Old heating sytem problems

[Malc66]

Hi just joined this website and this is my first post so all help gratefully received.

I need some advice please, my mum has a bungalow with a back boiler and open vented heating system.

The hot water tank is in the loft and above it in the highest part of the roof is the CW tank and stuck directly behind right up against the wall is CH expansion tank with no room to access to it, cant get ladder near enough to it to reach it or even see inside.

We think ballcock valve is not working correctly in CH expansion tank as water keeps coming out overflow pipe outside.

One engineer has fitted a shut off valve in the pipework so can shut the valve and water level drops but then air gets into CH system and have to keep opening valve and bleeding rads.

A energy company engineer has come and suggested that best solution would be to convert system to sealed pressurised system and install an expansion valve and do away with the CH expansion tank.

However I understand pressurised system may cause problems with old pipework and rads ? Also I need to check if back boiler is suitable as well ?

Appreciate any advice and corrections to my understanding.

Many thanks

 

[ianmcd]

It may be possible to connect your BBU to a sealed system but only Baxi Bermudas 401 /551 or later that I know of can be converted probably wrong as we dont see many BBUs these days, someone more knowledgable on here will be able to advise you better but you have a really old system and would probably be worth getting it updated anyway

 

[xr4x4]

If your losing water, you have a leak.

Yes the level will drop over time but only a small amount.

 

[dcawkwell]

You would need to ask the manufacturer if your back boiler is suitable
for a sealed system. My guess is it isn't.

If you can't get to the central heating header tank. Simply install a new
on in a place you can get to and pipe up to that one. Sorted.

Sometimes the people who install these things are idiots.

 

[Malc66]

Thank you that ws the sort of idea I had orginally in mind to relocate CH exp tank but when I looked at other forum opinion seem to be mixed as to whether new location would need to be same height as previous ie same height as CW tank ? If it needs to be same height as CW tank then again this makes option more limited if it can go couple of feet lower then plenty of room to make a new shelf on the wall and place it on that.


You would need to ask the manufacturer if your back boiler is suitable
for a sealed system. My guess is it isn't.

If you can't get to the central heating header tank. Simply install a new
on in a place you can get to and pipe up to that one. Sorted.

Sometimes the people who install these things are idiots.[/quote]

 

[Agile]

Most BBUs have been operating fine on open vented systems with the minimum of maintenance or repairs!

They are very reliable indeed! Its that they are just not very efficient, 55% if you are lucky!

Tony

 

[BampotDelta4]

Most gas BBUs don't have a High Temp cut-out, so you couldn't convert it to a sealed system.
It sounds like it may simply be the faulty ballvalve in your Mum's F&E tank mate.
Sorry mate, but if you can't access it a new relocated one may be the cheapest option.

The other thing it could be & I'm not sure if you detailed this above; If your CW header tank water level is higher than your F&E tank & there's a leak in the HW cylinder coil, this would cause an overflow on the F&E tank.............