Noisy pump, rads not bleeding etc.....

[Gasguru]

Are you calling out plumbers or heating installers?

This appears to be a simple problem a 5 year old could solve.

Cut out the feed connection onto the system and see if it's blocked.

 

[JohnD]

any chance of those photos?

 

[xMeta4x]

Plumber 1 is a commercial engineer (sparky, gas & water) but seems to be the most clued up by far, although in denial that it could be a blocked cold feed.

Plumber 2 is a heating installer, but seemed stumped when faced with an old house!

I wouldn't dare cut the feed myself as I'm not nearly competent enough, and I can't seem to get a plumber that wants to try it!

Here are the photos....

Airing Cupboard with Cylinder (downstairs):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/tcoolcon/Plumbing/AiringCupboard.jpg

Boiler Cupboard with pump (downstairs; pump is on feed for some reason):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/tcoolcon/Plumbing/boilercupboard.jpg

Cold feed (Upstairs; showing where I think it's blocked):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/tcoolcon/Plumbing/ColdFeed.jpg

Valve & feed (Bigger picture of above):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/tcoolcon/Plumbing/ValveFeed.jpg

Expansion tank (Loft space. No vent pipe over the top):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/tcoolcon/Plumbing/ExpTank.jpg

Hope this helps, and thanks again for all the advice so far!

Andy

 

[JohnD]

To my unskilled eye, it looks like the air can is on what would otherwise be the vent pipe.

Can anyone confirm that?

It looks to me to be soldered on

would it be sensible to cut it off, and compression-fit something that could be used to refill? I am thinking about a Tee with a BSP fitting that a hose connector could go onto. As well as filling the system, there is a chance it might push the blockage out of the way if it was at mains pressure.

If the hose was connected to the bath tap rather than mains, it would not have much presssure but would refill to normal head.

This would be a relatively simple job and would refill the syst to get it going as a temp fix.

If it was me, I would probably try to introduce some X400 down a funnel in the hope of softening the sediment as well.

Or would it be better to just cut out the seemingly blocked pipe, poke some wire down it, and remake with compression?

Comments please?

 

[xMeta4x]

Ok, an update......I'm warm!

For how long I don't know, but it's a good start. I backfilled the system, and all rads are now full and warm.

Plumber 1 blamed dodgy pipework for an airlock and hence thinks that I should be OK going forward. I'm going to bleed the rads regularly and if they fail to bleed again he'll be coming back.

A tip for anyone trying this. Use a bleed valve that off the ground some way as they leak like buggers. The water runs down the hosepipe, so loop the pipe into a bucket to catch it all. Fill a bit at a time, bleeding rads as you go until everything is full.

He also fitted a new air valve where JohnD suspected a vent pipe may have meant to go. Plumber 1 said that he suspected that the vent that should have been over the header tank was over the cold water tank. Not ideal, I'll have to get that sorted in the near future.

Many thanks again for everybody's help. Ain't the internet wonderful.

Andy

 

[JohnD]

put some Sentinel X400 in the circulating water, it will break up such sediment as it can get to. It will cost you £15 for a litre and can be left circulating for a month or more. You have to drain out the dirty water and loose sediment afterwards.

 

[xMeta4x]

Will do, but I'm probably wait until the warmer months...!

 

[JohnD]

it may also prevent you getting another sediment blockage which will be very inconvenient.

 

[Nige F]

Are you calling out plumbers or heating installers?

This appears to be a simple problem a 5 year old could solve.

Cut out the feed connection onto the system and see if it's blocked.

looks like a heating engineer installed the cylinder and a corgi lagged the f+e overflow ( and the hair felt on the others)

 

[xMeta4x]

I personally think the whole thing was devised and built by a small army of college drop outs....but that's just my opinion.

The good news (if I have this worked out) is that the water level expansion tank rises when the heating is on. I assume that, as I don't have a vent pipe, this shows that the expanding water is using the cold feed to expand, and means it's not (or at least no longer) blocked!

Am I right?

Can I just add inhibitor to the tank and leave it like that?

Cheers,

Andy

 

[JohnD]

go on, give it a clean, you know you ought to.

you don't want to go through all this again, surely?

your system is full of old mud looking for a chance to settle.