System boiler and tank with water in the loft??

[Elixa]

Hi,
I’m just wondering if anyone could help me with this. As may be obvious I know nothing about plumbing and heating and I’m trying to work out what sort of water system I have. I’ve been reading up about gravity fed etc and I don’t get how come I have a system boiler with a cylinder AND a small tank with water with a ball cock in it in the loft. Everything I have read says you don’t have a water tank if you have a system boiler. Can anyone help me?!

 

[JohnD]

What colour is your cylinder?

How do you know you have a system boiler?

 

[Elixa]

Well on the label on the boiler and it says condensing system boiler. So I’m assuming that’s what it is. The cylinder upstairs has a green covering on it, so I’m not exactly sure what colour it is underneath that

 

[Elixa]

This is a pic of the cylinder

 

[Madrab]

You have an open vented hot water system typically fed by a large cistern(tank) in the loft.

Does the small cistern (tank) in the loft have any water in it? You may find it's empty as the system boiler would be running on a sealed system pressurised by the cold mains

 

[denso13]

This is a pic of the cylinder

You can see the pressure gauge which points to the CH side of things being a sealed, pressurised system.

 

[Elixa]

You have an open vented hot water system typically fed by a large cistern(tank) in the loft.

Does the small cistern (tank) in the loft have any water in it? You may find it's empty as the system boiler would be running on a sealed system pressurised by the cold mains

As far as I know it has water in it. I wasn’t the one that went up there but it was leaking through the ceiling so my brother in law went up to investigate and said it was this tank -that I didn’t know I had. Said it was small with a ball cock in it .

 

[Elixa]

You can see the pressure gauge which points to the CH side of things being a sealed, pressurised system.

I’m sorry for being stupid here but does this mean that I don’t have a gravity fed system? The reason this has all come about is because I’m wanting to install a mixer shower and not sure it’s a good idea with the system that I have.

 

[denso13]

I don’t have a gravity fed system?

You do seem to have gravity hot water, but sealed CH, which isn't ideal for a mixer shower.

 

[Elixa]

You do seem to have gravity hot water, but sealed CH, which isn't ideal for a mixer shower.

Again sorry for being super unknowledgable but does this mean that my cold water comes from the mains but my hot water comes from that tank in the loft? And my central heating water comes from the boiler? Where does the water get heated up for my hot water?

 

[Elixa]

I’m sooo confused!

just to clarify -

what exactly does that tank in the loft supply, just the hot water?

where does the water come from to hear my radiators?

Does my cold water come direct from the mains?

Thanks for all the replies, I realise it must be like pulling teeth trying to explain this to someone as clueless as me!

Also, the pressure from both hot and cold taps in my bathroom seems to be good. Although I haven’t had it properly checked or anything. So is a mixer shower still not a good idea? And if so is that because of poor pressure or because I don’t have a constant supply of hot water?

 

[Elixa]

I’m sooo confused!

just to clarify -

what exactly does that tank in the loft supply, just the hot water?

where does the water come from to hear my radiators?

Does my cold water come direct from the mains?

Thanks for all the replies, I realise it must be like pulling teeth trying to explain this to someone as clueless as me!

Also, the pressure from both hot and cold taps in my bathroom seems to be good. Although I haven’t had it properly checked or anything. So is a mixer shower still not a good idea? And if so is that because of poor pressure or because I don’t have a constant supply of hot water?

and how does that water I the tank I’m the loft get heated if that is what supplies my hot water? Does it get heated by the boiler and then go into my cylinder to be stored? Cos I am guessing it doesn’t get heated in the tank in the loft?

 

[denso13]

what exactly does that tank in the loft supply, just the hot water?

It supplies cold water to feed the HW cylinder and sometimes the cold taps in the bathroom.

where does the water come from to hear my radiators?

From the cold mains. The heating circuit is filled by opening the yellow handled valve in you HW cylinder picture.

Does my cold water come direct from the mains?

Yes, although some can be fed from the cistern in the loft.

So is a mixer shower still not a good idea?

Can still be done, depending on pressure and flow rates, but isn't as good as a mains fed one.

and how does that water I the tank I’m the loft get heated if that is what supplies my hot water? Does it get heated by the boiler and then go into my cylinder to be stored?

The hot water gets heated in the HW cylinder. The cistern in the loft feeds in cold water to the cylinder as you open a hot tap.

 

[Elixa]

It supplies cold water to feed the HW cylinder and sometimes the cold taps in the bathroom.



From the cold mains. The heating circuit is filled by opening the yellow handled valve in you HW cylinder picture.



Yes, although some can be fed from the cistern in the loft.



Can still be done, depending on pressure and flow rates, but isn't as good as a mains fed one.



The hot water gets heated in the HW cylinder. The cistern in the loft feeds in cold water to the cylinder as you open a hot tap.

That’s very informative. Thank you very much for taking the time to reply