unusual plumbing for DHW

[mal165]

HI, I have a friend who has what I think is an unusual plumbing arrangement for her DHW. The feed to and supply from the DHW cylinder are as normal. However there is no immersion heater fitted and instead the boss has been blanked off and has two 15mm pipes coming out of it. I imagine thes pipes are linked together inside the cylinder to provide a heating loop. One pipe is connected to the CH supply and has an open ballofix valve fitted. The other pipe is connected to the CH return and both of these pipes are interconnected with a closed ballofix on this connection. The top boss for the heating coil (don't know if there is a coil fitted or not) has been blanked off. The cable to the pump and boiler a grey twin core and earth. The programmer allows for control of the CH only. I would really appreciate you comments on this arrangement. Many thanks

 

[swbjackson]

This was quite a common way of heating a direct hot water cylinder when a system was installed. Servowarm used to to it quite a lot.

 

[kirkgas]

they are made by salamander and are still available, they were a cheap way of changing a direct cylinder into indirect when fitting a new cheap heating system, you simply removed the old immersor and fitted the salamander, not worked on them for years but don't seem to remember many people having much complaint about them so they do work,

 

[mal165]

Hi, thanks for the replies. I was beginning to think that this was a cowboy installation. Perhaps you can give me further advice regarding getting control of the DHW. I was considering changing the programmer timer for a honeywell unit and coupling this with a mid position valve, cylinder and room stats, wired via the honeywell control centre. query concerns the connection to the mid position valve from the Salamander unit. I am assuming the connection would be to the pump outlet side of the salamander unit but would appreciate your advice. thanks again for your help

 

[GPlumb]

The DHW port of the 3 way goes to 1 pipe on the salamander and the other pipe on the salamander goes to the return back to the boiler. Is that what your asking?

 

[mal165]

yep, thats what i'm thinking, easy to distinquish between the salamander pipes by following back to ch system.