Is it a Vented or Unvented cylinder?

[Ackoman]

Hello,

Edit: The title should of course say unvented, not invented!

I'm in the process of buying a house, and have just had the survey done and I'm trying to work out whether the hot water cylinder is vented or unvented - maybe it's not possible to say for certain with the information I've got, but I'm hoping there will be something in the info below which indicates it one way or the other.

The boiler is in the garage, and is a Vaillant Ecotech plus 618

There is a hot water cylinder, of unknown type, in a first floor cupboard

According to the surveyor, there is a cold water tank in the loft, and an expansion tank. When I asked him if there is any possibility that they might be redundant from a previous set up, he said he wasn't able to tell.



So, I'm a bit confused because the boiler is a system boiler and therefore presumably does not actually need a cold water tank. So, why go to the effort and expense of getting a system boiler fitted, if you then don't make the most of it and instead stick with a vented system? Or am I missing something?

Is the only way to know for sure whether the system is vented or unvented by actually eye balling the cylinder? Or is there something about the description above which indicates one way or the other?

Thanks,

Ackoman

 

[Dan Robinson]

According to the surveyor

He's worth his fee then. fecking hate surveyors and consultants and managing agents.

 

[Dan Robinson]

We need a picture of the cylinder. A system boiler just integrates the pump and safety valve. It has nothing to do with the cylinder type.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Sounds like it is open vented though.

 

[Ackoman]

Ah ok - thanks.

Some more information that may or may not be relevant: the current owner has seemingly spent a lot on the house and has modernised it significantly. Last year for instance, he had the entirety of the south facing roof covered in PV panels. He has also had all the windows and doors replaced.

The cylinder is apparently fitted with an immersion heater.

I'm living in the hope that because he seems to have spared no expense in getting the house updated, he would have had the cylinder replaced with an unvented one. I guess time will tell.

Thanks,
Ackoman

 

[Dan Robinson]

Any particular reason?

Unvented is not the be all and end all. Poorly installed it could be worse.

 

[Ackoman]

Any particular reason?

Unvented is not the be all and end all. Poorly installed it could be worse.

I'm worried about the hot water pressure being poor, mainly for showers. Where we are now we have a combi boiler and the shower is fed straight from it and I can honestly say it's the best shower I've personally used, whenever we go away anywhere one of the things we most enjoy about coming back to our house is our lovely shower.

The new house does have a shower, and as far as I am aware it is not an electric one - maybe they've got a pump, I just don't know.

 

[Dan Robinson]

This is why surveyors are highly over rated.

There are more than one way to skin a cat though, and if the house is one you really want, a cylinder upgrade in the grand scheme of things is not the end of the world.

 

[Nige F]

How long are you tied into the PV panels contract if you buy the house? Personally I don't rate them but that's just my opinion

 

[Ackoman]

How long are you tied into the PV panels contract if you buy the house? Personally I don't rate them but that's just my opinion

Not sure there is a contract as such to be honest - the previous owner bought the PV panels outright, and as such as far we are concerned they just come with the house.

 

[bernardgreen]

I can honestly say it's the best shower I've personally used, whenever we go away anywhere one of the things we most enjoy about coming back to our house is our lovely shower.

I dislike having showers in houses with a combi as it can be almost embarrasing making sure the hostis aware there is someone in the shower. People with combi boilers tend to avoid using other hot taps when a guest is in the shower to avoid the guest getting a spurge of colder water.

Getting home to my shower is good. Its mains pressure but is not supplied from a combi and not from a pressurised, unvented cylinder. Turning on other hot taps does not affect the shower at all.

 

[Gteuk]

Old Convo now I know but the easiest way to see if it is vented or unvented

Turn hot tap on full,, then turn the cold tap on, if the hot water reduces in flow then it is an unvented system. You would have a football shaped expansion vessel on the system usually white in colour for the cylinder red for central heating.

You would also have a pressure release valve for an unvented usually situated at the upper part with 3 bar written on the top of it.

Unvented cylinders are usually encased in a nice aluminium coat where vented are usually spray foamed either blue or green,, some cheaper unvented cylinders may not be encased as some more expensive vented cylinders may be.

And finally an unvented cylinder would have a registration sticker on it with all the details along with a notification to building control being carried out under building regulations.