Fly removal from Hot water System !

[sndevereux]

Unusual one this... Live in the country in a old cottage- get lots of flies in the loft, which manage to get into the water tank. So when we have a bath the bits end up in the bath. 2 questions..

1. How can I best clean tank, should I just give it a good mix and then run the hot tap to allow all the bits to run through, or am I best to empty it with buckets, block the outlet with say a cork and mop the bits up?
2. Hoe can I reduce/stop them getting into the tank. Can I buy a mesh to cover the tank- at the moment it has a wood on the top and a gap for the overflow?? pipe coming in the top. Can I just cover it with plastic?

[Doctor Drivel]

Get a proper modern tank with a tight fitting lid and a filter on the overflow pipe.

[Aidan]

It is most unusual to say this but, I agree with Drivel.

If you're up for a bit of pipework and have a few tools, a new bylaw 30 compliant tank is the only way to go.

posted to show you what's involved, etc., & your local plumbers' merchants will offer something similar. It needs to sit on a WBP plywood base, lever handled ball-valves on the outlets, service valve on the mains inlet. Pushfit plastic plumbing puts this within the abilities of any moron, even a few plumbers have managed to install one properly. Plastic pipes won't split if they freeze (unlike copper) and you avoid the fire risk involved with soldering. Insulate everything painstakingly before winter.

The flies plus any dust, dirt, leaves will be contaminating the water system and acting as nutrients for any bugs that have colonized the hot water system, legionella being the best known. Besides which, you will inadvertently ingest some water in washing and you risk food poisoning.

What is attracting the flies, anyway? There's no flies in most lofts, nothing that would attract flies. Adjacent soil & vent pipe end? Dead rat/squirrel/body/bird concealed under the insulation? Disgruntled plumber had a dump?

[Doctor Drivel]

Please do not agree with me. Put me on your killfile.

[Aidan]

I think it is unlikely to ever happen again.

Oh, I couldn't do that. I look forward to reading your posts for their amusement value.

[Doctor Drivel]

The Jockos are still bitter and twisted over the world cup eh. Sad isn't it.

[nightjar]

You need a close fitting lightproof lid, which should have a screened air inlet fitted, to allow air in and out as the water level changes. The warning pipe / overflow should also have an insect screen fitted. Finally, the expansion pipe, which is the one coming in through the top, needs a close fitting adaptor where it passes through the lid. The whole lot is usually sold as a water byelaw kit, although the water byelaws were actually repealed and replaced by The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which also requires water storage tanks to be light and insect proof.

Colin Bignell

[David Hansen]

On 19 Jun 2006 02:28:17 -0700 someone who may be " [e-mail]" wrote this:-

Replace the whole thing with a modern one that will keep the things out.

You should probably then add something reasonably mild to sterilise the pipes, drain it out and then raise the cylinder temperature temporarily and draw water through all outlets in order to kill off excessive concentrations of nasties. Obviously this needs to be done with suitable safety precautions.

[Andy Hall]

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:07:04 +0100, Doctor Drivel wrote (in article ):

Which world cup is that?

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, it said "world" before the the word cup. So do you think it is the Moon Cup? Let's see if you can figure it out.