heating system noises.

[richjamesw]

My heating system has recently started making noises, more from the airing cupboard than anywhere else. It seems to be a whistling noise and sounds like it comes from the pump and down the pipes. It was very bad last night as the pump in the airing cupbiard was making one hell of a noise and if i went down to where the boiler is i could hear water trickiling in. It sounds to me as if i have a lot of sludge in there which needs getting rid of.

i have a fuel saver mark 2 boiler which is approx 20 years old, the pump is on No.2.
We live in a relative soft water area and i have recently drained the system down to replace rads but not added inhibitor afterwards. I have now purchased x400 to desludge the system and then i have x100 to add after i have flushed out.
Does this seem sensible to anyone?
thanks in anticipation.

 

[seco services]

is the header tank full of water ?

 

[richjamesw]

im not sure, i will have a check, would that of caused the noise?

 

[seco services]

if the systems low on water or water not getting through to system then yes the pump will get hot and struggle to pump the water round.

 

[richjamesw]

the water tank was full of water. I decided to fill the system with x400 and then add a inhibitor, its well overdue so not bearing any additional costs as yet!

 

[JohnD]

did you drain a bucket of water out, and did this draw the chemical down from the f&e?

after circulating for 4 weeks you need to drain out the X400 and the sediment it has loosened

you will know it is starting to work if the circulating water turns inky black.

 

[richjamesw]

yes i made sure it went down by adding a hose to a downstairs rad to draw it in.

 

[JohnD]

drain out the losened stuf after 4 weeks


if you can afford another £100 for a Magnaclean, I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted at how much black sediment it traps. It continues working permanently and will prevent future build-ups

 

[richjamesw]

i did have a look at those magancleans - look impressive, do they replace any future need to inhibit the system or is that still required.
Can they be fitted anywhere?

 

[JohnD]

you still need an inhibitor

they catch the circulating black sediment out of the water (you can never get it all out from an old system, no matter how much you clean and flush)

I fitted one at my mother's 30-year-old system nearly two years ago, it caught cupfulls of black sludge at first, gradually reduced, slowly went down to 5ml a week, is now down to about 5ml sludge each 3 months. I added X400 again 10 days ago and turned the pump up, but it loosened hardly any, so syst is probably pretty clean now. the water looks very clear.

You should fit it on a 22mm return pipe, easiest if the pipe is vertical. You need enough room round it to take the top off and clean the sleeve.

 

[richjamesw]

its still producing sludge no matter how much inhibitor you put in, it just avoid a system flush.
i still have my pump on number 2, should i be turning it to 3 for the desludge process?

 

[JohnD]

I reckon it probably helps. You can also turn one rad fully on (both ends) to get max X400 flow through it, and turn the others off, then do another rad in the same way so you work round them all while the chemiocal is at its freshest

Watch the F&E to make sure it is not pumping over through the vent pipe

I am a householder not a pro