Direct Vented cylinder swap...

[dween]

Hi guys,

Long time reader, first time poster.

Basically I'm planning on swapping out a cylinder. There is no gas in the flat, so everything has to be warmed by electric. One shower/bath, kitchen tap and basin tap. Rads are all electric too.

So the current cylinder is mains fed, and what looks like the vent pipe...I have no idea where it's going. This is a basement flat, with no loft, or tank. It's going up into the ceiling somewhere, away from all of the other hot pipes.

This pipe appears to be going up to what I'd assume is somewhere in somebody elses flat, or even 3 floors up to maybe a loft tank, where I don't have access.

Am I being paranoid or would you be fine just swapping it out, not knowing where this is going?

Are there any other options for heating the system?

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Any chance of a few pics please of the cylinder and the pipe in question

 

[Riley]

Definitely some pictures required as a vented hot water cylinders will not be mains fed

 

[Tjdservices]

it sounds as though your unsure of what is required. Personally I think you should get a proffesional in. If something is identified incorrectly would you have the skills to rectify? Also if it is mains fed that would make it an unvented cylinder so you would need a G3 registered plumber to carry out the work by law.

 

[dween]

sorry for the delay in pics. Busy weekend!

White pipe is the mains coming in.

 

[Riley]

It's not 100% clear from your photo but the white mains pipe doesn't attach to the cylinder does it ? I would suggest that this pipe goes all the way up to the loft fills a cwsc and subsequently another pipe comes back down to feed to cylinder. Does this sound reasonable ??!

 

[dween]

White pipe comes down, to stopcock, then tees off across and up to the cylinder and carrys on from the tee to the basin/bath and kitchen sink.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you have a vented cylinder there. the white pipe does come from a cistern in the loft. the "stopcock" on it is a gate valve not a stopcock. there must be a cold water cistern in the loft because it looks like there is a vent off the top of the hot feed coming from the top of the cylinder.
is your bath to the left of the cylinder? kitchen to the right?

 

[dween]

It's an odd set up. This is a basement flat, with no access to the loft!

And yup the bath is to the left and kitchen to the right.
The white pipe doesn't come straight down either, it comes along the ceiling in the kitchen, and into the airing cupboard.

 

[Riley]

There may be a tank else where but that cylinder is not fed off the mains

 

[PhoenixServices]

Sounds like it has a large remote cold water storage tank either in the loft or on the roof feeding it.
You are fine to change the cylinder so long as the gate valve shuts off fully.
Although I would say this is more a job for a trained plumber than diyer. Only attempt it if you are fully confident with your plumbing abilities.