tank filling up

[systemtek]

Hi All, my dad has a problem with his gas central heating system, its a Ideal Standard I-Type RS ( 1975 ). The problem is that the small tank in the loft ( header tank / expansion tank or whatever its called - keeps central
heating toped up ) keeps filling up and over flowing, he has checked the ball tap and that's fine something else is causing it. If you hold the ball tap up so that NO water comes from the pipe at the top the water still comes in, looks like its comming back in the tank from the pipes at the bottom of the tank that go to the central heating system itself. Why is the central heating system causing the tank to fill up and overflow ? What can the problem be, what can be checked or tried next ?

Thanks, Duncan

 

[Bahco]

It sounds like your internal heat exchanger (coil inside cylinder ) is leaking into your hot water supply.
You will have to exchange your cylinder if this is the case as they cannot be repaired

 

[systemtek]

Thanks, is there any way of testing this is the fault ? and what price range are we looking at for a new one ? Is this in the hot water tank ? my dad has 3 tanks cold water in loft, the tank im talking about header tank or what ever its correct name is and the hot water tank in bathroom. All is very old around 1975 can we still get replacement parts ?

Duncan

 

[breezer]

think you will find Bacho is refering to the copper cyinder in "the airing cupboard" like this one (but they now come pre insulated)

 

[systemtek]

Is it a part of the tank that needs replacing or the whole tank ? There is the tank and then electric power that connects to the emersion heating element on top of the tank ?

 

[breezer]

BACHO did say You will have to exchange your cylinder if this is the case as they cannot be repaired

 

[systemtek]

Thanks, is there any way we can test it is this that is at fault before we get it replaced ? Just to be 100% sure.

Duncan

 

[masona]

Shut the water supply to the cold storage tank and make sure all taps are shut and no-one using it, if the water level is dropping from the storage tank then the only route it can go is bypassing your cylinder coil back up to the F&E tank.

 

[systemtek]

Thanks, just spoken to my Dad about this and got a few more details. The tank only fills up and over flows when the central heating is on, when it is off it wont fill up. Now what my dad has noticed is this he turns the heating on and the tank starts to over flow (water in tank rises) he manualy empty's a bit of water from the tank to ball tap level, if he does not do this then obviously the water level will cause the tap to drip water in and fill it up even when heating is off, and it over flows when heating is off, if he does this then it stops over flowing when heating gets switched off.

So what your saying about testing it with the water off, and see if it fills that way wont help in this situation will it ? or will it ? im not sure myself maybe the above will help further and explain if it is still the hot water tank that is at fault.

Duncan