Header Tank

[tom1]

hi people need a bit of advise,

got keys for my new house today and i have a question for you all.

the house has been empty for about a year, so i would think the head tank and cylinder need dranining and refreshing?

would they need disinfecting also?

what do you guys think

thanks

 

[Evans Electric]

Wouldn't think so M8, no water = no legionair's I guess. Flush it through a couple of times , after all its not drinking water . ( Well not in the Severn Trent area )

Tank full of hot water should see most germs off .

I note with the air source heat system an immersion heater comes on once week at 60deg to kill of the legionairs.

 

[tom1]

its had water stood for about a year mate, will def give it a flush through been searching the net for a cleaner b4t not found much

 

[Evans Electric]

Never heard of one for Domestic Hot Water , empty the cyinder and let it flush through a few times should do the job I'd have thought .

 

[tom1]

will give it whirl mate

 

[Evans Electric]

Just as an after thought , I remember years ago, trying to convince an uncle not to use the hot water tap to fill the kettle for tea , it being tank water , could be flavoured by a dead pidgeon in the header . He wouldn't have it though , said it saved money as it was already hot .

 

[tom1]

i have come across some real dirty head tanks, one the water full of white mould.

 

[steptoe]

I suppose if you really wanted you could drain it down, go up and sanitise it with some spray stuff like youd use on the worktops or whatever,

 

[tom1]

could use a bit of bleach and give it a rinse out. may be i am making something out of nothing but whats in there now cant be much good if its been stood a long time

 

[kme]

Deffo wants flushing out - but I wouldn`t think sanitising is req`d.

As said, once you heat the first tankful, you`ll kill off any bacterium

And you really shouldn`t be drinking anything from any tap but the kitchen sink cold - all others may have been plumbed with leaded solder - the kitchen cold is the ONE that isn`t supposed to have leaded solder in the pipework.......

 

[OnOff]

Erm..................assuming a traditional system, then terminology wise, isn't the header tank the "little" one that keeps the central heating topped up and the "bigger" plastic tank that does your cold fill to the cylinder, cold to the bath etc known as the "CWS" or Cold Water Storage tank.

In terms of starting "afresh" It might be worth, on the heating side of things, putting a cleaner into the central heating system, letting it run round for a while then draining, refilling and adding an inhibitor. Different ways to do this, via the header tank (FFS don't put in the wrong tank) or some now are done via a local rad. Basically stirs up / breaks down some of the sludge then you drain it out. Of course you'll have to bleed your rads and if there's a leak somewhere, currently blocked by sludge you might find it! Overall though it's supposed to make things more efficient. Judging by the black cr@p that comes out when I've done it it works.

 

[Evans Electric]

I was only thinking in terms of the header that serves the hot water cylinder TBH .

What happened to our plumber/electrical member ?

 

[Andy™]

What happened to our plumber/electrical member ?

erm... he died...

 

[Evans Electric]

Oh ! Yes I remember now ...stupid of me .

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

And you really shouldn`t be drinking anything from any tap but the kitchen sink cold - all others may have been plumbed with leaded solder - the kitchen cold is the ONE that isn`t supposed to have leaded solder in the pipework.......

I dont worry about that round my way. All the supply pipes are lead. My road was changed for plastic 5 years ago.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

hi people need a bit of advise,
got keys for my new house today and i have a question for you all.

the house has been empty for about a year, so i would think the head tank and cylinder need draining and refreshing?
would they need disinfecting also?

what do you guys think

thanks

Erm..................assuming a traditional system, then terminology wise, isn't the header tank the "little" one that keeps the central heating topped up and the "bigger" plastic tank that does your cold fill to the cylinder, cold to the bath etc known as the "CWS" or Cold Water Storage tank.

As Onoff says re the name header tank...

thats the central heating one not the domestic hot water supply...


Have you actually poked your head in the loft to look?
is it metal or plastic??

Personally it it were me...
(and I have no plans to get a combi boiler fitter)...

I would stick in a new cold water tank...
Modern one with lid and insulation round it!

and just chuck the old one!!!
if its metal take it down the scrap yard..

:C

 

[tom1]

i have no internet so wont be on much.

yes i ment cold water storage tank.

the whole system will prob be replaced but not for a little while.

I drained it down scouped a load of sediment out from the bottem washed it out with some milton sanitiser, and flushed it through.

The hot water gate valve was stuck closed so swaped it for a shiney new leaver valve. and it all seams to be working now.

Thanks

 

[tom1]

forgot to say its plastic tank

 

[Apache]

Seems reasonable. Milton fairly harmless. In a similar situation I'd use dairy hypochloride that is used for sterilising milking parlours, just super strong Milton.

Refill and then run to waste. No need to go mad flushing.

You going to get internet and be around more?

Happy new house!

 

[tom1]

yer just empted once, should be alright now.

internet is booked in for the 10th should be around much more after that.

its great now all moved thanks mate. got a few improvements to make in the near future but its where we want to be