Identify Hot water cylinder please (Ed.)

[Westy23]

Afternoon all,

Can someone please help me identify the type of tank this is? I’m torn between gravity coil or prismatic? It has an old feed tank about 2ft above it in the same cupboard. It does hot water only fed from an old solid fuel back boiler.

Inside is what looks like a twin lined smaller cylinder?

I basically need to replace the hot water tank but with what type?

 

[kidgreen61]

That is a Primatic

 

[Westy23]

Thank you, I thought it might be.

Only thing that put me off, is most say primatic are heating and hot water. This hot water tank is hot water only. The heating is all currently electric storage heaters.

Can primatic be hot water only?

 

[Nige F]

They can be h/w only but if you'renot using the back boiler, you're better off decommisioning it and buying a 2 immersion cylinder for electric heating .Economy 7 like your heating.

 

[Westy23]

Thank you Nige,

The back boiler is solid fuel so we were still going to use it (as a fire) in the winter. Can the water pipes just be removed and used as a fire only? Didn’t think we could. Although it would solve the problem just having the hot water from immersions

 

[Westy23]

What’s the difference between gravity coil and primatic? Would a gravity coil not work?

 

[fixitflav]

Inside is what looks like a twin lined smaller cylinder?

How are you going to put it together again now you know what type it is?

 

[Westy23]

Ha, it was leaking a knackered, but no where to drain it down. Assuming it’s boxed in and hidden down near the back boiler/fire downstairs. So had to syphon the water out. And then cut a section out to scoop out the remaining water.

Just need to figure out what type of cylinder to put back in.

 

[Westy23]

Or if it can be changed to a different style? It only currently has 1 tank (just couple of foot above the cylinder) but it’s only hot water only so dunno if I can use that tank as the F+E tank too?

 

[fixitflav]

Ha, it was leaking a knackered, but no where to drain it down. Assuming it’s boxed in and hidden down near the back boiler/fire downstairs. So had to syphon the water out. And then cut a section out to scoop out the remaining water.

Just need to figure out what type of cylinder to put back in.

I don't know anything about solid fuel set-ups, maybe somebody on here can help.
But while you're at it, it might be worth changing the system, like using the back boiler to heat rads. I believe Primatics are rare nowadays, I don't know whether you can still buy one. Also if you do install rads a disadvantage of Primatic is you can't add inhibitor as it could get in the water from the hot taps. If it's for HW only, is there any advantage of Primatic over a conventional cylinder? One fewer header tank is all I can think of.

 

[Westy23]

No that’s my question really. Can it be changed to another type of cylinder? It only does the hot water anyway. (All rads are currently electric) so if another style can be used with some adaption I’m more than happy with that.

I just don’t know what would be best and what’s involved in doing so.

 

[Westy23]

I’ve read somewhere this evening, that all that’s needed is another tank in the loft (do I still need this as it’s hot water only?) and a feed from the tank to the return and a vent from the flow. Is that’s all that’s needed?

And would I definitely need another tank or can I just use the one I have as it’s only hot water and not mixing DHW and CH?

I’m going down a right rabbit hole researching all this

 

[polesapart]

Forget using the fire to heat water.

Drain the back boiler. You can leave it in place but if so do not seal the pipework- leave open ends. Otherwise you would be building a pressure cooker.

Fit a direct cylinder with immersion element(s), set up to use mainly off-peak electricity.

You could if you wished move the cold tank to the loft for better water pressure or even explore the unvented option.

 

[Westy23]

Thx polesapart,

That is basically what I want to do, but if that’s the case the fire downstairs can no longer be used, is that correct? As we still want to use it over winter. Not necessarily to heat water but just to warm downstairs

 

[JohnD]

You could get an indirect cylinder and use the backboiler to warm it in winter. You will need a feed and expansion tank above. These are usually in the loft.

Modern practice is to get a large, well-insulated cylinder.

If you have cheap off peak electricity get one with an upper and a lower immersion heater, using the lower one normally off-peak eith a timer, and the upper one switched on only if you run out of HW.