Hello, can anyone please tell me what these things are called - it's a stored hot water tank - wooden (!) from the 60's or 70's and I think they were from a north east company. It 's linked to a back boiler system. Just one tank in the loft, looks like a big wooden box. I remember a plumber telling me about these but I can't remember the name of them. Cheers
Old hot water system
- Thread starter Alfie25
- Start date
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Do you mean an Elson?
That's the one. Thanks! Next question is why isn't the hot water heating up when the programmer is set to HW only. When CH and HW are on together, boiler fires up and the water gets hot. When HW is selected only, the boiler doesn't fire up. It has worked ok in the past but recently given up the ghost. It's a mates house so I thought it would be the 3 port valve but of course I thought it was a standard gravity fed system but it aint. So, what could it be? Airlock? Don't think it's the programmer or electrical fault cos when CH and HW are selected together it heats up ok.
And for info, yes it's a house in the north east!
And for info, yes it's a house in the north east!
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If its not firing with just hw selected. Check cylinder stat for power to the common. And to the call for heat on the stat. If you don't have power then probably faulty programmer.
Nath
Nath
Ok it is actually firing up - it's just very quiet and I was expecting the pump to turn, but obviously the pump doesn't fire (that must just be for CH).
The water is now getting hot however not particularly hot after 2 hours of being on HW only. I'm not familiar with these Elson units at all. Is there a thermostat on them? When I had a cursory look at it earlier (in a dusty loft with a torch) I didn't spot one, but is it behind a cover? Do I need to open something? It didn't look identical to the one in the pic above which clearly has a stat on it.
The water is now getting hot however not particularly hot after 2 hours of being on HW only. I'm not familiar with these Elson units at all. Is there a thermostat on them? When I had a cursory look at it earlier (in a dusty loft with a torch) I didn't spot one, but is it behind a cover? Do I need to open something? It didn't look identical to the one in the pic above which clearly has a stat on it.
It all depends on which model Elson you have and what control regime your system has.
They're old and crap. Could well be chock full of sludge and scale giving poor heat transfer.
They're old and crap. Could well be chock full of sludge and scale giving poor heat transfer.
Their fed by built in tanks on the top of the unit, if there's no stat then it's on a gravity system and boiler controls the temperature, you'll see 4 pipes coming out of the boiler. Make sure the stat on the boilers turn up to 3 or 4.
If its still not working then its more than likely the coil inside the tank is restricted, or the cold feed is blocked up if there's plenty of water in the top.
Gledhill will custom make one of these tanks, expensive tho.
If its still not working then its more than likely the coil inside the tank is restricted, or the cold feed is blocked up if there's plenty of water in the top.
Gledhill will custom make one of these tanks, expensive tho.
It must be so inefficient to heat on gravity with a back boiler then its probably no more expensive to use the electric immersion element if is still working.
Or use it together with the boiler to speed up the reheat time.
Even better if the immersion is timed on an off peak circuit.
Tony
Or use it together with the boiler to speed up the reheat time.
Even better if the immersion is timed on an off peak circuit.
Tony
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