Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: theolodian on 20 January 2008, 10:08:05
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Went to look at a rental house yesterday. I don't understand the water system. It has GCH, a hot water tank upstairs, and 2 covered but unsealed cold water tanks in the loft. Huh?
The hot water tank was a really pretty copper thing in a blanket with what looks like an electric element in the top, but may not have been on? Tank was hot.
The two tanks in the loft were lined with black plastic sheeting, and had random things used as covers. Looked in good condition overall, except one of the covers had collapsed. Are these really there for water pressure? Didn't notice any floats or other mechanisms, just lots of pipes.
No power shower at least! :y
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Gravity fed system, tank in loft feeds the cylinder
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Gravity fed system, tank in loft feeds the cylinder
How does that compare to a 'normal' system?
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That is a normal system, basically only two types in this country, the one you have just seen and combi boiler which heats the water up on demand unlike the one you have just seen which stores hot water in the cylinder
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Hi mate.
Iv'e a header tank in my attic & it's for the GCH, it just keeps your system topped up. It should have a good amount of lagging though incase of frost (yeh right, with our weather)
I'm sure we must have a plumber that drives a Mig on here that could give you more detail. :y
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That is a normal system, basically only two types in this country, the one you have just seen and combi boiler which heats the water up on demand unlike the one you have just seen which stores hot water in the cylinder
I more meant about the loft tanks than a hot water tank, or do they go hand in hand?
The realtor thought that it still had a combi boiler. Would that be feeding the hot water tank, maybe with the element maintaining temp, or is it just electric hot water?
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That is a normal system, basically only two types in this country, the one you have just seen and combi boiler which heats the water up on demand unlike the one you have just seen which stores hot water in the cylinder
I more meant about the loft tanks than a hot water tank, or do they go hand in hand?
The realtor thought that it still had a combi boiler. Would that be feeding the hot water tank, maybe with the element maintaining temp, or is it just electric hot water?
It will have a water heater not a combi boiler, as Waspy says one tank keeps the CH topped up the other feeds the cylinder, once you turn on your hot water tap the water that comes out of the cylinder is replaced by water from the tank in the loft aiding water pressure. The immersion heater in the top of the cylinder is there for back up really
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google 'indirect heating system' and you should be able to find a diagram with the layout of the system on it
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google 'indirect heating system' and you should be able to find a diagram with the layout of the system on it
OK, cheers! Now I got it, there is a heat exchanger inside the hot water tank that takes heat from the boiler.
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Yup.....the boiler heats water in the heating system and a valve(s) direct the heated water either through the radiators and/or through the heating coil in the hot water tank to heat teh stored water.
The smaller of the tanks in the loft provides a head and feed for the water on the boiler side of the heating system and the big tank provides the head for the hot water cylidner (and on modern houses at least one toilet - dependent on local water regs).
I will shortly be removing the smaller tank on my setup and going for a sealed system and may longer term fit a sealed hot water cylidner to get rid of the large tank to (need building regs for that though).
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WTF is a toiler?
Tanks both the same size, hope the one with the dodgy lid is for the GCH. ::)
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i think toiler is toilet!
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..I'm sure we must have a plumber that drives a Mig on here that could give you more detail. :y
You must be joking... with the hourly rate plumbers in London charge, they will not be driving Omegas, I can tell you that... >:(
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i think toiler is toilet!
Ah, I was fixated on misspelling vs. boiler and didn't think of that.
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My last house had a combi boiler and an immersion heater in the airing cupboard.
I guess that the immersion was a back up incase the combi packed in. We never had it switched on.
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That is a normal system, basically only two types in this country, the one you have just seen and combi boiler which heats the water up on demand unlike the one you have just seen which stores hot water in the cylinder
I more meant about the loft tanks than a hot water tank, or do they go hand in hand?
The realtor thought that it still had a combi boiler. Would that be feeding the hot water tank, maybe with the element maintaining temp, or is it just electric hot water?
Oi!!! Speak English.
;D ;D
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Sounds similar to mine - which is a primatic system. I've got a back boiler and one cold tank in the loft though, not two. It feeds both the central heating and the hot water from the one hot water tank. As I understand there's a kind of tank inside the tank affair with the cylinder.
It confused me completely after I turned off all the water to the house, drained the hot water from the taps and then had gallons and gallons come out of the radiators - wayyyy more that could possibly be held in the individual radiator.
I get the feeling it's a bit old fashioned and probably costs a bit more to run than the combi-boiler setup. I'll be taking the plunge in the next year to change over I think.
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Main reason for putting the cold water tank feeding the hot water cylinder (doesnt matter where that is) up in loft, is to get hot water pressure......higher up the tank the higher the hot water pressure.
In a bungalow i completely gutted and started again with.....i wasnt happy with the hot water pressure......so had fitted a 1 bar on demand pump fitted........which meant as soon as a hot tap was turn on the pump fired up and pumped the hot water...... :y
I also had a 3 bar power shower installed.....you should have seen the cold water tank it need to supply it ;D It was called a 'coffin' tank.....as it was literally as big as a coffin.......you got 5 mins to have a shower before it drained all the hot water ;D
But the shower was great :y Like standing under the Niagra Falls (tho with hot water) :D