How to identify direct or indirect system

[Kev Russell]

Good morning guys, this forum is a god send....

could someone please explain to me the easiest way to find out if i have a indirect or direct system "i also heard of a primatic system! too" and also i would like to find out if my cold water in my bathroom runs directly from the mains or from the cold water storage tank in the loft....
Thank yo so much for your help....

Kev

 

[grahamgas]

First thing to check... is there a storage cistern in your loft?

If you have central heating then there may be 2 tanks in your loft, a big one and a smaller one.Although your cylinder may have the cistern built in to it.

Some pics of your hot water cylinder and associated pipework would be useful.

As for your cold water, easiest way is to turn off stopcock, if you can find it, and see if you still get anything out of taps.

Graham

 

[Kev Russell]

Thanks for that graham, i will check....

 

[Plamber]

indirect clinders are heated by a coil inside, do you have to switch on your hot water at your boiler or timeclock?

direct cylinders are heated by immersion heaters, do you have a switch that only controlls hot water that also has a 'boost' on it? most houses/flats have direct cylinders when there is no gas to the property and the only way of heating the water is electric.

 

[ecowarm]

indirect clinders are heated by a coil inside, do you have to switch on your hot water at your boiler or timeclock?

direct cylinders are heated by immersion heaters, do you have a switch that only controlls hot water that also has a 'boost' on it? most houses/flats have direct cylinders when there is no gas to the property and the only way of heating the water is electric.

You can also get a direct cylinder heated by a back boiler, range or stove

Eco

 

[tackleburger]

A quick way to check your cold bathroom tap feed is to stick you finger over the end. If you can stop the water with ease then it is off the tank. Just in case you have low pressure do it at the kitchen tap you should see a big difference which will confirm the bathroom being tanked.

 

[Kev Russell]

Thanks guys, you have been a great help

 

[jono1987]

esentially if you have a cwst and hwst then you have an indirect system. a direct system feeds everything straight from the rising main and heats water on demand from the boiler.

i am only learning but this is my understanding anyway, im sure it does get more complicated.

 

[jay s]

esentially if you have a cwst and hwst then you have an indirect system. a direct system feeds everything straight from the rising main and heats water on demand from the boiler.

i am only learning but this is my understanding anyway, im sure it does get more complicated.

little bit wrong there jono
if you have a cwst and f&e tank you have a indirect system
if you have a cwst no f&e ie no heating you have direct system
basically adirect system is heated directly at the cylinder from an immersion heater
an indirect system is not heated at cylinder and is indirectly heated away from cylinder by means of a boiler
rising main that heats water through a boiler on demand is a combination
boiler
cylinders fead by mains supply are unvented and can be direct or indirect
there are also primatic cylinders but im sure your learn about them

 

[jono1987]

little bit wrong there jono
if you have a cwst and f&e tank you have a indirect system
if you have a cwst no f&e ie no heating you have direct system
basically adirect system is heated directly at the cylinder from an immersion heater
an indirect system is not heated at cylinder and is indirectly heated away from cylinder by means of a boiler
rising main that heats water through a boiler on demand is a combination
boiler
cylinders fead by mains supply are unvented and can be direct or indirect
there are also primatic cylinders but im sure your learn about them

Thanks for clearing that up for me but this is the bit that confuses me, i have a f&e tank but i also have an immersion heater in my hwst !! so what im understanding is f&e tank = indirect system with the f&e tank providing water for central heating but my hwst has an immersion element = direct, that surely is a contradiction ??

 

[jay s]

Thanks for clearing that up for me but this is the bit that confuses me, i have a f&e tank but i also have an immersion heater in my hwst !! so what im understanding is f&e tank = indirect system with the f&e tank providing water for central heating but my hwst has an immersion element = direct, that surely is a contradiction ??

you have an indirect system
all cylinders have tappings for immersions on them whether there direct or indirect. Yours will be basically just a back up in case boiler fails and you can then use your immersion to heat your water, common pratice really jono

 

[jono1987]

you have an indirect system
all cylinders have tappings for immersions on them whether there direct or indirect. Yours will be basically just a back up in case boiler fails and you can then use your immersion to heat your water, common pratice really jono

ah ok, makes sense, funny that nothing i have read mentions that !! suppose that is exactly why they say site experience is best !

 

[ferret]

from your original post , you can tell the difference between all 3 systems by 1, direct is usually all electric heated by immersion heaters , sometimes though a circulator is used if you have warm air heating. 2, Indirect if heated from a central heating sysrem via 2 port or 3 port valve , the tappings for this are male threads protuding from the cylinder approx 400mm apart , 3 , primatic is also heated indirectly from the heating system but the heating system does not have a header tank it is supplied from the cwds feed to the cylender and seperated from each other by means of an air bubble , the tapping on these cylinders are female threads into the cylinder apprx 600mm apart.

 

[philtheflush]

and to add primatic systems can be one pipe instalations that feed all the radiators with just one pipe ive got one and it is a pain in the a--e

 

[tackleburger]

Definitive ways to check primatic is there will be no F&E or header tank for the boiler all comes from Cold Water Stroage Tank. Also primatic cylinders usually state on them you can't tell by looking at the heating system.

To clear up the direct/indirect discussion. tank fed cold water is also correctly referred to as indirect meaning the cold water is indirect. We all call it low pressure or tanked probably because it get confused with heating.

 

[tamz]

All hot water cylinders have a boss for an immersion. When fitted to an indirect cylinder the immersion is only for a back up if needed.

 

[Kev Russell]

Thanks guys, like i said this is a great forum for information

Cheers