Copyright 2008-2018 Michael Bryant

The original Gulfstream is an early example of the thermal stores that Gledhill specialise in making. I'd estimate these were made between around 1985 and 1995 but there are very few still left in regular use. Unlike their other thermal stores, the Gulfstream is self-powered by gas. It incorporates small gas-fired water heater inside the casing which heats the store water.

Like conventional hot water cylinders, a thermal store is a container filled with hot water but here the similarity ends. Once filled, the water in a thermal store never changes. Instead, the hot water stored in it is used to heat the tap water using a heat exchanger.  This allows the hot tap water to be delivered at full mains pressure, and is one of the primary benefits of installing a thermal store instead of a conventional hot water cylinder. For central heating, the hot store water is pumped directly around the radiators.

The original Gledhill Gulfstream transfers heat into the tap water using a coil of pipe immersed in the thermal store water. Cold mains water flows through this coil of pipe and is heated through the wall of the pipe and emerged hot, for delivery to the hot tap.

Central heating is very simple in that the CH pump starts and circulates the thermal store water around the radiator circuits whenever the CH timer and room thermostat are both calling for heat.

Common problems:

I've only ever attended one original Gulfstream! It had been disconnected from the gas supply and labeled as 'dangerous' by a heating engineer who had been called in to service it, but he took one look and condemned it as dangerous without further enquiry. The rather angry customer then called me in for a second opinion. I reconnected it to the gas supply, carried out the four statutory safety checks and it passed on all counts. I serviced it and left it in good running condition. This is the only 'fault' I've ever experienced with an original Gulfstream.

If you have an original Gulfstream that needs attention give me a call.

Mike Bryant, AKA Mike the Boilerman. 
0118 966 0166 office
07866 766364 mobile