Domestic plumbing question

[janeh]

So I was rebuilding the central heating system today (don't ask) and just as I was filling up, I noticed the tank leaking.

It was well corroded and had obviously leaked before, but I must have exacerbated it by knocking the nuts (not such a good thing to do)/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Question for any plumber reading this is/
Do I just buy a new tank? Steep £199 plus.
Is there any way of tightening the nuts and HOW? I need to hold something inside. The pipes in the photo are feed and outlet from boiler to heating coil in tank, of course. I can't figure out how to tighten the nuts.
Tra la

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

I am a plumber/tiler among many other trades.
Yes you will definatly need a new tank judging by the look of the pics.
The fittings will be formed on the tank, so you should be able to connect your pipes bu holding the tank flange type unions and tightening the pipe union nuts onto the them.
You should try a scrappie for a good sh tank, which normally fetch £50 for scrap.

 

[Double arvor]

as a heating engineer agree with clyde

 

[futurama]

Agree about changing the tank,but if you need to buy some time there are sealers that will fix the leak.
One of them is a two part copper epoxy putty that you mix by rolling between your hands to soften and start the chemical process. Go to your plumbing supplier or motor factor, there are loads of sealers to choose from.
But don't let this temp repair become permanent.

 

[VicS]

Re leak-sealers. it looks as though it is leaking between the tank and the fitting , in which case its leaking from the hot water service side rather than the boiler circuit BUT if it is leaking from the boiler circuit a leak sealer such as Fernox leak sealer could buy you some time. (I am keeping my fingers crossed that it can buy a lot of time!)


BTW It looks as if you have got an immersion heater in there. If so just start to slacken it before you drain down. The weight of water holds the tank still while you do it ... with luck ... but always be prepared for it to be impossible to get out at all!

 

[janeh]

Thank you gentlemen.

Off to the plumbers merchants tomorrow (cold shower today).

Off to scrappie the next day (should get £40 for scrap tank maybe)

Just hope rest of system is not as corroded (another bit snapped off all too easily in the loft last week) otherwise I'll be ripping up floorboards and re-plumbing the whole house.

Tra la

 

[janeh]

You plumbers know your stuff.

New tank in.

Torch inside old tank revealed that the nut backed onto a formed fitting (part of the heat exchanger coil - no easy way of curing the leak at all really. Horrible design fault if you ask me (assuming that leaks here are frequent and mine wasn't a one-off)