Trouble filling water cylinder back up.

[Screech20]

Heya guys.

Basically we've just got a place that's in a bit of a state and we are in the process of sorting it.

I turned off and drained the central heating about 3 weeks ago and been in bits since.

Shut off and drained the header tank for hot water so I could remove the kitchen sink and put in valves ready for the new kitchen.

Today I went to turn the hot water back on... Released the ballcock to allow the header tank to fill up, but it doesn't seen to be filling the cylinder up.

I get water coming out of the hot taps, but cold. It's just the tank is empty (can slightly move it, and sounds empty by tapping it)

I'm guessing, when the header tank refills, it should go straight down the pipes to fill the cylinder up, then leave the header full?
Instead, a little goes down the pipes, not a lot, then just carries on in the header.

As for what system it is... There's a gas boiler in the kitchen, copper cylinder in the bathroom with header above it in the loft, and another water tank in loft for the central heating. (Which has the ballcock locked off and empty)

Any ideas?

Cheers!

 

[bazdaman]

If your getting water out of your hot taps but its cold then the cylinder must be full!? It will not he hot because the central heating is drained

 

[Screech20]

I thought that, but I think maybe it's only letting a little in?

The CH has been drained for a while, and we still had hot water?

Cheers

 

[bazdaman]

So the flow rate is now slower from hot taps? Ps turn the immersion back on

 

[Screech20]

Yeah the 'hot' taps aren't that powerful.

There is no immersion... P

 

[JohnD]

when you say "header tank" what size is it?

 

[Screech20]

Off the top of my head, around 2ft square.

 

[JohnD]

A small tank like that one does not fill the cylinder. It fills the radiators, the boiler, and the heating coil in the cylinder.

When you bleed the highest radiators in the house, does water squirt out forcefully? What colour is it?

There should be a much larger tank, which supplies the hot tap water and fills the cylinder.

 

[Screech20]

That's definitely the larger of the 2 tanks. It may be bigger just trying to visualise it.

As I said the heating side is still off and empty. I thought they weren't connected but after a little more reading last night I now believe they are?

So I've got to get the heating back together and filled up before I can get hot water?
Still not 100% sure the tank is full though :/

Cheers

 

[JohnD]

for your boiler to heat the cylinder, you have to fill the (small) feed and expansion tank that fills the boiler, the radiators, and the cylinder coil.

For water to come out of the hot taps, you have to fill the (large) cold water tank that fills the cylinder.

These two circuits are not connected and do not mix.

It would be a good idea to add a cleaning chemical such as X400 to the small F&E tank (after sponging out the mud and before refilling) to help loosen the accumulated dirt and sediment inside the boiler and radiators. You can drain it out after a few weeks circulation, and it will wash out the loosened sludge.