Straw Lagging slowing the water system down?

[Stupoo]

If it turns out that I needed to add the detail of the boiler etc to this item then I apologise and will add them.

I bought a house 7 years ago with an open vented system, with pumped central heating (indirect cylinder) and gravity domestic hot water.. Cold mains water only to the Kitchen tap as the bathroom cold tap is attached to the tank....

Now... The water pressure to the hot and cold feeds has steadily got less and less over the last couple of years but i have put off doing anything about it. This year I have taken a look into the loft and found that the lagging around the tank is made of straw covered in cardboard !! The 'lid' of which had split and quite a lot of the contents entered the tank.

I had previously noticed black 'bits' coming out of the taps and can now understand that these were bits of the straw lid.

My question is... Where would the rest of the straw go? I have a sneaking suspicion that it rests at the bottom of the cylinder which is restricting the flow of cold water into the cylinder and hence the hot water to the bathroom and kitchen. Is there a way to check of the cylinder has layers of very old straw in it or is restricted in any way? Or am I looking in the wrong place all together?

Any help on this would be most appreciated and if more information is needed (boiler makes etc) then I will investigate and supply.

Thanks in advance

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

It may only be blocking the top outlet, if your handy you could turn off the main stop tap, let the hot water run until it stops, remove top connection on the cylinder and have a look for a blockage there, you may be able to see into the bottom of the cylinder with a torch to see if there is any in the bottom
as well, there could be debris in your hot taps as modern taps are rather restictive compared to old ones, especially ceramic disc.

 

[kevplumb]

or you could drain the cylinder and remove the imm heater

 

[Stupoo]

Handy I can try to be.. I will do as you suggest and look into the tank (emptied, of course). Thanks for the responses, any help is appreciated. Watch this space !