Understanding gas central heating system

[AdamC001]

Hello everyone,

We have recently moved to the UK, so really don't know much about gas central heating and boilers over here etc. So this is probably a very basic question but I just don't know!

We are moving to a house later this month. It has a "wall-mounted gas-fired boiler for domestic hot water and central heating" in the downstairs kitchen.
Upstairs in the bedroom, we have an "airing cupboard housing foam-dipped tank". The house was built around 1996 if that helps.

Am I right in saying that the gas boiler fires up 'on demand' to supply the central heating and hot water taps when turned on? so where does the foam tank fit in?
Does it just work as a hot water holding tank upstairs for the bathroom taps? and if so, does it constantly pull hot water from the gas boiler switching it on and off throughout the day? or would it be a stand-alone electric gezer?

I hope you follow what I am trying to ask. Any help in understanding this type of system would be appreciated.

Thanks
Adam

 

[Ben-gee]

It sounds like you would have a gravity hot water system in this house.

The boiler provides central heating via the radiators as you expect.

The boiler provides hot water via the cylinder in the airing cupboard. This is heated by the boiler and stored in the cylinder until required. You should have control over the re-heating times via a programmer.

It will be a gravity system with large cold water storage tank in the loft.

To provide a satisfactory shower upstairs there may well be a pump to boost the pressure and increase flow.

Don’t worry this can be a very robust system!

 

[snowhead]

As above plus,
The foam covered cylinder upstairs will provide hot water to all the taps and the stored temperature is controlled by a thermostat on the outside of the cylinder, that will call for the boiler if the timed setting for hot water is on.

There may also be a backup electric immersion heater in the foam covered cylinder just controlled by an On / Off switch, which may be local to the cylinder or in the kitchen but should be marked Immersion heater
If it has, make sure it's off as electricity charges in the U.K are high compared to gas (always have been, nothing to do with recent World energy issues)

 

[AdamC001]

Thanks so much for the replies guys!

Obviously, I will need to look at it more closely once we move in but at least I have a good basic understanding now it all makes sense.

Have a great Day

Thanks
Adam