calorifier

[clintonr]

Can I drain down my calorifier by switching off water pump and turning on hot tap. I want to drain down for winter. If I can't, how do I drain some water off calorifier.

Is it then a case of switching on water pump to refill calorifier. If not how easy is it to do.

[David Mack]

No. Your calorifier takes in cold water at the bottom with hot water leaving at the top. So simply opening the hot tap will drain some of the pipework, but not the calorifier. Ideally you would have a drain cock somewhere in the system but they are not always fitted, in which case you might need to open a joint.

[Kwacker]

That wouldn't work with my (fairly standard?) setup.

I have to use a spare water pump to draw the water out of the calorifier, but it is quick and simple.

Shut off cold water feed to water pump or empty the cold tank as I do.

Disconnect outlet from water pump.

Re-connect same to inlet of spare pump.

Close cold taps.

Open hot taps.

Start spare pump and empty calorifier over the side.

When I have posted this before, it has been suggested that some systems have non return valves in the cold feed to the calorifier, which would prevent this from working, mine doesn't, so it does.

[trackman]

Surecal calorifiers definitely come with non return valves. I'm on my second and found out when replacing the first!

[ditchcrawler]

I was in MC today and they had calarifiers that had a drain just like you have on most plumbing attached to the bottom conection, I didn't see what make they were

[blackrose]

On my vertical calorifer I switched the pump off and opened a joint at the bottom of the calorifer expecting the water to flood out, but it didn't because of the vacuum in the tank. With the taps closed you can turn the PRV at the top of the calorifer to release the vacuum and fill up a washing up bowl with water until the calorifer is empty. Just let go of the PRV to close the valve and stop the flow.

Edited November 27, 2014 by blackrose