Slow filling CH system (iron)

[r.bob]

I am in the process of re-filling my system and as in the past it is taking ages to fill. The system is old, about 1960, iron pipes, but still in good condition. The CH is pumped and the HW is gravity.

The ground floor is now full after several hours, but upstairs generally takes 3 or 4 days even to slowly fill.

Any ideas to get it to fill quicker?

Thanks!

Rob

 

[JohnD]

have you given it a chemical clean to get the sludge out?

What colour is the water?

 

[r.bob]

No I haven't, mainly because of the difficulty in getting water into the system. But it has been drained and refilled three times in the past few years, and the water is always very clean.

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

can still be clean if the blockage has gone hard. which only chemicals will shift

 

[r.bob]

Should have added, last time I refilled it I resorted to running the pump (after making sure water was in that area of the sysem) and that seemed to help, but having just fitted a new pump, I don't want to risk burning it out.

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

alot of blockages occur where the f/e tank feed meets the system pipework

 

[r.bob]

Thanks hi-spec....so the chemical cleaner wont have to get far before it meets what I want it to clear?

 

[JohnD]

if you are reluctant to clean it, you could try filling from the bottom up, by attaching a hosepipe to the lowest drain-off spigot.

But I still suspect it has a hard blockage, yes, most probably where the F&E pipe joins. Cleaner wil probably cost you about £15 at any plumbers merchant or DIY shed. Sentinel and Fernox are good brands.

 

[r.bob]

Thanks JohnD, I think I should try the cleaner.

The reason I thought it wasn't a blockage is because it always drains very easily, and the ground floor fills up relatively quickly.

The system is quite challenging, and there are lots of possibilities for air blocks. There are many metres of 3/4" iron pipes in the loft, many of the fittings probably made by my dad when he was an apprentice at Peglers. He's now 72.

 

[gas4you]

I would cut the blockage out where John D says, then use the chemical cleanser on the system.