Pumped or Gravity CH system?

[madmyrtle]

Hi, I've just found your forum so this is my first question. I have read the other posts on this topic but as I live out in the Irish countryside and most of the other Q's seem to come from UK residents, I thought I'd double check to be sure - hope you don't mind! I want to buy a new CH/HW programmer and need to make sure I get the right one for my system (I am not experienced in plumbing,electrical work or DIY-ing - apart from decorating - in any way,shape or form!!)
Our water supply comes from a private well in our garden - we're not connected to the mains water. Our HW cylinder is in the airing cupboard (we live in a bungalow). There is a cold water tank in the loft which I presume, feeds the cylinder, which then (also presumed) heats the water. There don't seem to be any signs of a pump near the cylinder although there is a square box type item entitled MYSON POWER EXTRA and this is connected to the cylinder.
Does this mean my system is of the gravity type? Thanks for your help.

 

[muggles]

What boiler do you have?

 

[45yearsagasman]

Myson power extra is a motorised valve. There must be a heat source to heat the water in the cylinder and the rads. A picture or 2 would assist in to ID your system type. How many tanks in the loft?

 

[madmyrtle]

Hi Muggles and thanks for replying so quickly. We have a Firebird Oil fired boiler, which is situated outside of the house. Unfortunately there's no model number on it (or if there was, it's rubbed off!). Does that help?

 

[gasmanstu72]

can you put your heating on alone without the hot water coming on as well? that's a sure sign of a gravity system.

how many pipes come off the boiler? 4 would suggest gravity.

but as above, pictures would help.

 

[madmyrtle]

 

[madmyrtle]

Hi gasmanstu and pete, apols for the delay in replying. Hope the above pics help. Yes, I can operate the two systems independently by turning a valve (which hopefully you can just see above the Myson box, in the photo); it's because its such a pain to do this each time I want to operate the HW or CH alone, that I want to install a programmer.

 

[madmyrtle]

Actually, scrap that last reply. I can put the HW on alone but if I set the valve to CH then both the CH and HW come on together.

 

[madmyrtle]

Pete, just the one tank in the loft. Forgot to respond on this, sorry.

 

[madmyrtle]

Hi, just wondered if anyone managed to come up with an answer to my question?

 

[madmyrtle]

Obviously not....

 

[D_Hailsham]

Do you have a circulator (aka pump) near the boiler? I'm not talking about the pump which brings the oil from tank to boiler, but one which looks similar to this:

View media item 802

 

[madmyrtle]

Hi
and thanks for contacting me. The answer is no ( our boiler is situated outdoors).So I guess that means it's a gravity fed system but I'd be really grateful if you'd just confirm please. Many thanks.

 

[picasso]

The pump is most probably in the boiler, it looks like you have a fully pumped system but poorly controlled, you should not have to open and shut valves manually, maybe time to upgrade to an s plan.

 

[D_Hailsham]

The pump is most probably in the boiler, it looks like you have a fully pumped system

The expansion vessel should have told me it was a system boiler, so the pump would probably be in the boiler.

The model name may have been obliterated from the outside, but there should be a manufacturer's data plate somewhere which gives the model no, serial no etc . It may be behind one of the panels. Don't you have the boiler manual?