Plumbing and heating

[Colin 24]

Hi all,

Hopefully someone can give some direction. We have just moved into a house which has a combi boiler fitted, we also have a hot water tank in a cupboard on upstairs landing and a cold water tank in the attic. Is it normal to have all 3 or is it possible to get rid of the hot water tank or the cold tank? The main bathroom has an electric shower and the ensuit is a pressure shower. Ive also noticed that the combi only heats water upstairs and not down stairs. Do I have any options?

 

[JohnD]

How do you know it is a combi?

Photos would help.

 

[BlueLoo]

What do you actually want?

Combi, no combi, tanks, no tanks, electric/pumped showers etc.....

 

[CBW]

It’s not a normal setup, but might have been how previous customer wanted it.

• You could leave as is if it’s works.
• If you want combi only, then you’d need what’s called a conversion.
• If you want to keep the tank, and get rid of the combi, you’d need a system boiler, heat only, or a multi boiler, such as the Intergas eco rf 30.

 

[ianmcd]

Post a pic of your boiler, think you are confused a condensing boiler and a combination boiler are not the same thing

 

[Colin 24]

What I would like is to have the combi boiler heat all of upstairs and downstairs whilst keeping the hot water tank as a back up, id like to get rid of the water tank in the loft if possible. Def a combi

 

[CBW]

What I would like is to have the combi boiler heat all of upstairs and downstairs whilst keeping the hot water tank as a back up, id like to get rid of the water tank in the loft if possible. Def a combi

If it’s possible to do, then you’d also need to draw off some water, to prevent stagnation. Also you’d probably need to keep the cylinder heated to 60 degrees to keep bacteria at bay.

 

[JohnD]

What colour is your hot water cylinder?

How many bathrooms and occupants do you have?

Do you know how many litres per minute your watermain delivers (try filling a bucket at the kitchen cold tap)

If the incoming water flow is poor, a cold water cistern in the loft plus a vented cylinder will enable you to fill a hot bath faster than the main delivers water, and regardless of other taps or appliances using water.

Old houses often have poor water supply as the service pipe was sized with a loft tank in mind.

Hotels often use water tanks to cope with the demand when all the guests run their morning showers at the same time.

 

[oilhead]

I've seen systems where a combi is used for some of the hot water, but the heating side has been adapted to a Y plan to heat a cylinder which provides hot water to other outlets, particularly where the supply would be a long run from the boiler. It also has the advantage that you can have a supply of hot water if the boiler fails, using an immersion heater.