Is this a Check valve? help needed

[craig7118]

Can anyone tell me what this is? is it a check valve? Do i need this with a combo boiler ? My boiler system has been replaced with a combi boiler so do i even need this ??

any help would be great

 

[ianmcd]

Hard to say what it is with that pic , it could be an isolating valve , but if you now have a combi boiler I would doubt if you would now need it whatever it is

 

[craig7118]

Thanks for your reply Ian, Sorry for the quality. Ive tried looking for the same item but can't find anything like it. I thought to stay safe i would replace like for like. That feed is going to a radiator that is downstairs, I think its the last one in the loop and doesn't get hot so i am replacing that ask think its stuck closed. I think i will buys a few fitting and when i get it off have a look at what it is when its off.

 

[bernardgreen]

I am surprised the installer did not replace that leaking isolation valve. If it is the feed to a radiator then when the radiator system is pressurised that valve is likely to leak even more resulting in loss of pressure in the radiators. You will have to re-pressurise the radiators when the pressure drops

 

[craig7118]

Is that what you think it is ? an isolation valve? i thought it was some kind of anti gravity/check valve? at the moment it is seeping from the tiny screw. Thinking of just replacing it with a straight coupling as i have a filling loop now with the new boiler ? whats your thoughts

 

[bernardgreen]

I think its the last one in the loop and doesn't get hot so i am replacing that ask think its stuck closed.

With the slot at that angle it is mechanically about 2/3 open. but if the radiator is not getting hot then maybe the valve ( and maybe the pipe as well ) is clogged with rust particles from corroding radiators.

Did the installer flush out the radiators or did he just install the new boiler without doing any checks on the condition of the pipe work ?. He may have invalidated the boiler's warantee by not flushing the system befire installing it.

 

[craig7118]

yea he did flush the system as he had all the cleaning kit that came with the new boiler. I will drain it down again today take it off and investigate and change it with what i think it is. Would it matter do you think if i put a straight compression on there ?

 

[bernardgreen]

I can see no reason why it could not be replaced with a straight coupler provided the radiator has a valve to allow the flow through the radiator to be adjust to balance the radiators

 

[freeflow]

Its a gravity check valve/non return valve.
Just replace it with a straight connector.

 

[Daveydub]

I think it is a check valve. It may have been fitted to prevent this radiator running when hot water only was on due to a piping error. It will not be necessary now that the hot water circuit no longer applies so get rid of it.

 

[gasmanstu72]

definitely looks like a non return valve to me,
if so it should have an arrow on the side of it much like a stopcock does, although it might be hard to make out with it being painted

 

[craig7118]

Quick update, it was a check valve, it did have an arrow point up to the first floor. I bled the system down and changed with another check valve as it was a one for one swap without changing the olive etc. having taking the old one off and blown through it, it is woking fine, (no resistance in the direction of the arrow. However the heating is still not getting round to the radiator. Ive bleed the system in all radiation, had it on full blast with just that radiator on and its just not getting round at all. The leak is sorted but still heating issue.

Another thing I'm thinking is when the boiler was replaced and the old tank removed has this affected the flow? I have two radiations down and 3 up. All are working fine all bleed. It just seems like there is no flow through that radiations?? does anything think my boilier pump is not good enough to push the water down to this radiator and back up?

The reason for the least was the bleed screw in the end, the plastic was worn.

Any ideas how to get the water round ? I have got a

Vaillant EcoTEC Pro 24 (ErP) Combi Boiler Only

 

[dilalio]

Maybe your flow and return were reversed during the install and that check valve is now preventing circulation to that rad. Or it is full of junk!

 

[craig7118]

Its definitely the correct way, i removed it so any crap that was in the pipe got washed away. The pipe leading to the radiator is hot and the other one leading to the gravity valve is cold with the arrow pointing up with the flow. Having take the old one off the valve was working fine before. This seems to have all started when the boiler was replaced? Might see if i can get them back in

 

[gasmanstu72]

i would just take that non return valve out and replace it with a straight coupler (if you have enough play on the pipe to make up the gap)
or 2 couplers and a bit of pipe in between