Please help...Primatic tank (we think)

[victorten66]

I rent out an old property which is empty at the moment and the cylinder/tank had a crack so I got it changed...

a few days later i had to drain system to change a TRV and then noticed the system wasnt refilling... the plumber didnt know why... he assumed it was a normal tank so has replaced like for like. I asked around/researched and it must have been an old primatic tank. He admitted his error.

As i write this; the plumber is putting in a F&E tank in the loft.
My concern is that reading on here and other websites it says that when replacing a primatic tank it should be replaced with a indirect cylinder tank?If as ive said before the inexperienced plumber has put in a 'normal' tank, will i get hot water at all out of my taps or is he gonna have to swap the tanks again?!


much appreciated

 

[seco services]

Whats a normal tank ?

 

[dcawkwell]

The primatic tank just formed a rather stupid way of providing a header tank for the central heating system.
How the plumber didn't spot there wasn't any feed to the central
heating I do not know.

A normal vented tank and header tank arrangement will be fine.

 

[victorten66]

Whats a normal tank ?

you have to excuse my ignorance but my 'research' was in a carpark picking up my kid from school What im trying to say is that could he have put in a direct water heating cylinder?

 

[dcawkwell]

Whats a normal tank ?

you have to excuse my ignorance but my 'research' was in a carpark picking up my kid from school What im trying to say is that could he have put in a direct water heating cylinder?

You wouldn't want a direct one. You want one heated by the gas boiler (indirect).
A direct one would have to be heated by an immersion heater.

 

[twgas]

An indirect cylinder, as you now have, wil be "normal" for a boiler type system. A direct cylinder is normal for electric only water heating.

 

[seco services]

What im trying to say is that could he have put in a direct water heating cylinder?

Wouldn't of thought he would be that dim.

 

[twgas]

What im trying to say is that could he have put in a direct water heating cylinder?

Wouldn't of thought he would be that dim.

He didn't notice the lack of f&e tank when he drained down

 

[Nige F]

. the plumber didnt know why... he assumed it was a normal tank so has replaced like for like. I asked around/researched and it must have been an old primatic tank. He admitted his error.

As i write this; the plumber is putting in a F&E tank in the loft.

Then he`s probably doing it right - and it will be a better way - but who knows how he`s configured the pipework , if he didn`t know what a primatic was , bet he was Gas Safe though

 

[sherbert]

To be honest

Hes most Prob thought empty house .. bugger going in the loft .. i will just shut the main off and drain down

He could have thought wonder where the O/V & cold feed where for the heating but quite often on old systems the did some strange things so quite happily changed the cylinder but what I cant understand is what he did when the heating did not fill up

I have quoted to change a cylinder before and when got there found out it was a primatic ........ egg on face trying to explain that they had 2 options ... either fit a F/E tank or order a primatic at great expense ........ would also add that many people with say 20 years experiance may have never seen one due to the lack of them fitted/replaced

 

[victorten66]

current situation.... really losing the will to live now

got a phone call around 5 saying the system has filled up now and no leaks.

so i go round at 6 and turn the boiler on... it fires up....happy days... i leave and go home.

i head back at around 7 to check everything is ok. house is freezing...boiler is on pilot light. it fires up again for about 3 mins.

basically no rads downstairs are hot. 3 upstairs nearest the boiler are working but 2 bedrooms are still cold.

oh, no hot water also!

Is this a pump not working or air lock etc etc?!
Excuse my ignorance but why isnt there hot water in the cylinder?!

 

[dcawkwell]

current situation.... really losing the will to live now

got a phone call around 5 saying the system has filled up now and no leaks.

so i go round at 6 and turn the boiler on... it fires up....happy days... i leave and go home.

i head back at around 7 to check everything is ok. house is freezing...boiler is on pilot light. it fires up again for about 3 mins.

basically no rads downstairs are hot. 3 upstairs nearest the boiler are working but 2 bedrooms are still cold.

oh, no hot water also!

Is this a pump not working or air lock etc etc?!
Excuse my ignorance but why isnt there hot water in the cylinder?!

I leave a system working when I finish a job.
Avoid this guy in future. Sounds like air locks to me.
It may get going on it's own but I wouldn't hold my breath. You could try
bleeding the radiators first.

 

[victorten66]

I leave a system working when I finish a job.
Avoid this guy in future. Sounds like air locks to me.
It may get going on it's own but I wouldn't hold my breath. You could try
bleeding the radiators first.[/quote]

i'm home now. Gonna try again in the morning... cant face going back for round 10

why is the water in the cylinder not heating up by the boiler at the moment? is that an air locks and/or a pump problem also?

 

[Nige F]

To be honest

Hes most Prob thought empty house .. b*****r going in the loft .. i will just shut the main off and drain down

Shame on you - you`re letting down the Plumbers of Sussex

 

[Nige F]

Can you post some pictures here - we may be able to see how he`s configured the new feed and expansion pipes