Search results

Guess what? Hot water worked fine after my last fix - but only 3 days this time (see my post on Tuesday 22nd at 9.59am). Has anyone any ideas on how air is getting back into the coil after the primary has been circulating fine for 3/4 days?

The air lock last year was not before but after I had drained the system, which I needed to do to change a leaking radiator valve. In any case, the system worked fine for over 6 months after the air lock cleared itself.[/b]

Thanks again, especially to tamz, kevplumb and gassafeman, for your advice. It worked a treat and we had lots of nice hot water.........for four days and then the primary stopped circulating again. Repeated the treatment, got the hot water back..........and it lasted another four days. Did it...

Only thing I'm not sure about is whether I need to remove the thermostat. About the only thing I've needed to do with my Glow Worm in 25 years is to replace the thermostat twice.

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions (just realised I keep saying chaps but for all I know you could be chapesses). Got the gist of the suggestion whispered quietly by Tamz and loudly by Gassafeman. Can't do anything until Saturday as I'm out for rest of today and anyway I'll have to...

Just got in from work and back on the job (the hot water problem, that is). Sorry, doitall, for not answering your question properly - I thought you were asking it in order to test the ball valve. Anyway, I've now drained nearly 3 gallons (a builder's bucket full) out from a draincock at the...

Thanks, Tamz. I'll have a look at the pipe set up, though I don't know why it suddenly developed this problem a few weeks ago after working fine for at least the last 6 months. I'm definitely getting poor flow through the coil, though - after the boiler being on for 90 mins this morning the...

Yes, the ball valve opens fine.

The boiler's a Glow Worm Space Saver 45-60. Yes, it's pretty old (about 25 years) but dead reliable, I clean it out every year and inspect the burner which is always as clean as whistle. I don't think it's a boiler problem - as I said the flow pipe between the boiler and cylinder is very hot...

No, I don't have a bleed valve. Last time I had an air lock I didn't get any flow at all and the water in the cylinder remained completely cold. I'm definitely getting some flow now as the water is heating up, albeit more slowly than it should. Can you get a partial air lock? I would have...

Doitall - thanks for reply. Yes there is water in the header tank and I've just checked that the ball valve is working OK.

I have a conventional open vented pumped CH and gravity circulation indirect DHW system. Lately the hot water has been taking longer to get warm and seldom gets really hot in quantity, although I have turned up the boiler thermostat. The flow pipe from the boiler to the cylinder is really hot...

Miracles! It suddenly started circulating after 4 days. I had decided to leave it until today to try your hosepipe trick, but it started working last night. Must have been an airlock as you said - had them before when I've drained the system but they usually clear within a few hours. Thanks for...

Sorry if I'm being stupid, but can't see a way of doing that easily as there's no valve to connect the hose to. I suppose I could drain down the system enough to empty the f/e tank, disconnect the feed pipe from the f/e tank and then try to get a hose on that, but may be difficult to get a...

Thanks again. Not entirely sure what you mean by the cold feed. Do you mean the bleed valve I used to drain the CH system (off one of the bottom radiators)? I've also got a bleed valve on the CH return pipe just by the boiler - would it be better to use that? It's a bit awkward to get at as it's...

Thanks for reply. Yes, feed pipe is hot right up to entry to the cylinder. Return pipe is cold. Thought previously about an air lock. There is no bleed valve, so thought I would check by loosening a compression joint in the 15mm air vent pipe, only about 9 ins above the T joint between the air...

Conventional (at least it was 25 years ago) pumped CH and gravity DHW system with F&E tank in loft (two storey house), cylinder on first floor and boiler on ground floor (25 year old Glow-Worm, very reliable), immediately below the cylinder, so very short vertical feed to cylinder. I drained the...