I broke my heating

[lloydc]

Hi, I have a typical system, not pressure type, 2 tanks in lift (little one for heating) and next to my immersion heater I have a pump and 3 electric valves, 1 flicks on when I press button for hot water, other 2 are heating 1 / 2.
I took a radiator off to decorate and upon refitting and letting the unions undone, I began to bleed the radiator and suddenly no more air came out, but no water either. Now none of the heating works I had the same problem about 7 years ago and was told how to fix the air lock and after then I boldly took each one off to decorate because I knew the trick to getting the system up and running really quickly again. CAN I REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS? Like heck I can
Can someone maybe give me the hint I have forgotten?
Thanks!
Lloyd

 

[gas4you]

I take it you have opened the gate valve fully on the cold fill?

Sounds to me as though there is a blockage in the 'T' where the cold fill from the little header tank joins main pipe work. System cannot fill up with water.

very common in older open vent systems. If this is the case then you will need to cut out this joint and replace.

 

[lor]

or back fill it . attach a mains hose to a drain off cock .
better to remove blockage though or it will keep happening

 

[lloydc]

Wow, quick reply, thank you!

Downstairs + upstairs not working, although downstairs does have water come out if I open bleed screws, upstairs doesn't. The system / house is only 11 years old now, so I think that's quite new?

Anyway, my tanks upstairs (attic) are plastic and covered with plastic lids / insulation if that helps identify system. It is gas or electric too. I took the lid off heating tank and it isn't very dirty and is full of water.

My parents had the same problem on a much older house than mine (1960's) and we cured that by using a plunger in the tank on the feed pipe! But I have no plunger here to try.

Maybe theres' was a blockage but I thought we had kind of force bled it somehow.

I heard once of joining cold to hot to back bleed system, so I joined washing machine pipes together but no different.

Thanks

Lloyd

 

[lloydc]

or back fill it . attach a mains hose to a drain off cock .
better to remove blockage though or it will keep happening

Drain off that is on a radiator yes? Will give it a go now!

 

[gas4you]

As water in downstairs i think this proves the blockage. Do what lor says for a temp cure but otherwise cut out affected area.

Dont let pump come on if upstairs as if this is 'dry' it could 'burn' it out!

 

[lloydc]

As water in downstairs i think this proves the blockage. Do what lor says for a temp cure but otherwise cut out affected area.

Dont let pump come on if upstairs as if this is 'dry' it could 'burn' it out!

OK just made sure pump off. It was making shuddering sounds earlier through pipes like water was there then not.

Does that screw on front of pump suppose to hold water back? Mine has no water when undone so if should be wet then at least I can check if system has filled after back fill.

Should heating be off during this procedure and does it matter about heating 1 and 2? Will filling just one sort the lot? I am about to fill heating 1 which is all upstairs except bathroom and all downstairs except front room.

 

[gas4you]

Yes that screw is the pump bleed point. Water should come out!

When fillinf by what ever means manually open zone valves with the little levers you will see on top or bottom depending which way up they are. Dont forget to release back to auto when yo finish.

 

[lloydc]

When I throw my levers across it forces my pump to run

 

[gas4you]

Not if you have the power turned off at the switched fuse

 

[lloydc]

Not if you have the power turned off at the switched fuse

Yeah cheers Didn't work though the back fill thing. Pump still dry (behind screw) and the heating still no good. So basically the pipe from my tank in attic runs straight to immersion heater then to pump then to radiators? I will carry on tomorrow night and check water getting from tank to immersion on cupboard!

 

[gas4you]

no not the one that runs to your immersion as you call it on its own. This is the fill for your hot water cylinder and will be 22mm.

The one you want is 15mm probably and has a 15mm gate valve, comes from the small header tank in loft, not large tank, not connected directly to cylinder. probably has the 22mm heating vent going up beside it.

Check carefully before cutting wrong pipe

 

[lloydc]

no not the one that runs to your immersion as you call it on its own. This is the fill for your hot water cylinder and will be 22mm.

The one you want is 15mm probably and has a 15mm gate valve, comes from the small header tank in loft, not large tank, not connected directly to cylinder. probably has the 22mm heating vent going up beside it.

Check carefully before cutting wrong pipe

Cheers gas4u. I was thinking of following the pipe from small heating tank down until it joins main pipework and undoing it to see if the tank is blocked. But now you said about cutting pipe I think it must be a soldered connection not compression Is the T that blocks in the airing cupboard or in the attic normally?

Why is plumbing so mad?!

 

[gas4you]

It can be either but more often in the airing cupboard. Follw the pipe work carefully

 

[lloydc]

It can be either but more often in the airing cupboard. Follw the pipe work carefully

Sure will Thanks you have been a great help. Will let y'all know how I get on tomorrow after work.

Am turning on gas cooker now for heating and drown my sorrows with a couple of lagers