Expansion Tank In Attic

danjo-xx

Quick question about the expansion tank in the attic. You know the small little tank that keeps the heating system topped up.

Is it supposed to have a pipe....... (vent pipe?) coming out of the top of it.

Outkast_IRE

Are you refering to a overflow pipe which i connection a few inches from the top for water to run out if the ballcock fails ?

a vent pipe would usually be a pipe bent over the top of the tank so if for any reason there was a pressure build up the pipe would shoot the water into the tank from above it, that pipe if only present if you have a fully open system , some systems are whats called Semi-sealed and the vent pipe is not present in this system.

Like the vent pipe doesnt come out of the tank , its a seperate pipe bent to point into the tank from above it .

danjo-xx

Hi outkast, no not the overflow pipe or usual vent pipe. I took a few pictures.

The pipe loop is dipped just below the water level in the exp tank and comes up from the top of the exp tank in the big loop that you see and then goes down below the insulation not sure where it goes after that.

Any ideas what its purpose is!

Outkast_IRE

thats your vent pipe but whoever done it has no pride in their work whatsoever , i would be embarassed to leave it like that.
1. it shouldnt be dipping into the tank the reason it is id imagine is because the qualpex will naturally spring open and away from the tank, really a elbow a bent bit of copper is the way it should of been done.

danjo-xx

thanks Outkast, know a little about plumbing but never had one of these expansion tanks before.

I didn't think that they had to be vented like the main tank.

aujopimur

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

thats your vent pipe but whoever done it has no pride in their work whatsoever , i would be embarassed to leave it like that.
1. it shouldnt be dipping into the tank the reason it is id imagine is because the qualpex will naturally spring open and away from the tank, really a elbow a bent bit of copper is the way it should of been done.

+1 Judging by the colour of the water I'd say it's under water to hide a pitching problem

danjo-xx

aujopimur wrote: »

+1 Judging by the colour of the water I'd say it's under water to hide a pitching problem

whats a pitching problem and do I need to get it sorted!

DoneDL

Just me or is plastic a suitable material for a vent pipe?

Outkast_IRE

DoneDL wrote: »

Just me or is plastic a suitable material for a vent pipe?

ya it is suitable but not when trying to bend it in a giant loop, i usually bend a piece of copper becuase other wise you end up using 2 3/4 elbows anyway to do it properly.
Theres no rule against using plastic

No1J

I had a guy replace the old main tank last year with a new plastic one, when he done this he took out the smaller expansion tank saying it wasn't needed any more, getting a bit worried now is this right?
We have Gas central heating, same guy put in a new Immersion, cylinder, looks like a very clean job.

KK4SAM

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

ya it is suitable but not when trying to bend it in a giant loop, i usually bend a piece of copper becuase other wise you end up using 2 3/4 elbows anyway to do it properly.
Theres no rule against using plastic

I think it's bad practice to use Qualplex ,worst case scenario steam will be exiting here and a loop of Qualplex will collapse with the heat and blow out.The total height of the loop above T.W.L should be 1/8 the TH.

Outkast_IRE

No1J wrote: »

I had a guy replace the old main tank last year with a new plastic one, when he done this he took out the smaller expansion tank saying it wasn't needed any more, getting a bit worried now is this right?
We have Gas central heating, same guy put in a new Immersion, cylinder, looks like a very clean job.

he probably made it a sealed system , you may have a pressure guage and fill loop in the hot press or near the boiler instead now, theres no problem with it .

aujopimur

danjo-xx wrote: »

whats a pitching problem and do I need to get it sorted!

Pitching is when water in the heating system is pushed up into the exp. tank when the heating is running, if the water in the tank if hot it's pitching

No1J

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

he probably made it a sealed system , you may have a pressure guage and fill loop in the hot press or near the boiler instead now, theres no problem with it .

Would that be the football sized red tank in the hot press?

Outkast_IRE

No1J wrote: »

Would that be the football sized red tank in the hot press?

the red tank is an expansion vessel you have this instead of an expansion tank in the attic now, but you should also have a pressure guage and fill valve somewhere

No1J

The red expansion tank was put in about 3 years ago when I had a new Baxi fitted, then Last year got the Bathroom done plus new tank.
I checked the hot press and don't see a guage and when you say a Fill valve is this just part of the Piping or should it have a handle or something.
I'm putting in a new rad in one of the bed rooms and will obviously loose some water from the system, how can I check there is enough water in the system and that it is kept topped up.
I bleed the rads and if air comes out, water always follows soon after.

Outkast_IRE

No1J wrote: »

The red expansion tank was put in about 3 years ago when I had a new Baxi fitted, then Last year got the Bathroom done plus new tank.
I checked the hot press and don't see a guage and when you say a Fill valve is this just part of the Piping or should it have a handle or something.
I'm putting in a new rad in one of the bed rooms and will obviously loose some water from the system, how can I check there is enough water in the system and that it is kept topped up.
I bleed the rads and if air comes out, water always follows soon after.

is there a pressure guage on boiler or near boiler

No1J

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

is there a pressure guage on boiler or near boiler

No, there is a piece of pipe that comes out from the Cylinder and turns up about 6" with an egg cup sized chamber at the top that has a small black plastic screw on top that looks like where a guage would go?
Looks like a pressure relief Valve like on a pressure cooker.
If sounds right is it something I could do myself, or need to do?

timex711

i dont know much but i have a problem, any time i put on the heating water seems to come bursting out of that pipe that runs outside from the small tank.

my heat is not working right now so does anyone know what the problem is?

Outkast_IRE

timex711 wrote: »

i dont know much but i have a problem, any time i put on the heating water seems to come bursting out of that pipe that runs outside from the small tank.

my heat is not working right now so does anyone know what the problem is?

ya your system is pitching get a plumber in

No1J

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

is there a pressure guage on boiler or near boiler

No, should I have one?

Outkast_IRE

No1J wrote: »

No, should I have one?

If its a sealed system yes there should be a pressure guage somwhere and a fill loop. Try and think of any other possible areas he might of put them , he had to fill your system some way.

No1J

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

If its a sealed system yes there should be a pressure guage somwhere and a fill loop. Try and think of any other possible areas he might of put them , he had to fill your system some way.

Had another look, from the tank there are 4 pipes,
1 that is the high one that has the bends that fills into the top of the tank if the water was too hot, I think.
2 The mains/ tank filling one.
3+4 are down low in the tank and run side by side, then down through the Hot press.

In the hot press, the red expansion tank runs down and meets up with the main pipe that comes out of the cylinder about 1/3 of the way down.
Is it taking water from the cylinder?
Did you see my other post about 6 back, talking about the egg cup sized shape with the plastic stopper in the top of it?

Outkast_IRE

No1J wrote: »

Had another look, from the tank there are 4 pipes,
1 that is the high one that has the bends that fills into the top of the tank if the water was too hot, I think.
2 The mains/ tank filling one.
3+4 are down low in the tank and run side by side, then down through the Hot press.

In the hot press, the red expansion tank runs down and meets up with the main pipe that comes out of the cylinder about 1/3 of the way down.
Is it taking water from the cylinder?
Did you see my other post about 6 back, talking about the egg cup sized shape with the plastic stopper in the top of it?

ya i did honestly its time for a few photos or else give the plumber a quick bell if you can , if he can remember he will have no problem telling ya over the phone.

No1J

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

ya i did honestly its time for a few photos or else give the plumber a quick bell if you can , if he can remember he will have no problem telling ya over the phone.

Cheers, will give him a buzz in the morning, get his story and if it doesn't sound right I might throw up a few pic's.

Thank's a lot for your advice.