Redundant Central Heating Pipework

ANDY597

Hello All
Im in the process of flooring my loft and I want to remove my cold water tank and convert to mains pressure.

I have a fairly recent combi boiler that does my hot water and my central heating, so the only thing that the cold water tank now supplies is my cold water supply to my bathroom.

All good and well, however.

I have a redundant expansion tank in the loft which is empty that Im going to remove, left over from an old central heating system.

My question is this, what is the pipe that goes straight through my loft roof ceiling.

Thanks
Andy

liitleblackcat

There are generally only three pipes in an expansion tank:
1) is the inlet from the mains cold water which will go into the inlet valve on the side of the tank;
2) is the overflow which will go out of the side of the tank towards the top and end up outside the house;
3) is the feed and expansion connection which feeds the central heating system and allow for the heating and cooling of the CH fluid.

Sounds like the pipe if the second of these three.

ANDY597

Thanks for the reply, but thats not quite what I meant.

As well as the redundant expansion tank and the three pipes as you have described.

I also have a pipe that comes up the same pipebox, into my loft, straight up the end gable wall and then through the roof. looking outside and up at teh roof it ends in a loop shape.

It look to me like some sort of vent pipe, but Im wondering whether its part of the old removed system or not

gartshore

it`s your old hot water expansion pipe if it is open ended on the roof cut it as high as possible in the attic & blank it if you wish .

liitleblackcat

Well done gartshore. Normally the hot water expansion pipe turns a loop and ends back in the cold water storage tank that provides the pressure for the hot water cylinder. Not sure why yours is doing what you describe.

Do you remember the tragic case about 12 months ago where, due to a faulty immersion heater, the expansion pipe filled the cold water storage tank with boiling hot water and eventually the tank burst and dropped its boiling contents on a little girl in the bed underneath? Made me shudder at the time. There but for the grace of God............

gartshore

littleblackcat it is common practice in scotland in older houses to have a swans neck on the roof , donot know about your expertise but i have been in this trade for 33 years .

ormus

certainly, ive never seen one going through the actual roof in england.
all the ones ive seen just go up and then return to open vent, just above the expansion tank.
im very surprised the plumber left a cold water tank in the system after fitting a combi?

plumb1_2

ormus wrote: »

certainly, ive never seen one going through the actual roof in england.

Try to get out more:rotfl: , there are lots of older properties with swan neck expansion pipes, through slate roofs.Mainly when solid fuel heating.

cas332

my pipes are shuddering in my loft, i have an unused tank up there, but there is a gas pipe from my bathroom to my ceiling leading to my loft, had my boiler a few years now and up till now no probs - any ideas