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Overflow from attic water tank

  • 26-09-2024 10:22pm
    #1
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭


    Hi, water coming out of overflow pipe from attic tank. Handy Andy friend was out and replaced ball cock, twice, second replacement was an “equilibrium” type. It is still overflowing. He is a good guy and has replaced it 20 years ago with no issues then. Any ideas as to what is the problem



Comments

  • #2
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,073 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Hi ya. From what tank, there can be two on an attic... a small one for the heating system and a much larger one for the stored cold water? Photos can help.



  • #3
    greasepalm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,583 ✭✭✭greasepalm


    Exactly as my mate replaced the ballcock in the tank and assumed it was faulty , it was the one beside it as the water level was higher and going out of that overflow.

    I have 2 big tanks in the attic.



  • #4
    phog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,977 ✭✭✭✭phog


    If it's a plastic/pvc tank make sure the sides aren't squashing in, this might cause the water to rise above the outlet of the overflow.



  • #5
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    hi thanks for the replies. It’s the main water tank and believe it or not two floaters were faulty. Third floater still caused leaking but tank is slightly concave so ball cock arm not staying straight if that makes sense. Friend fitted a metal plate so it’s now staying in place . All I was worried about was the tank collapsing



  • #6
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    thanks phong, that’s exactly the problem



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  • #7
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    Hi, problem not solved 😩. Still water coming out of overflow pipe. Plumber was back again and it was that cold day we had. He said water in tank in attic was too warm. Did a lot of chasing and checking of pipework (inherited a major mess of pipework when we bought house). He has isolated problem to cylinder tank in hot press. Cold feed from attic is hot so he reckons coil is gone in cylinder. Also water from hot taps and toilet flush is brown which he said would be from the cylinder feeding back to attic tank. Even when boiler is not on, overflow still leaks. He is a friend of my brother and asked me to get replacement tank as he is too busy in his day job. Guy in shop told me it was probably immersion, hasn’t worked in 5years, then said it was probably thermostat on gas boiler. Anyone had similar.



  • #8
    The Continental Op
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,479 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    Doubt the immersion has anything to do with it. The coil being damaged would cause the problem as water from the central heating header tank (you normally have one for the cold water and one for the heating system) would flow out of the coil and into the cylinder and up via the cold feed to the cold water header tank.

    To confirm this find the second header tank and that its letting water in as fast as the overflow is letting it out.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • #9
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    Hi, I’m a bit clueless regarding pipes, there is a small red tank thing in attic related to heating . Is that what you mean. I don’t doubt the plumber, I just like to know myself



  • #10
    The Continental Op
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,479 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    If that small read tank thing is above the height of the tank that is overflowing then a damaged coil in cylinder is definitely a possible cause.

    I'm not a plumber so can't say if this is common but there have been threads on here before about similar issues where the tank needed replacing.

    The brown water coming out of the hot taps would also be diagnostic of water coming out of the hot water system and going into the main cold water tank. The cold water in the cold water tank being warm would also confirm the issue.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • #11
    dathi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,422 ✭✭✭dathi


    https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/cimm-expansion-vessel-central-heating-8-litres.html?currency=EUR&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwpbi4BhByEiwAMC8JnYXmcM2DwS6oo1vKbInMnGsHZiS4_knuRpKqduCApvv_X5rQYHXHiRoCiIwQAvD_BwE

    does the red vessel look like the above , as if it does then the central heating to the coil in cylinder is pressurised they were regularly fitted with a automatic filling valve, and if the coil in the cylinder has a hole in it it would push water up to the tank in attic



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  • #12
    The Continental Op
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,479 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122721736#Comment_122721736

    I wondered about the "red tank thing" but decided that pressure vessel isn't normally in the attic. However that makes perfect sense if there is an automatic filling valve.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • #13
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    hi, red thing is on attic floor beside and below the main big tank. Plumber friend is bemused at the pipe work to put it mildly, previous owner was a BIY as my brother in law said, botch it yourself 😄



  • #14
    youtheman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭youtheman


    I had hot water in my attic tank years ago after fitting solar panels. As part of that upgrade I had to fit a mixer valve on the how water outlet from the tank. But the water was reverse flowing up the cold water feed from the header tank. Solution was to run the feed from the attic tank down to the floor in the hot press and then up to the mixer valve. Hot water can go reverse flow 'up' a pipe but not 'down' (if ca catch my drift).



  • #15
    kaizer13
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69 ✭✭kaizer13


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122720247#Comment_122720247

    I have come across the situation of a leak in the cylinder heating coil. The cylinder contents were bleeding through into the coil and because the heating system feed and expansion tank was mounted in the loft at a lower level than the main water tank, the excess water was leaving via the feed and expansion tank overflow. The other way round to the condition described above. But yes, it can happen.



  • #16
    User567363
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 128 ✭✭User567363


    As others have said, I bet coil in cylinder is leaking, I dont think this is a DIY job sadly.



  • #17
    Toby22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭Toby22


    yes it was coil in cylinder tank causing the problem. All sorted now



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