Can a Header Tank be connected to a Cold Water Tank?

[LordWest]

Hello,

I live in a building that is a conversion of two terrace houses into several flats. One of the residents ("Roger") has been managing the cold water, hot water, and heating of the building for more than 30 years, and I have a question on whether his set up is legit.

We have four water tanks in the loft. Roger tells me that the first three tanks are connected with pipes and supply water to the flats. He also says that the fourth tank is the head tank for the central heating system and that the system is “closed” and dosed with chemicals.

However, when I looked at the setup, it seems to me that all four tanks are interconnected with pipes. The first tank connects to the second, second to third, and third to fourth. My concern is with the connection from the third to the fourth (header tank) tank, as this would in theory allow chemicals from the header tank to go to the other tanks. It seems to me that the mains water supply feeds only the first tank, and there is a ball valve only on the first tank. Thus, the fourth tank (header tank) must be receiving supply from the main indirectly from the first tank, and this means that the system is not really closed and in theory chemical from the header tank could sip through to the other tanks. Should the header tank be disconnected from the thr third and have an independent supply from the mains, or it the current setup legit?

Thanks

 

[snowhead]

No, the header tank for the heater should NOT be connected to the tanks for domestic supply, other that the common connection of mains water to the float valves.
Re the 3 tanks, they should be connected so that the water enters one tank and any connections should be on the last tank in the chain, to prevent stagnation in any tank.

Have you got any pictures, maybe the pipework to the heating tank?

 

[Ben-gee]

If it's all been working correctly for thirty years you probably have your answer.

Do you know what you are looking at?

I suspect that all of the warning pipe overflows are connected together - this is perfectly ok.

If it the actual tanks were connected as you seem to think, yes that would be a massive problem - but I think it would have come to light by now!

 

[LordWest]

ok thanks. I think that Roger got it mixed up and was referring to a diferent tank as the header tank. Below is a water of the 4 tanks. These are inteconnected.

Below is the 4th tnaks:

Below is the 1st tank

Below are the covers, startign from the 1st tank:

 

[Sparkgap]

Pretty sure Roger's wrong! Looks like ballvalve/s on tank 1, outlet on tank 4 and all connected through each other. I'd be worried about the crap getting into the tanks coz no lids!

 

[snowhead]

I think Roger needs to let go and get a Professional on site to have a look.

As a minimum they need;
Cleaning out, which looks impossible for the middle 2 due to height restrictions.
They need insulation to be applied all around to stop them either freezing in Winter or heating up in Summer with correctly ventillated lids.
But to do the above they'll need repositionong as 2 and 3 are too close to the roof timbers.
Check the overflows have fly screens in them
Check the support is adequate, it doesn't look to be, but may be a bad view of it.
Confirm whether there is a heating header tank and if it is interconnected, if so sort it out.

 

[LordWest]

Thanks, I am trying to have them replaced.
[automerge]1589906856[/automerge]

Pretty sure Roger's wrong! Looks like ballvalve/s on tank 1, outlet on tank 4 and all connected through each other. I'd be worried about the crap getting into the tanks coz no lids!

Yes, he admitted he was wrong. The header tank is connected tot he cold water tanks.

 

[Ric2013]

I would personally be happier having my own cistern separate from other flats. So whatever stupid things may happen/ they do to their water is less likely to affect yours.

Technically, the support for the tanks is not to current standards, and that they need cleaning out. Too high to be accessible for cleaning: need to be a foot lower, ideally, and by law. Lack of proper lids not acceptable, and they probably aren't really interlinked correctly (the guidance on what interlinking is acceptable has always confused me and I've not bothered to look into it too deeply as I've never needed to do it). Also, if we want to be picky, the float valve looks to be a Part 1 valve, and therefore (depending on the context), not legal anymore for this purpose.

They are certainly not to current standards (Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999). If they were put in in the last 21 years, it's a very poor show, and to be honest, the Water Regs replaced local byelaws that were probably broadly similar in their stipulations for stored water.

There is quite a lot involved in fitting a cistern ('tank') properly. Most come with instructions that, if followed, would almost certainly result in a safe and compliant installation. Too many people don't read.

To put things into context, my own house had an open tank feeding the hot water cylinder only when I bought the place. I cleaned the tank out, threw a plastic sheet over it (to keep out 99% of the dust that inevitably lurks in lofts) and tied the plastic sheet tight with some string, put some insulation (not fibreglass) around it and decided that that would do until I got around to redoing the system completely. But I'm aware it isn't how it should be and that my hot water cannot really be considered safe to drink. I don't drink hot water though, nor do I shower from that water, so I'm less concerned. If my clean but not properly lidded cistern were feeding my drinking water, I would have replaced it on day one. And the only reason I refuse to buy a lid for mine is that the price of circular lids feel like daylight robbery. If you're drinking from that, it's pretty grim to be honest.

By looking at your water, I would guess (can't see the pipework) that the heating system water is separate from the water that is supplied to your taps.