Rads bursting and cold in the middle - open system
- Thread starter j17esh
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jitesh, good choilce of boiler range... but try for the greenstar wb if possible. from the sounds of it your system is fubar. i would recommend tearing the lot out an starting from scratch. new rads, valves, boiler and all pipework. it sounds a little extreme but from the situation you describe i reckon its the best option. not the cheapest admittedly but if it was my house i'd prefer the peice of mind that all the plumbing is up to scratch.
If your system is in such a bad state, I agree with gavinda, rip it out and replace it completely. I certainly wouldn't contemplate pressurising it.
what you're saying is I need new pipework as well? because the pipes won't handle pressure?
there are some 10mm pipes around and some 15mm - mad old setup!
I've got a real wood floor down and tiling throughout my ground floor - so it's going to be a nightmare!!
this is getting from bad to worse!
I was hoping to extend my house next year and that's why I'd been putting off changing boiler since we bought the house - we bought it with a view to extend.
I guess if I buy a powerful enough boiler and the pipework is replaced it will be easier to expand on later this year/next year?
When purchasing a new combi they are rated by kw - if you add all rad kw rating up does that give you the power your require? or is that too logical?
Cheers for all your help guys!
Jit.
there are some 10mm pipes around and some 15mm - mad old setup!
I've got a real wood floor down and tiling throughout my ground floor - so it's going to be a nightmare!!
this is getting from bad to worse!
I was hoping to extend my house next year and that's why I'd been putting off changing boiler since we bought the house - we bought it with a view to extend.
I guess if I buy a powerful enough boiler and the pipework is replaced it will be easier to expand on later this year/next year?
When purchasing a new combi they are rated by kw - if you add all rad kw rating up does that give you the power your require? or is that too logical?
Cheers for all your help guys!
Jit.
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I've ordered some X400 to get me by for the next few weeks - do you just pour this into the f/e tank?
from the current statre of your system id advise against that. just start planning the new one and let the installer know you're planning to extend and he can install the branch required for your additional rads.
The Kw rating of combi boilers is for the hot water output. Most give 24Kw to heating. The higher the rating of the boiler the better the flow rate.
Hi guys,
The system is now off - 5th rad went last night
I had to drain off entire system as I couldn't close the TRV and didn't have a cap for it.
I'd like some advice on my pipework - If I change the boiler to combi, get rid of all the tanks in the loft. change all corroded compression joints, all valves and rads. Should it be ok to handle pressure.
Has anyone experience of such a sludged system?
What is the correct way to flush pipework - before or after install of new boiler? basically which order do you do things in?
Do you still powerflush if you are changing all the rads?
I need as much knowledge before getting quotes in and understanding what engineers are telling me.
Sorry to be a pain!
The system is now off - 5th rad went last night
I had to drain off entire system as I couldn't close the TRV and didn't have a cap for it.
I'd like some advice on my pipework - If I change the boiler to combi, get rid of all the tanks in the loft. change all corroded compression joints, all valves and rads. Should it be ok to handle pressure.
Has anyone experience of such a sludged system?
What is the correct way to flush pipework - before or after install of new boiler? basically which order do you do things in?
Do you still powerflush if you are changing all the rads?
I need as much knowledge before getting quotes in and understanding what engineers are telling me.
Sorry to be a pain!
I did try to instill the urgency of your situation five weeks ago but it seems that my advice was not acted on and now most of your rads have failed and you now have no heating at one of the coldest times of the year.
If you install a new boiler on a dirty system it will probably fail very quickly.
We have not seen your system but generally copper pipe does not corrode through as the problem is mostly limited to steel rads etc.
I would still expect that the compression joints could be tightened but then I dont know the extent of the corrosion to them.
Most installers will suggest that the whole system is totally replaced with new so that you have a new start.
I have dealt with a lot of badly sludged systems and they are often worse than first expected as further problems become evident as the system is cleaned.
Tony
I know I didn't act on this as early as I could but I had no idea something that has been running for years and years could fall apart in weeks. I still find it unbelievable!
To be honest I don't know what I could have done anyway - everyone that came to look at it kind of walked away! As I think you said most professionals wouldn't want to touch it.
Looking forward though....
The compression joints and most of the valves, as I mentioned, are all green/white crusty and I think it best to change them anyway. When I looked up in the loft the pipe that was pumping over even had green/white crust over the end of it. So this must be the cause of crust stuff on the compression joints?
When you say badly sludged systems are worse than first expected - how did you clean the sludged system?
Would you change the pipework? I'd have to surface mount loads of new pipework, it's not going to look good and cost me even more - I might even have to wait til next month's pay!
To be honest I don't know what I could have done anyway - everyone that came to look at it kind of walked away! As I think you said most professionals wouldn't want to touch it.
Looking forward though....
The compression joints and most of the valves, as I mentioned, are all green/white crusty and I think it best to change them anyway. When I looked up in the loft the pipe that was pumping over even had green/white crust over the end of it. So this must be the cause of crust stuff on the compression joints?
When you say badly sludged systems are worse than first expected - how did you clean the sludged system?
Would you change the pipework? I'd have to surface mount loads of new pipework, it's not going to look good and cost me even more - I might even have to wait til next month's pay!
On an open vented system the joints are only holding a very low pressure and a little past seepage in a compression is not very serious.
To clean the pipework it would need power flushing with ALL new radiators in position!
Tony
To clean the pipework it would need power flushing with ALL new radiators in position!
Tony
Hi everyone,
Just a quick note to say thanks for all the replies.
I have now changed my entire system, I got a worcester bosch 37cdi, new rads and pipework. Most of the gas line changed as well... A warm home at last!
When the corgi eng was ripping out old pipes, some of the pipes just slipped out of compression fittings! the rads were full of black stuff!
Warning to anyone whose rads start bursting, it's going to cost a lot of money if you don't get it sorted as soon it starts! Oh and good luck finding someone willing to sort it!
Thanks,
Jit.
Just a quick note to say thanks for all the replies.
I have now changed my entire system, I got a worcester bosch 37cdi, new rads and pipework. Most of the gas line changed as well... A warm home at last!
When the corgi eng was ripping out old pipes, some of the pipes just slipped out of compression fittings! the rads were full of black stuff!
Warning to anyone whose rads start bursting, it's going to cost a lot of money if you don't get it sorted as soon it starts! Oh and good luck finding someone willing to sort it!
Thanks,
Jit.
Thats what I told you when you first asked!
I am glad that you saw the light eventually and now have a new system. As a matter of interest what was the total cost?
Tony
It cost me about £2400 all in.
I got the boiler from ebay £880 inc flue and mechanical clock. Bargain!
I only paid £650 labour to corgi eng (and his assistant) as he was a friend of my uncle's (who is a builder) and my uncle helped for free changing all the rads and doing some brickwork/plasterwork etc.
Got a towel rad and drayton valves off ebay as well - anything to bring the cost down! All the rads from local plumbers merchants, then all pipework and fittings etc from Stax. Also got a magnaclean from plumbase.
I got the boiler from ebay £880 inc flue and mechanical clock. Bargain!
I only paid £650 labour to corgi eng (and his assistant) as he was a friend of my uncle's (who is a builder) and my uncle helped for free changing all the rads and doing some brickwork/plasterwork etc.
Got a towel rad and drayton valves off ebay as well - anything to bring the cost down! All the rads from local plumbers merchants, then all pipework and fittings etc from Stax. Also got a magnaclean from plumbase.
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