How can I tell what type of heating system I have?

[Rollerball]

All I know is that I have a Danesmoor 15/19 oil fired boiler, but how can I tell what type of system it is?

I mainly ask as my water supply has been off for a couple of hours (some contractor has accidentally severed a pipe in a field, the water company are now working to repair it).

I've turned the boiler off just to be on the safe side.

 

[Armo74]

Do you have a hot water cylinder and header tank in your loft? If so it is an open vented system.

 

[Rollerball]

There's no hot water cylinder in the loft, but there is a header tank (two in fact - one might be the the additional shower located off one bedroom).

Is that open or closed?

 

[Armo74]

I meant do you have a header tank in your loft and a cylinder in maybe your airing cupboard?

If you have 2 tanks in your loft 1 large and 1 small and they have water in them I would say its an open vented system.

 

[Rollerball]

Ah yes, there is a cylinder in the airing cupboard.

Yes, the tanks in the loft - one large, one small.

So if that's an open vented system what should I normally do re the boiler in the event of no water supply?

 

[Armo74]

Shouldn't really need your boiler on anyway.

Be aware though you will run out of hot water because the larger of the 2 tanks in your loft will feed your cylinder and as your mains is off the tank will not be able to replenish itself.

 

[Rollerball]

Shouldn't really need your boiler on anyway.

How do I heat my water then?

Be aware though you will run out of hot water because the larger of the 2 tanks in your loft will feed your cylinder and as your mains is off the tank will not be able to replenish itself.

Yes indeed, good point.

So just to get my brain around how it all works - the larger tank in the loft is feeding the cylinder in the airing cupboard, correct?

What is the smaller tank likely to feed?

So is cold water from the mains going directly the the boiler and then being heated up for the central heating?

 

[Armo74]

You have turned your boiler off anyway so you could get hot water via your immersion(if you have one). Your small tank tops up your central heating system.

 

[RF Lighting]

Shouldn't really need your boiler on anyway.

How do I heat my water then?

Be aware though you will run out of hot water because the larger of the 2 tanks in your loft will feed your cylinder and as your mains is off the tank will not be able to replenish itself.

Yes indeed, good point.

So just to get my brain around how it all works - the larger tank in the loft is feeding the cylinder in the airing cupboard, correct?

What is the smaller tank likely to feed?

So is cold water from the mains going directly the the boiler and then being heated up for the central heating?

The small tank is for your central heating, and keeps the system supplied with water, and also allows for expansion of the water when the system is hot.

Your central heating system is filled with water when it is fitted, and this same water remains in the system unless you get a leak or someone does some work to the pipes etc.

It is circulated through your radiators and boiler by a pump. The boiler heats the water, and the rads let the heat out.

You can use your heating as normal with the water supply off. You hot water may be affected if you use a lot like running a bath etc, but a few wash basins full or doing the washing up will be fine.

 

[MANDATE]

The cylinder will have a coil inside. The water from the small tank will feed the heating system, that means the radiator pipes and also the coil mentioned above. This water may well have chemicals added to prevent corrosion and you would not use it for showers or baths.

However the water in the cylinder but on the outside of the coil is fed from the large tank,so the coil transfers the heat to the clean water.

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks very much for all of the replies.

Fingers crossed that the water comes back on soon!