Location of F&E tank

[andy.budgell]

Hi gents,

I have an vented central heating system with F&E tank in loft.

I am wanting to move this tank elsewhere in the loft. I.e. Laterally about 2 metres. Is this ok to do without any unexpected consequences?

Cheers
Budgie

Edit: Removed Unvented. Freudient slip. I'm considering replacing it!

 

[JohnD]

you can, but longer runs, especially horizontal, are a bit more likely to collect sediment. Bale and sponge out the old F&E to see how much you have.

As ever, keep enough fall on the pipes to avoid air locks.

edited: How can it both be unvented, and have an F&E?

 

[andy.budgell]

Cheers JohnD.

A good tip about the air locks.

How does sediment get in there?

My F&E tank does have some awful smelling gunge on top though.

Whats that?!

 

[JohnD]

I've never understood the floating stuff, but it seems to me that if it doesn't have a close-fitting top, it will collect more dust and spiders.

If it doesn't have one of the modern inhibitors in it might support bacterial growth or fungus (and algae if not dark).

The sediment in my experience is rust from the steel radiators. It is very very fine (will pass through filter papers) and is fine enough to circulate in suspension in the primary water. What little movement there is from heating and expansion of the water will cause some to flow into the F&E. as the water here is practically motionless for years on end I suppose it settles out. Since the F&E pipe is usually rather above the bottom of the tank, the settlement does not get drawn back down into the circulation. This brown sediment has almost no attraction to a magnet (unlike the black that you find in the radiators which can be trapped using a Magnaclean.)

Sounds like your system would benefit from a flush and drain, and a chemical clean, before refilling with inhibitor. Do it while you are replumbing. If you can afford a to fit Magnaclean as well (about £100) I was very pleased with the way it traps black sediment.

p.s. you will definitely need one of these if you convert to a new boiler, so the sooner you start getting it clean, the better. I am not a pro.

Try
//www.diynot.com/search/forum....uthor=johnd&search=Search+Forum&mode=advanced

and especially //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=610661#610661

 

[andy.budgell]

Well it doesnt have a close fitting top thats for sure.

It should have inhibitor in. Last time it was touched was when I had the boiler moved in the garage a year or so ago.

Before that a thin layer of light rubbery gunge would appear, but this time is really thick and smelly! Maybe they didnt inhib it.

Good info re the sediment. Interesting.

Its all part of my big plan to move the hot water cylinder and pump out of the airing cupboard and into a part of the built in wardrobe in our bedroom. Which is basically backwards from the landing about 1 metre. This way I can put some stairs into the airing cupboard and up over the cylinder into the loft.

As part of this I obvisouly need to move both cold water and F&E tanks as they are right above the airing cupboard.

Its quite a bit of work. I can either do this or convert my vented to a sealed hot water system e.g. Expansion vessel, new sealed cylinder and using existing boiler, but as my first quote was £3429, its put me off!

 

[Agile]

The clear or even greenish stuff floating on the surface is a living material which indicates that the system does not have inhibitor in it.

I find its most likely to appear when the water level is too high.

It should only be about 100 mm deep when cold and 200 mm when hot.

There is a warning that it can be an irritant and that it should not be touched when removing it.

Tony

 

[Gasguru]

Remove and clean out the tank - dis-infect with bleach to kill off the bacterial growth. You can treat the system water with something like this
http://www.fernox.com/?cccpage=af_10&sub=8