Skills exchange - Plumbing/Heating for Radio/Electronics (SE London area).

[David Chapman]

Hi, I live in Bromley, Kent, and my professional skills, acquired over the last 45 years, are predominantly in radio and electronic engineering.

I am hoping that someone reading this NG is a CORGI registered engineer (or contractor) living local to me who might be interested in trading skills by offering his/her plumbing/heating knowledge and skills for my radio/electronics ones.

Let me explain the problem that I have:-

Our existing gas-fired boiler is a very old Thorn M44/54C which has operated very well with minimal maintenance for over 20 years, providing hot-water and central heating for the house. However, over the last few years we have had to supplement the boiler's efforts to provide sufficient hot water by using the electric immersion heater to boost the supply. This situation is now getting progressively worse, and we can now no longer ignore it as we have been doing.

I guess that, living in a hard water area, the tank and its gravity feed pipes are probably well clagged up with lime-scale so I think the time has come to replace both the boiler and the hot-water tank.

In order to describe our existing heating system better, without cluttering up this NG with a rather large file, I've posted a sketch of it on my web-site at:-

I've always been quite happy to undertake DIY with domestic jobs that I fully understand, but my knowledge and capabilities with modern plumbing and heating are somewhat lacking. In any case, I do realise that even if I were to undertake the job of replacing the boiler, tank and feed pipes, (but NOT the radiators and their feed pipes) the final approval and commissioning of any such installation would have to be carried out by someone who is CORGI certified.

So, if anyone reading this NG has the necessary qualifications and skills to advise or help with this job, and who has a need for some expertise or equipment in the radio and electronics fields, please get in touch to discuss this proposal further.

TIA - David Chapman

David C.Chapman - Chartered Engineer. FIEE. ( [e-mail])

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPMAN ASSOCIATES is a Consultancy offering practical expertise and design skills in the fields of counter-surveillance, electronic protection and security. Visit our Web site at

[Ian Stirling]

It may well just be the tank, and the coil that have clogged. Limescale is unlikely to e a prolem in the gravity feed pipes, as new water is not running into these all the time.

Not actually the case. If it's done for money, yes. It's legal to DIY, if you are competant. First thing I'd do would be to run all the hot water off. Now, measure the temperature drop across the two pipes going into the heat exchanger coil in the cylinder. It should be a reasonable number, proably around 11C. If it's much less than this, then it's pretty certain that the problem is confined to the hot water cylinder, and simply replacing it should work.

[usenet]

Not actually true, you can legally do it yourself if you are 'competant'. However you may well fell that you want it done by someone with formal (? CORGI?) qualifications, that's up to you.

[N. Thornton]

I got the impression the OP did not consider himself competent on this one.

NT