Unable to find header tank!

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

Morning all,

Got a problem with a heating system.

A mate drained his system and only managed to get about a bucket of water from the system. Now that's he tried to refill it there is a whole load of air in the system and most of the radiators are only half full and no matter how much bleeding he does they just don't fill.

He called to see if I could give him a hand. I went into the loft and could only find one header tank. Now is it likely that this header tank supplies both the water cylinder AND the heating system? Surely not - that could make for some pretty filthy hot water!

I suspect that he has a blockage on the cold feed (either that or the vanishing header tank supply has been isolated but I can't switch the valve back on because I can't find the damn tank!).

For the time being, I was thinking of sticking a hose onto one of the draincocks downstairs and filling it the same way as it's supposed to drain. Do I need my mate upstairs bleeding air out of an air valve as I'm doing this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rico99 · 5 Dec 2008

Hi there,

It all depends on what type of hot water / heating system he has.

Is it combi boiler, hot water cylinder, vented / unvented.

Need answers to above to help.

Rico

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

Jeez Rico that was quick- thanks!

Open vented cylinder - I know that much. There's a large water tank in the loft with a 15mm copper supply pipe, a 22mm plastic overflow pipe and a 22mm feed pipe going down to the cylinder. The cylinder has an immersion in as a back up and there's a 22mm copper pipe coming back up to the tank, hooked over the top of the tank.

In terms of the heating - I have no idea. I can't find any other header tank. The boiler is a floor standing oil fired one in an outhouse with a lot of pipes and contraptions around it. There's a pump and a valve thing which is connected to the electrics. The valve has three outlets. Off one of the outlets is a gate valve but that pipe seems to join up with others further along the pipe run anyway. I've tried the gate valve in both fully clockwise and anti-clockwise and have now just left it in the middle because I'm not sure where it's supposed to be.

I'm going from memory here but should be dropping round to his house later so might be able to find out more in a bit.

Oh, I am also struggling to find a pipe leading to the boiler that's cold!

gavinda · 5 Dec 2008

photos of the boiler room will help. is there a big red vessenl with a preessure gauge and metal mesh hose anywhere in sight

Tipper · 5 Dec 2008

How is your mate refilling the system if he can't find the header tank?

If there is no header tank than it must be a sealed system.

Is he filling the system by opening a valve from the mains?

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

Gavinda,

YES! There's a big red fire extinguisher type thing a foot or two away from the boiler.

Wil try and get some pics in a bit. Not sure how to stick 'em up on here but will try my best.

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

Tipper said:
How is your mate refilling the system if he can't find the header tank?

If there is no header tank than it must be a sealed system.

Is he filling the system by opening a valve from the mains?

Lol, good question tipper. He actually shut off the stopcock for the main incoming water supply because he couldn't find any other way of isolating it. He figured, quite logically I guess, that by shutting of the mains, the supply to the heating would also be isolated, sooner or later once the invisible header tank had drained. As it happens, he only got a bucket of water out of the entire system anyway!

He figured that by switching on the mains it would in one way or another refill the heating system.

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

mobileman said:
Gavinda,

YES! There's a big red fire extinguisher type thing a foot or two away from the boiler.

Wil try and get some pics in a bit. Not sure how to stick 'em up on here but will try my best.

BTW, I know it's not really a fire extinguisher lol. I guess it's some sort of pressure relief valve. Does that mean the heating system is sealed?

ollski · 5 Dec 2008

Is there a sticker on the tank saying primatic or suchlike?

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

ollski said:
Is there a sticker on the tank saying primatic or suchlike?

Hi Ollski,

There's a sticker on it which says Flexcon (or Flexicon - I can't remember which).

I've been round and taken some pics this afternoon but the battery on my Blackberry's just died so I need to get some juice into it before I can start it up again to e-mail the pics to myself and then try and figure out how to attach them to this thread.

Thanks to all so far for taking the time to help.

ollski · 5 Dec 2008

didn't read it properly that its a sealed system!

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

Sorry Ollski,

I don't quite understand - are you saying it IS a sealed system?

If so, where should I look in order to refill it?

mobileman · 5 Dec 2008

OK, lets see if attaching these pics works?

And if it does, see if anyone can make anything of them?

View media item 6672 View media item 6673 View media item 6674 View media item 6675

MANDATE · 5 Dec 2008

Tipper said:
If there is no header tank than it must be a sealed system.

Sorry but thats not quite correct. there is no header tank if a primatic cylinder is fitted. Thats why ollski asked the question.
However the red vessel in the picture may well be a expansion vessel so it does look like a sealed system.
Two things come to mind (a) have you found a pressure gauge? without one I don't see how the system can be re-filled to the correct pressure. and (b) a sealed system will have pressure relief valve, with a exit pipe. Has that been located?

MANDATE · 5 Dec 2008

Another thought! If the red vessel is a expansion vessel, there will be schieder valve to attach air pump to re charge vessel, so have you located that?

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Unable to find header tank!

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