primatic to indirect tank,whats the difference?

mikell · 5 Jan 2010

My primatic has given up the ghost ,or more ,I have .
Been looking around and (please correct me)an indirect tank does basically the same job as a primatic, coil comes in with the central heating water passing through heats up the water ,or the element can heat it up from the tank.
If that is right ,what is the actual difference?
I have an overflow pipe coming out of the center top of my primatic ( im sure thats what it is anyway?)but dont have an extra plastic tank in the loft just the one that feeds the tank at present.
can I just change one for the other or do I need to alter anything?
tank is 900 x 400 (iv seen cutaways of indirect and it looks just like my primatic ).
Any guidance would be truly welcome gents thanks!

wetshoes · 5 Jan 2010

A primatic cylinder uses just the one tank in the loft.
If you change to an indirect cylinder you'll need to put an extra tank up there for feed & expansion of the central heating system.

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

Hi ,thanks,
Yes Iv just read up on that,had my loft converted this year so not too keen on starting up there with another tank!
I have seen a glendhill primatic for sale mine is 400mm this is 450mm do you think my pipes would couple up to this given the slight difference in size?

dextrous · 6 Jan 2010

I would be extremely surprised if changes to the pipework were not necessary.

namsag · 6 Jan 2010

So what is up with yours.

And the pipe coming out the top is the pipe to the hot taps and open vent

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

my emersion heater eelement has gone ( previously ages ago I had got the old element out or bits of it it had rusted off and fell to the bottom of the tank! ( I buckled the tank in the process but sealed a pinprick and replaced the element) .
Now this one had gone I cannot get it to budge and as the tank is already weak were it buckled previously , I cannot give it much force before the seam starts to go again. we use the emersion much more than the c/h boiler so this is what we need to do.
Its not viable to get a new boiler with all new rads and all new pipework when we can just hopefully sort out the cylinder.
ta again.

namsag · 6 Jan 2010

Why dont you use the boiler for hot water gas is cheaper than electric even on economy 7

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

We are doing that now ,but I think apart from habit ,it needs repairing anyway, but ( the wife deals with the bills I just work), we never used the c/h at all or the water for about a three month period last year and got a 80 pound bill which all we could put it down to was the pilot light!? we called out the gasman to check the meter and they said it was fine.
So we try to stay away from the gas.
point taken of course ,but it still needs repairing.

londonboy · 6 Jan 2010

Id hate to see your electric bill

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

its a monthly amount by d/d stays the same year round , bit like a fixed rate mortgage ,use more in the winter ,less in the summer,same amount you know where you are,....i think!

Hugh Jaleak · 6 Jan 2010

If there is room it may be possible, (subject to getting an overflow pipe to an external wall), to locate a F+E tank in the space above the cylinder. Only needs to be a small 10 gallon tank, with a 22mm vent from primary flow and 15mm cold feed to primary return.

This will allow you to fit an indirect cylinder rather than another primatic, unless there's any additional issues with the boiler and/or rads then you've no need to touch these. Fit a new cylinder, (I think you need to anyway!) then you can use the boiler to heat the water, it'll be far cheaper. Fit a new immersion and then keep it for emergency backup.

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

cheers guys
Hugh, there is deffo space above the present tank I boxed it in and can easily alter it to suit.
and this is located on an external wall .

so the only real big difference between primatic and indirct is the f+e tank ( apart from the air bubble in the primatic as opposed to the coil in the indirect?) with the f+e tank added ,thats the only thing that changes?
cheers.

dextrous · 6 Jan 2010

But the FE should be placed adjacent to the cold water tank and not above it.

mikell · 6 Jan 2010

mikell";p="1463348 said:
cheers guys

Hugh, there is deffo space above the present tank I boxed it in and can easily alter it to suit.
and this is located on an external wall .

Click to expand...

sorry should have read `deffo space above the present cylinder ,NOT tank! `
the cold water tank is up in the eves somewhere ,there is room above the cylinder ,on an external wall!
have just took measurments of my pipework in to cylinder so hopefully can find one to fit. if im lucky.

Whitespirit66 · 6 Jan 2010

Back to your question 'primatic to indirect, what's the difference?'

A lot less aggro that's the difference. Primatics are clever but flawed. Ok so you need another tank in your loft. Small beer really.

Another thing to consider: with primatic, you are unable to use corrosion inhibitors in the system, because there is every likelihood that the rusty old water that runs through your rads can mix with the water in the immersion cylinder (if the air bubble that seperates the two systems should fail, etc). This 'orrible stuff thats in your rads can come out of your taps. Also, no corrosion inhibitor allowed means a corroding system = expensive!

Primatic - why did the inventors bother???

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

primatic to indirect tank,whats the difference?

dextrous

namsag

namsag

dextrous

Similar threads