Could someone explain my central heating/hot water system to me?

[MILdesperandum]

Just moved to our new house, previously we had a combi boiler and that was it, no cylinder or tank. Boiler had a timer dial for heating and there was a thermostat in the hall.

Now we have a combi boiler, tank in the loft and cylinder in the airing cupboard. I think the cylinder used to have an immersion heater but now the electric supply had been disconnected - the owner described it as obsolete but now I'm not sure if she meant the immersion part or the whole cylinder - would the combi boiler fill the cylinder? How can I tell? Additionally we have a programmable timer which I understand for the heating but we can also program hot water - never had anything like this before, will this be obsolete too or is it somehow controlling when the combi will provide hot water to the taps/cylinder.

So confused or last system was so simple!

We need to sit down and think about what needs doing, and in what order. Once we get the Internet up and running I shall be scouting around for some info/ideas.
We only moved in on 13th so still finding our feet. Although I can't believe how settled I feel already. Defo worth the stress!
I'm sure I will back with questions!

Good luck 123, we just wanted to get the electrical work out of the way and thought everything else could wait... but then we haven't got a shower which is a big problem for DH so now we've got to work out how to fix that.

Hadn't thought of the energy efficiency/water consumption angle Twisted.... decisions decisions!

if you want a lot of water delivered (hot or cold) witout a big high tank, you need to have, or get, a good big pipe run all the way to the pavement. 25mm blue plastic would usually do, but 32mm costs hardly any extra, and is even better. Some modern houses are built that way.

A local plumber should know what you can get in your district. You might be unlucky and live at the end of an old lane.

Looks like pigletjohn has resolved your questions. He really is super isn't he?!

As for me, well we have a silver tank which is not switched on and two boilers (for separate floors). I still have no idea what the tank is for but I think we have to have the radiators on for a bit to get hot water sometimes.

I'm totally baffled by it all and we've been here weeks. It's terrible that we don't know it inside out but it's just been so crazy trying to sort the beds/furniture:kitchen/kids/utilities etc that the heating and water system has been ignored.

Is the silver thing cylindrical in shape? What markings or labels does it have? What are its dimensions?

The cylinder tank says 'Santon premier plus' on it. It is silver and there's pipes around it and a white flex wire which goes to a plug which is switched off. The tank is never warm. Does this mean the boiler is heating the radiators and water?

It's a tank shape and quite big. About 5 feet hight. It's never hot though. I think it's for emergencies.

MIL

You mention that the immersion heater in your cylinder might not work. It would be a good idea to have it reconnected or repaired.

As you have a conventional boiler is has less to go wrong than a combi, but when it does you just need to tut mildly and switch on the immersion heater. It will not be a crisis like a broken combi. Get the longest element that will fit, probably 27"

Bakingnovice

You have an excellent modern pressurised cylinder similar to a Megaflo. It is full of hot water heated by a gad boiler but may also have one or two immersion heaters. The reason it does not feel hot is that it has first class insulation. The boiler should have a timer to heat it separately from the radiators. Its efficiency is so high that it will cost hardly any extra to heat it 24 hours, unless you are going on holiday and the house will be empty for more than a weekend.

It has to be serviced by a qualified person, when you get your boiler serviced specify that you need someone with the pressurised cylinder ticket. It is possible (but extremely difficult due to multiple safety devices) to make them burst if they are altered by someone ignorant, or if the safety devices are ignored and go wrong, hence this rule.

Should it be plugged in and switched on? It seems to be switched off.

We had a boiler man come out and he didn't know anything about it. Thank you for your info!!

If the flex is for an immersion heater (probable) it should have a switch but no plug. The switch may have a neon indicator. The immersion heater should have its own dedicated circuit running back to a 16Amp breaker in the consumer unit, which should be labelled "immersion heater" or 'water heater"
Leave the immersion heater switched off unless the boiler is out of service.

There should be another flex, with no switch, from the cylinder thermostat about a foot from the bottom of the cylinder, which will run to the boiler or a connection box.

It is not a tank.

baking novice of your megaflow type thing!

Piglet thanks muchly; will look into getting the immersion reinstated; thinking of calling the guy out who did the installation to service and tell us how much megaflow/what size pipes we have.