milky water

[rugbyfan2013]

Hi all, my mother has got an issue with her water supply. She has a combi boiler, and at all the hot water outlets milky/cloudy water comes out.

I have googled it and spoke to a plumber i know from the pub, and i have come to the conclusion that it is air bubbles in the water, especially because if i fill a glass up and let it sit for a few seconds the waters gradually clears.

Now i know air in the water is harmless, but the reason for my concern is that my mother had the combi installed over 2 years ago now, and from what i have read/been told this problem should of cured itself after a few weeks.

The combi was installed to replace the old standard gravity bolier system, and when the old system was in place there was no issue with air in the water. Also if it helps to diagnosis the problem the central heating is erratic, sometimes it is boiling and sometimes its non existent, and the heating side of the boiler struggles to maintain its pressure (needs bleeding and refilling quite often).


So my questions are:
1. how do we go about curing the air in the water?
2. Is there some sort of filter we need to fit?
3. Is there anything we can do to fox it?
4. Given that it is a combi system, does the erratic heating system play a part in the air bubbles issue?

I appreciate the best thing to do would be to call in a central heating engineer, but like most people i just cant afford it atm so any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Dan Robinson]

1 - you don't
2 - no
3 - no
4 - no- but there is another problem - leak most likely

 

[ianmcd]

The milky colour is normal and is only air bubbles and nothing to worry about, increasing the DHW flow rate may cure it but your water will be colder

 

[rugbyfan2013]

Thanks for the quick reply's. Its good news the hot water is fine as it is, one last question though if you dont mind, can we ever expect the air bubbles to cure itself or is this part and parcel with combi's?

THanks

 

[pampers]

no it will always happen .

as you already have done fill a glass and watch it the water clears upwards as the air is released ,if it was particles or anything in the water it would clear downwards.

 

[peterperfection]

I always fill my outside bird baths up with water from hot tap.

The birds love it- they swoop down as soon as I have turned my back. They then take off like Concord/Concorde'

Is the boiler a condensing boiler ?

 

[sooey]

Is the boiler a condensing boiler ?

If it's been fitted 2 years ago there's a strong chance.

 

[sooey]

Is the boiler a condensing boiler ?

.
forkit I'm dying to know, why would that matter? Yes it will be, but you do know that most condensing boilers don't condense on hot water draw off don't you?

 

[sooey]

but you do know that most condensing boilers don't condense on hot water draw off don't you?

Obviously not.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Were. My remedy was to do nothing. Methinks Penelopeprickstop is stalking me and pilfering my answers. It's not cricket.

 

[rugbyfan2013]

I always fill my outside bird baths up with water from hot tap.

The birds love it- they swoop down as soon as I have turned my back. They then take off like Concord/Concorde'

Is the boiler a condensing boiler ?

No i believe its just a combi boiler. The weird thing is that the same plumber installed a combi boiler in my grandparents house as well, and they have the same milky water where as the didn't on the old boiler.

Im not really one to bad mouth people, but i don't think he is a great plumber as in both properties he didnt balance the central heating or even attempt to for that matter. And my grandparents house is 5 bedrooms and 6 people living there so a combi just seems way to small for the job at all.

Hi Rugby fan,
Tell your mum not to worry--it's normal.

Please dont ask a plumber-- or they will come up with all sorts of remedies that will cost you lots.
Nothing at all wrong with her boiler .
Fill a glass of water- and let it settle for a minute or less. It will be just like water out of the cold tap.

Good to see you are in S Wales. Scousers haven't got that far south yet .
Best of luck with Rugby next year though

Yeh i have told her its all good as it is, except for the erratic heating of course but that is project for another day

Are you down here in god's country too? Were not done with the rugby for this year yet form is temporary but class is permanent, and we are world class, not to mention we have nearly got our form back as well. And if we cant get up for a crunch game with the old enemy then we might as well bow out of world rugby altogether.

Saturday will be an awesome game and i cant wait for it I am very confident we will put England to the sword and take the grand slam away from them. The question is will we beat them by 7 points and steal the championship as well

 

[Dan Robinson]

Not that it has anything to do with milky water... But OP...it will be a condensing combi.

Peter bog off back to your gas fire thread. At least there your ignorance can't affect the uninitiated.

 

[rugbyfan2013]

I always fill my outside bird baths up with water from hot tap.

The birds love it- they swoop down as soon as I have turned my back. They then take off like Concord/Concorde'

Is the boiler a condensing boiler ?

No i believe its just a combi boiler. The weird thing is that the same plumber installed a combi boiler in my grandparents house as well, and they have the same milky water where as the didn't on the old boiler.

Im not really one to bad mouth people, but i don't think he is a great plumber as in both properties he didnt balance the central heating or even attempt to for that matter. And my grandparents house is 5 bedrooms and 6 people living there so a combi just seems way to small for the job at all.

Hi Rugby fan,
Tell your mum not to worry--it's normal.

Please dont ask a plumber-- or they will come up with all sorts of remedies that will cost you lots.
Nothing at all wrong with her boiler .
Fill a glass of water- and let it settle for a minute or less. It will be just like water out of the cold tap.

Good to see you are in S Wales. Scousers haven't got that far south yet .
Best of luck with Rugby next year though

Yeh i have told her its all good as it is, except for the erratic heating of course but that is project for another day

Are you down here in god's country too? Were not done with the rugby for this year yet form is temporary but class is permanent, and we are world class, not to mention we have nearly got our form back as well. And if we cant get up for a crunch game with the old enemy then we might as well bow out of world rugby altogether.

Saturday will be an awesome game and i cant wait for it I am very confident we will put England to the sword and take the grand slam away from them. The question is will we beat them by 7 points and steal the championship as well

Nah-- not down in your parts . But- had some experiences down there in my time . Dont mention Newport though-- lol.

Hope you do well against England .. Make sure the welsh lads get plenty of Lava bread in their big fat tummys .

Who knows - may be lots of singing in the valleys anytime soon.

Hows about digging Harry Secombe up and getting him to do a song or 2 ?.
What'shappened to Max Boyce ? he dies of leek poisoning ?.

Best of luck anyway--tell your mum not to worry.
Great idea - tell her the water is now subject to EEU Law - and has to contain lots of bubbles.
She wil love that .
YAKI DA Amigo.

Yeh i hope we do well against England too, as my missus is English and i cant take 12 months of her banter if we loose

Dont worry there will be lava bread all round, and there is always singing in the valleys.

Haha i think we are just waiting for boycey to pen a new tune before they reel him out, we got tired of him recycling the same old rubbish

Knowing my luck she would google EEU laws, find out i was lying and clip me round my lug holes :s

yaki da butty