Urgent!!!! Is It Safe To Turn Central Heating On?

We have no mains water in most of Cork city. In this situation, is it safe to turn on the oil fired central heating? Or is it dependant on having a supply of water to the system?

Thanks.

Turn it on, it will be ok.

Thanks, and not for the first time, Davy.

Once there is water in the system you will be ok.

to check there is water in the system someone once told me if the rads upstairs were heating then it is ok...is this sound advice or is there some other method to ensure water in the system?

You only have to top up the system occasionally, running it for a few days when mains is off is ok. There should be a pressure gauge somewhere on the boiler and maybe another near the water tank.

Hope you all have water back soon Lex

Hi,
Take care to ensure the main water storage tank in the attic does not run out of water because there is a chance that if the hot water cylinder in the hot press if still being heated by either the central heating or an immersion can implode (basically crease in on itself not as dramatic as it reads but a new one would be required).

dewdrop said:

to check there is water in the system someone once told me if the rads upstairs were heating then it is ok...is this sound advice or is there some other method to ensure water in the system?

Click to expand...

Water pressure at the boiler.

I recall someone telling me that the hot water cylinder is always full as the hot water comes out from the top and is fed from the bottom. Is this possible or does it make sense.

No Water. House built approx 6 years ago. Is it safe to put on the heating

Peter C said:

Hi,
Take care to ensure the main water storage tank in the attic does not run out of water because there is a chance that if the hot water cylinder in the hot press if still being heated by either the central heating or an immersion can implode (basically crease in on itself not as dramatic as it reads but a new one would be required).

Click to expand...

This is false and misleading information.

This would only happen if the pressure inside the cylinder was lower then the pressure outside it. what you describe would not cause this to happen. It would happen if the feed tank became frozen along with the expansion pipe in attic, if water was draw from cylinder it would be possible for a vacuum to form, this would cause the cylinder to implode, possibly.

Even at that it is rare, I have never seen a case of it or heard of one.

dewdrop said:

I recall someone telling me that the hot water cylinder is always full as the hot water comes out from the top and is fed from the bottom. Is this possible or does it make sense.

Click to expand...

This is true, the cylinder always has water in it unless you drain it off from a drain off cock on cylinder, you can not drain a cylinder from a hot tap, only the feed tank.

asdfg said:

No Water. House built approx 6 years ago. Is it safe to put on the heating

Click to expand...

You can use your heating.

Even in the off chance your system empties EG you have always had a leak but it kept on refilling but now can't, the boiler would shut itself down before too long.

DavyJones said:

This is false and misleading information.

This would only happen if the pressure inside the cylinder was lower then the pressure outside it. what you describe would not cause this to happen. It would happen if the feed tank became frozen along with the expansion pipe in attic, if water was draw from cylinder it would be possible for a vacuum to form, this would cause the cylinder to implode, possibly.

Even at that it is rare, I have never seen a case of it or heard of one.

Click to expand...

Hi DavyJones,
Should have clarified I was referring to the new type stainless steel cylinders many do not have an expansion vent.
When you pass the 50 year milestone you will like me have seen many things including the exact scenario you described.