What is this gunk filled container in the loft?

[0liver]

We've just bought this house, and looking around the loft there is a large water container (clean) and a much smaller container next to it filled with mouldy looking gunk and a ball valve (?). This doesn't look good. But I have no idea whether it's in use or redundant and why it's gunked up like that?

Any advice?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

That would be the heating system feed tank eg fills the radiators and boiler etc

 

[0liver]

That would be the heating system feed tank eg fills the radiators and boiler etc

ah ok, thanks I've just learnt something then. But I guess that indicates the state of the water running through the heating system then i.e. terrible.
It's probably not related but the boiler controller doesn't work separately for heat or water. It's either heat and water together or nothing. That might be a valve I guess, possibly ruined by the state of the water in it? lol

 

[ShaunCorbs]

ah ok, thanks I've just learnt something then. But I guess that indicates the state of the water running through the heating system then i.e. terrible.
It's probably not related but the boiler controller doesn't work separately for heat or water. It's either heat and water together or nothing. That might be a valve I guess, possibly ruined by the state of the water in it? lol

Might be best to test the system for operation should work separately eg heating and hot water so might need investigation could be wiring fault or valve as you say

It’s open vented so they tend not to be the cleanest might be worth running some cleaner through the system and once a couple of days past drain the system and clean the tank at the same time and if any parts are bad eg valve then replace at this time and re dose with inhb when filling back up

 

[nicam49]

The state of the water in the central heating header tank shouldn't be a cause for alarm! It's just silt in the bottom. that's been there years from dust coming down off the roof. Some of it is probably central heating inhibitor anyway. Just putting a cleaner thro' might throw up more trouble than it's worth. Give us more info on the other issue and we might be able to advise more comprehensively.

 

[0liver]

I don't know, it looks like more than silt? I've managed to attach a photo

The lack of control seems straight forward. If you turn the heating on only, the heating and water both go on. And same with the water, turning water on only just results in both water and central heating kicking in. They can't be separately controlled.