Please Help!!!

[Esther982]

Hi I;ve got an old back boiler (sorry not sure what type) and I've recently had all new radiators and so I had to bleed down the system. Since this we have no h/w, the timer is fine and when the hot water is turned on the boiler fires up and appears to be heating it...... it just doesn't get to any of the taps. We have an immersion/cylinder tank in one of the bedrooms and it's not getting hot at all (although I don't quite know where the hot water is disappearing off to. The C/H is working fine, red hot radiators and is great. I just really want my H/W back!!!!!! Any ideas????

 

[Fluffster]

I would suggest your motorised valve could be faulty or shut.
When you have the hot water on to heat move the slider on the motorised valve (usually aluminium rectangle shaped box with wire coming from it near your pump)
If moving the slider makes the pipe leading to the cylinder hot then you have a faulty valve.

Pete

 

[keego]

That's assuming it is fully pumped, it may be gravity hw in which case it may be air locked. I usually remove the stat from the boiler & boil it into submission, you'll need to call someone in to do that though.

 

[Esther982]

It's a gravity H/W system. I've tried boiling the water (no safety cut out on our system which can be fun) didn't clear it.

 

[Softus]

Hi I;ve got an old back boiler (sorry not sure what type) and I've recently had all new radiators and so I had to bleed down the system.

"Bleed down"?

Do you mean drain down, then refill, then vent?

If not, then which step did you miss out?

when the hot water is turned on the boiler fires up and appears to be heating it...... it just doesn't get to any of the taps. We have an immersion/cylinder tank in one of the bedrooms and it's not getting hot at all

Is there enough water in the F&E cistern?

Have you vented at all available points on the primary circuit?

Do you have a vent at the highest point of the pipework from boiler to cylinder?

Where is the pump?

 

[Esther982]

We had to drain down all the system, i.e no water at all in the house.... all tanks empted ect. Refilled it all about 7 hours later. I;ve bled all the radiators and the pump for the c/h. Water is gravity fed so no way to bleed it. There is no bleed valve or anything in the cylinder. I think it's an open system. i.e two tanks in attic one for hot and one for cold. The ball valves are working fine on both of them (recently been replaced so they are new ball valves in both) Husband went upstairs to check the ball valves were free and put his foot through the bedroom ceiling (AGAIN!!).

 

[Softus]

Water is gravity fed so no way to bleed it.

In that case why would you expect it to work?

There is no bleed valve or anything in the cylinder.

In that case you need to add one.

 

[Esther982]

Water is gravity fed so no way to bleed it.

In that case why would you expect it to work?

I'd Expect it to work because it has done for the last however many years.

There is no bleed valve or anything in the cylinder.

In that case you need to add one.

How would I go about this????? Is there any other way to release the airlock (if that's what's causing the problem??)

 

[Softus]

Water is gravity fed so no way to bleed it.

In that case why would you expect it to work?

I'd Expect it to work because it has done for the last however many years.

I meant "why would you expect it to work after draining and refilling?".

There is no bleed valve or anything in the cylinder.

In that case you need to add one.

How would I go about this?

You choose the nearest practical position to the highest point in the gravity circuit, cut the pipe, add a reduced branch or end compression tee, a bit of 15mm pipe, and an air bottle or a manual vent.

Is there any other way to release the airlock (if that's what's causing the problem??)

Yes - slacken the cylinder connection.

However, you risk (a) a leak when reconnecting, and (b) damage to the cylinder if it's old and stubborn.

????

What are all these for?

 

[Esther982]

Not sure whether it is an airlock now as the cylinder seems to be full. When I turn the H/W on all the ustairs radiators come on but there is no h/w going anywhere near the cylinder all the pipes in and out of it are cold.

 

[Softus]

Not sure whether it is an airlock now

Well I'd like to hear your explanation for the water failing to circulate.

the cylinder seems to be full.

Presumably that's because you allowed it to fill when you refilled the cold storage cistern, or because you didn't drain it.

When I turn the H/W on all the ustairs radiators come on but there is no h/w going anywhere near the cylinder all the pipes in and out of it are cold.

That's consistent with there being an air lock.

 

[Esther982]

If it's definitely an air lock how do I clear it. We've tried the trick of forcing cold water back up by linking them with a hose pipe and waiting for it to come out of the overflow into the attic and we've tried heating the water right up. Any other ideas plzzz. Thanks for replying.

 

[Softus]

If it's definitely an air lock how do I clear it.

I'm getting a little bit bored of you not reading the answers that I've already given.

We've tried the trick of forcing cold water back up by linking them with a hose pipe and waiting for it to come out of the overflow into the attic

Well that won't do anything because this air lock is in the primary circuit, not the one that you've been trying to clear.

we've tried heating the water right up. Any other ideas plzzz.

Both of my ideas have already been posted.