Mains water gone - effect on central heating, hot water etc.?

Mayo Exile

Mains water is gone since about 8pm this evening. Probably a frozen mains suppy somewhere. (In Dundalk). Just enquiring as how this will effect my central heating and hot water supply.

I'm in an apartment. There is a combination cylinder supplying cold/hot water. Central heating is natural gas driven. I'm guessing the central heating will be ok as it's a sealed system. Correct? Yes?

However what about hot water supply? If the mains is off for a considerable time, I suppose the combi tank will empty eventually. Is there a risk of damage to whatever heats the hot water to the taps if there is no longer any water left to heat? Is there some sort of safety shut off device to stop this happening?

Thanks in advance.

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Mayo Exile wrote: »

Mains water is gone since about 8pm this evening. Probably a frozen mains suppy somewhere. (In Dundalk). Just enquiring as how this will effect my central heating and hot water supply.

I'm in an apartment. There is a combination cylinder supplying cold/hot water. Central heating is natural gas driven. I'm guessing the central heating will be ok as it's a sealed system. Correct? Yes?

However what about hot water supply? If the mains is off for a considerable time, I suppose the combi tank will empty eventually. Is there a risk of damage to whatever heats the hot water to the taps if there is no longer any water left to heat? Is there some sort of safety shut off device to stop this happening?

Thanks in advance.

Correct with sealed system, once its not riddled with leaks requiring a mains supply all the time, you should be fine.

Hot water cylinder is always full, unless drained from bottom (by plumber etc). Cold water enters bottom of cylinder to be heated, hot water comes out top so you'll do no damage while heat is on.

Best of luck, hope mains returns soon.

Mayo Exile

Thanks for the quick reply items! How would your hot water tank remain full though if the mains supply is gone? Wouldn't the cold water in the combi tank be supplied from the mains? And this cold water in turn supplies the hot water?

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Mayo Exile wrote: »

Thanks for the quick reply items! How would your hot water tank remain full though if the mains supply is gone? Wouldn't the cold water in the combi tank be supplied from the mains? And this cold water in turn supplies the hot water?

Combi is split into two cylinders, bottom is hot water storage, top is cold water storage. Mains fills cold water storage entering @ very top, cold water storage has two outlets, one going to a booster pump? or just straight into floor to provide water to toilets etc, the other outlet enters the bottom of hot water storage cylinder. When cold water storage runs out (mains water off) water no longer enters hot water storage cylinder. No water entering hot water cylinder means no water to move hot water out top of cylinder. Hot water cylinder is allways full of water from the day its filled. In @ bottom out @ top, any other way, you wont be able to use up all the hot water stored in cylinder, you'll have a luke warm mix.

Mayo Exile

Cheers again for the quick reply items! Didn't fully understand how system worked. So once the cold water section empties, there will be nothing to push the hot water to your hot water taps, even though the hot water section will remain full?