Weird central heating system- help

[skydog]

Ok this is a follow on to my post about showers.

In my loft are two tanks. Both lead types, one with cold and the other hot....

When I turn the hot taps on this tank empties and likewise the cold on the other.

It looks like the hot water comes from the storage tank in the bedroom.

Have an ancient boiler (glow worm downsatirs)

The problems are this:

1, The hot water supplied via the taps is tepid.

2, The radiators have not temperature control (apart from on the boiler)

3, The pipes knock like an old ladies knees, and there appears to be no where to bleed the main tank, and the radiators wont bleed at all, which leave some red hot and the others half full and cold.

So given this, do I give in and replace it all with a new combi/condensing boiler? Replace the radiators and get a new shower?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

 

[kevplumb]

you want to have another go at that

 

[doitall]

you want to have another go at that

Yes please, sounds like a breezer job

 

[skydog]

you want to have another go at that

So I guess its fuc@ed then????

Thats what happens when you let your partner buy a house when your away!!!!

Any temp fixes to get some hot water before it goes the journey??

Cheers

 

[kevplumb]

not the system mate your description
try it again and slowly i am looking at a bloody monitor


not your house

 

[skydog]

not the system mate your description
try it again and slowly i am looking at a b****y monitor


not your house

Ok try this:

Loft: Two galvanised tanks, one has cold and one has hot (I kid you not)

Bedroom below tank: Storage tank (tanks has no external temperature control nor a place I can see to bleed it) with pipes going to and from loft and then off to taps. And a mains pipe going to the toilet.

1st floor: 4 radiators two hot and two half full and cold.

Ground floor: Glow worm boiler, only control is temp 120 - 180 degrees. Timer in cupboard under the stairs. NO room temperature control.

I have been told that such a system doesnt exist, but this is what I have........

The confusion lies with the two tanks in the loft which both have a floating ball cock in. One is definately hot, bloody thing is steaming all the time the heating is on.

Anything?????

Cheers

Bryn

 

[Newboy]

Just a guess

The two tanks in the loft are

1) Cold water storage tank (bigger of the two)

2) Central heating header tank suffering from CH pumping over - hence
steaming and hot when your CH is running

The tank in the cupboard in the bedroom is your hot water cylinder

Out of interest - what type of valves are there on your radiators?

Have a really good look at the radiators (including running your hand along the back of the top to look for bleed valves)

 

[brumylad]

Is there a pump

are there one or more motorised valves (brass valves with a bright steel box on top with a wire going in)

On the side of the hot water cylinder (bedroom) should be two pipes going into it, often there is a stalk of pipe coming up from the top pipe here with a brass manual air bleed valve.

 

[skydog]

Just a guess

The two tanks in the loft are

1) Cold water storage tank (bigger of the two)

2) Central heating header tank suffering from CH pumping over - hence
steaming and hot when your CH is running

The hot water one empties when the hot taps are turned on or when the shower is going. (bizarre I know...)

The radiators have normal turn key valves, but dont "bleed" when undone. Well two do but the others dont. I was told you should be able to bleed the storage tank, but can not find where, unless its behind the tank against the wall.

Hope this helps...

Bryn

 

[skydog]

Is there a pump

are there one or more motorised valves (brass valves with a bright steel box on top with a wire going in)

On the side of the hot water cylinder (bedroom) should be two pipes going into it, often there is a stalk of pipe coming up from the top pipe here with a brass manual air bleed valve.

There is a pump by the bathroom door under the floorboards.

There is no stalk pipe on the cylinder.

Cant see any motorised valves anywhere, so probably no.

Cheers

Bryn

 

[brumylad]

how many fat pipes come out of the top / side of the boiler to then rise up through the floor

does the pipe coming out of the top of the hot water cylinder (to then go up into the atic), run straight up or is there a short horizontal run taking it to the wall first

 

[skydog]

how many fat pipes come out of the top / side of the boiler to then rise up through the floor

does the pipe coming out of the top of the hot water cylinder (to then go up into the atic), run straight up or is there a short horizontal run taking it to the wall first

Will go and have a look, but will have to post tomorrow as the tank is behind a partition I have to unscrew and my missus will have a fit if I do it now.

I'll get a full description.

Thanks for all your help so far.

Cheers

Bryn

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

So I guess its fuc@ed then????

I have a lot of time and patience for old boilers and systems as I think they often have a lot to offer, and when you do your sums even though modern boilers are more economical; older systems are much cheaper to maintain. It often takes a long time to get your installation money back from a modern system from the savings you make so fixing up the old one is usually the best way to go. However my new crystal ball that I nicked from Kev tells me that yours is a knacker and you should get rid of it.

Any temp fixes to get some hot water before it goes the journey??

Get a baby burco off ebay > Permanent fix is with an FBH

 

[skydog]

how many fat pipes come out of the top / side of the boiler to then rise up through the floor

does the pipe coming out of the top of the hot water cylinder (to then go up into the atic), run straight up or is there a short horizontal run taking it to the wall first

Have taken a look so here goes.

The tank has 4 pipes coming out of it.

The top one goes up and then horizontal and joins a fat pipe which goes from the loft to the bathroom.


The pipe on the bottom right comes out and up and then to the loft, this is also a fat pipe.

Halfway up on the left side is a thin pipe which comes out and joins another thin pipe which also comes from the loft to the bathroom.

Bottom left is a thin pipe connected to another thin pipe which again comes from the loft and to the bathroom

A 4th thin pipe comes from the loft and goes directly to the toilet system.

There is an electric cable which runs under the floorboards and to the loft, but cant see in the loft where it goes to.

One of the pipes has and earth on it, but no obvious valve.

The storage tank has no manufacturers marks or obvious controls.

I know this must be ****ing you lot off, but before I consign it to the bin I must try and see if its fixable.

I have asked a plimber to visit but one cant come for 4 weeks as its not an emergency........

Anyway thanks for all the advice.

Cheers

Bryn

 

[Panjandrum]

Always intrigued by a puzzle, so here's a set of suggestions.

Have taken a look so here goes. The tank has 4 pipes coming out of it.
(1) The top one goes up and then horizontal and joins a fat pipe which goes from the loft to the bathroom.

The hot water feed from the tank going to the bathroom and up to the loft and onwards to other hot taps?

(2) The pipe on the bottom right comes out and up and then to the loft, this is also a fat pipe.

The cold water feed TO the hot water tank from the cold water storage tank in the loft?

(3) Halfway up on the left side is a thin pipe which comes out and joins another thin pipe which also comes from the loft to the bathroom.

Connection to the CH boiler, either feed or return to/from the heating coil inside the hot water tank. Pipe to the loft could be the (overflow) for the CH system or the feed from the header tank for the CH system? It goes to the bathroom because it joins the CH piping there somewhere.

(4) Bottom left is a thin pipe connected to another thin pipe which again comes from the loft and to the bathroom.

Connection to the CH boiler, either feed or return - partner to the last one - same comments apply.

(5) A 4th thin pipe comes from the loft and goes directly to the toilet system.

Connection from the cold water storage tank in the loft to the toilet system.
If this is not totally off the wall, I am still puzzled by (3) and (4) both having connections to the loft.
But here's a theory anyhow. What if there is a leak in the coil inside this hot water tank. That might explain why the water in the CH header tank in the loft empties when you turn on the hot taps. It would only explain why only some of your radiators get hot if there was something bizarre about how the hot water and the CH system is plumbed to the boiler. But taking into account the rest of the system description, that would not be surprising.

It would be helpful if you could find out what is at the other ends of each of the pipes you have mentioned.
PS - It sounds very like the system I used to have.