Cylinder pump

Mach Two

Can anyone tell me what a cylinder hot water pump does. I also have an upstairs radiator pump,a downstairs radiator pump and an underfloor water pump.

10-10-20

That would pressurise the hot water from the cylinder as well as the cold feed from the attic tank to deliver it to the taps.

Mach Two

Is there any need to run it? The underfloor heating seems to run better when it is running. When the underfloor heating comes on there does not seem to be any warm water coming out of the mixer unit. But when I turn on the cylinder pump shortly after warm water is coming out of the mixer unit. Very strange as I did not have to turn on the cylinder pump last year and the underfloor heating was working perfectly. It did alternate in temperature after the mixer unit though as in the temperature was not consistent.

I am heating everything off a stove.

embracingLife

Sounds like something wrong with the different systems, they should be separate. Underfloor heating would usually not be joined to the hot water coming out of the hot water cylinder which is going to the mixer unit which is presumably in your bathroom?

Clearly they seem to be joined as you said the underfloor heating works better with the cylinder pump on.

There's a crossover of water between the two systems. You need some other advice in person by a plumber to check for leaks or valves issues etc.

Mach Two

The cylinder pump,the upstairs radiator pump and the downstairs radiator pump all run through a heat exchanger. The underfloor heating pump is in a separate closet downstairs. I am trying to see where the pipes run up to the hot press upstairs to identify where they run in to.

There is a Magma Clean unit in the hot press. Is that on the underfloor heating line?

The Magna Clean unit is under the heat exchanger with a pipe running out of it in to the heat exchanger.

embracingLife

Well you said in another post that there's pumps heating water that's coming out of a mixer unit, so that's what confused me.

Re the Magna clean unit - this is a type of filter to collect dirt etc in the pipes - only you can see what system it's attached to. But usually it's attached to all systems - or magna's fitted to each water pipe systems not just one system.

Then you said in the last sentence that the Magna clean is attached to the heat exchanger. Well then as you said before that all 3 pipes systems are joined to the heat exchanger, then the Magna clean is obviously filtering all 3 systems.

BTW can you show a photo of this heat exchanger? It's a bit confusing what's you said. Some pumps working /then cylinder pump off and the underfloor heating works better etc.

Have you got any plumber to service this system at all? Who installed it etc? Coming on here looking for answers isn't the best solution, you really need some body to check it all out.

Mach Two

I am trying to gather as much information as possible for the plumber so that I can be as informative as possible. It will make it easier for him to diagnose the problem.

I cleaned the Magna Clean to see if it makes any difference. Good bit of gunk on it. I presume the water is just passing through it. So I don't expect any difference. I will take a picture tomorrow as it is too dark in there at night. Natural light should take a better picture.

blackbox

If your cylinder is downstairs, the cylinder pump is probably needed to circulate the water as there won't be natural convection from the boiler.

A booster pump would be to provide enough pressure for a shower. it looks quite different but would probably be located close to the cylinder.

Mach Two

I have a booster pump for the shower. My cylinder is upstairs so natural convection should occur.

Must remember to take that photo tomorrow.