chat to your solicitor. Did the house sales literature mention anything about full central heating etc?.

I emailed the solicitor and a frined in Building Services so I'll wait and see what they come back and say.

It does mention full central heating in the sales blurb and a combi boiler but it ain't no combi boiler in my house!

There is a main switch outside the boiler cupboard that is off but but there is a power light that's dimly lit. When you switch it on, the light comes on fully (like it should) We asked the previous owner what is was for and she said it's for the immersion heater!

Also noticed that there is a power switch by the open fire place that has a back boiler...it's off but when the central heating HW is on, the LED lights up as well as if there is current going through it.

Finally...if the red pump in the loft (operated by the switch out side the bedroom) is for circulating the water to the radiators then I assume it should be on??

It's -10 tonight....thermal clothing will need to be issued!!

Cheers for all the advise & support

 

[Agile]

I dont think you will get any recourse from anyone in your situation.

Women dont usually go in lofts!

Even if they did they would not know whats wrong.

My house In Bulawayo has a horizontal unvented tank in the roof but I dont know if its designed to be fitted like that.

Just replace it as soon as you can or you could just refit it vertically on a ply base ( not chipboard ) over a load bearing wall.

Tony

 

[spraggo]

Hence the reason that I suggested the OP gets a written report from a reputable heating engineer.

 

[Onetap]

It's -10 tonight....thermal clothing will need to be issued!!

And I'd anticipate that your uninsulated cold water tank and uninsulated pipework will freeze and split. If it was there when the previous owner moved in, I'd have expected it to have frozen before now.

Also, I'd check how the joists supporting the cold water tank have been fixed. They appear to be nailed. I'd expect the tank was raised at the same time the cylinder was relocated to the loft, to get a bit more head. I'd think the cylinder had started off vertical and was placed horizontally when the installer ran into problems, that would have been forseen by anyone competent. I suspect the pump (central heating, not suitable for HW, if it is a direct cylinder) was also an attempt to solve those problems.
Maybe the former owner had an incompetent DIYer hubby who was binned.

The tank seems to be supported on chipboard loft boarding; it should be on marine ply. If the HW is heated by a (direct?) solid fuel back boiler, the water in the tank can get very hot or even boil. The tank won't tolerate that for long. Neglect of this ( seemingly) minor detail has caused at least two deaths in the UK.

If there is a solid fuel boiler, there should be a separate feed & expansion tank, which I'd expect to be made of galvanized steel. Is there one?

There are too many nasty, and possibly unsafe, bodges on this system to be relying on advice form an internet forum. You need to get a competent technician to survey and advise you.

I suspect the previous owner may be telling porkies. There should be a date stamp and recycling information somewhere on the plastic tank Edit; No, ignore that, it's probably the 1970s tank, pre-recycling laws). Is there a lid on the tank?

 

[AFreeSpirit]

Thanks for taking the time to reply in detail.

I think fixing the cylinder issue is going to be best done by getting a combi boiler installed, then draining the cylinder, cutting it into pieces and removing it all together from the loft area. I certainly don't envy the plumber who has to work out what goes where up there.

Not saying a combi boiler is going to solve all my problems but I certainly do not want that hw cyclinder sitting over my head for any longer than it needs to be. If it was a horizontal tank, fitting by a competent plumber and over a supporting wall etc then I would not mind so much. I may be niave but I don't think a professional would have taken the cyclinder out of an airing cupboard and fitting it up in the loft in such a haphazard manner. I'm no expert by any means but as soon as I saw it, alarm bells went off in my head!!

I've asked Scottsh Hydro to come round on Wednesday next to quote me for a combi boiler and correct the plumbing where appropriate...I expect I can get cheaper but they're the only ones who have offered to come out this side of the New Year!

I'll go up in the loft tonight and lag the pipes that need doing (there's two unopened packets of lagging in the loft but I guess the installer got bored!) and I'll see if I can getthe CW lagged up.

Thanks for all your support

Kevin

 

[Nige F]

Hence the reason that I suggested the OP gets a written report from a reputable heating engineer.

He just has , from Agile - for free OP don`t worry about lagging the cold storage - just pull back some lagging from the ceiling - let some heat escape into loft In the scheme of things that £ittle extra cost on your gas bill is easier than poking about up there - then go for the combi My cold cistern is unlagged an I`ve just got a 2 foot square of lagging missing under it - down to minus 6 some nights , here in the soft South