Dear all
This is the bit i forgot.
Following on from my last post. One fitter wants to remove my cold water tank in the loft. Is this correct (standard practice)? Apparently it is part of the installation
Andrew
Andrew Welham wrote in news:40a7b01f$0$25318$ snipped-for-privacy@news-text.dial.pipex.com:
You won't need the old storage tank if you're having all the water taken from the mains supply. Is this the way the fitter is going with the installation ? Or is it that the tank to be removed is the old header tank from a previous conventional boiler ?
The fitter has suggested removing the main water taken as well as the old header tank. I completely undertand the header tank, just the large water is the bit thats confusing me. I'm sure these large water main water tanks were not only fitted for central heating reasons only. Thats why that removal part is confusing me.
Andrew
Andrew Welham wrote in news:40a7c2a0$0$20514$ snipped-for-privacy@news-text.dial.pipex.com:
If you're having the whole house plumbed on to the mains water supply, both hot and cold water, then the old storage tank will be obsolete. Rather than leave it empty in the loft for things to grow in it's best to have it removed.
Thanks for the info, just seemed strange as only of of the gas fitters had suggested this. I take it then when combi systems are installed generally the the main cold water tank is removed.
Andrew Welham waffled on in uk.d-i-y:
The tank isn't removed on all of these installations. Sometimes the cold water is left on the tank feed to allow you to have water if the mains bursts in the street, but this is becoming a very rare occurance these days. The water supply from the mains is also generally cleaner than water stored in a tank, so health wise as well, for drinking and washing, it is better to draw directly from the mains supply. You should get faster filling of the bath and sink when the water is drawn from the mains supply as well.
You don't have to remove it. It's more work to do so some have left it out.
Once it is disconnected, it is a very easy DIY job to remove it if you want the space.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Beware though as all the water taps (except the kitchen sink cold ) and toilet valves etc will currently be suitable for LOW pressure. This can cause problems. They may not seal properly and the pressure may be too high when they are directly on the mains. The bath will certainly fill quicker with cold water but most people like theirs hot and that would depend on the power of the combi. Taking out the loft cold water supply is irrelevant to the fitting of a combi boiler but it is often done.
Thanks for the comments I had forgotten about the effects on other devices in the house, especially the toilet. Lucky i fitted a high pressure valve a few months ago.
Andrew
If they didn't suggest this then they are cowboys.
Unless you've got a mains water supply that can deliver plenty of water I suggest keeping the cold water tank for flushing loos, supplying the washing machine, dishwasher, handbasin in downstairs loo etc. IMHO you simply can't get enough water through a 15mm pipe to supply a house without some sort of water storage system (unless you've only got one bathroom and a small family).
Rgds
Andy R
I was going to mention showers as well. You may have some fed off the low pressure water. But if you are looking at direct fed hot water, I expect you'll have those covered.
Phil
Only on a very poor storage system where the tank is just above the bath. If it's in the roof void above the bathroom - or higher - and the feeds to the bath are in 22mm, very few mains systems will beat it. Or even come close.
Indeed, but the arguments for and against are not 'an open and shut case' for every installation. However customer preferences make an important part of the choice.
The installation id crap. they didn't even suggest taking the tank out.
If the tank is in good condition and not taking up valuable space, there's a lot to be said for using it for loo flushing water and also the cold feed to the bath.
Or not... in my case there's an ancient, empty, obsolete cold water tank up there which is substantially larger than the access hatch to the roof space (which presumably must have been fitted after the tank was installed); it weighs a ton and would need a lot of work to chop it up into sufficiently small bits to bring down! It's causing me no problems, so up there it stays.
If I'd been having a new installation which had made this tank redundant, I would certainly at least expect the installers to provide quotes with and without allowing for removal of said tank, given the amount of work involved, rather than just going ahead.
David
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