Corrosion around heating pump / heating suddenly noisy

[boogaloo]

Hi folks

Wonder if anyone can give me any pointers. I'm very much a novice and have no real understanding of heating but am trying to make sense of what I have in my house.

In the last couple of weeks our central heating has suddenly become very 'noisy' - constant 'flushing' sound (perhaps from the storage tank in the roof) as the heating starts up and several minutes of pump noise / flushes.

I've noticed two other things:

1. There's clear corrosion around the pump next to the boiler (see pic attached).

2. One of our radiators has become particularly noisy and when I bleed it the pressure seems low it needs to be bled every day.

My utter novice (and probably nonsense) hunch is that in some way the system isn't drawing in water smoothly (hence all the noise as it attempts to build up pressure?!??) and the radiator needs to be bled frequently as air's getting into the system (perhaps because the flow isn't smooth).

Is anyone able to give me any pointers?? Many thanks

Chris

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• boogaloo
• 2 Jan 2015
• 1

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• boogaloo
• 2 Jan 2015
• 1

 

[stardanny]

Check that there is water in small tank in loft.

Pump valve is leaking around slotted spindle. It will need replacing.

Daniel.

 

[oilhead]

Do you know if you have an open vented system, with a small header tank in the loft, or is it a sealed system with a flexible pipe that you have to open a tap to fill the system.
Your pictures show a leaking pump valve, and if your system is a sealed one, then you need to top up the pressure. If it is an open vented system, the header tank may be empty due to a stuck ball valve. Either way, you need to replace the pump valves.

 

[Nige F]

you're right about air getting in - check the tank in the roof for water level and float valve working . Leave it until the heating season's over then gey it looked at

 

[Scarum]

Are those pump ball valves above and below the pump, as opposed to gate valves? Plumbers on here don't like pump ball valves as apparently they tend to leak when touched. Perhaps there are good ones out there these days?

 

[Terry lambert]

I would change them for gate type valves or some like these

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/d230/Central+Heating+Pumps/sd3305/Perfect+Pump+Valves/p52920

You would need to make some pipe alterations for them to fit though by the looks of it

 

[boogaloo]

What a brilliantly helpful bunch! Thanks for that. It's an open vented system and there are actually 3 tanks in the loft. I might be wrong, but from my limited research is one perhaps an overflow tank? It is empty, but does appear to have held water in it fairly recently (see pic).

The other two large tanks are full.

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• boogaloo
• 2 Jan 2015
• 1

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• boogaloo
• 2 Jan 2015
• 1

 

[Terry lambert]

That's your F&E and should hold water to top up your system. Give it a clean out ( soapy water) without getting any muck in the pipe.

Is the ball valve sticking ? Stop cock/ isolator shut ?

 

[nortonj]

Thats your heating tank. Other two are hot water. Looks to be a lot a crap in there. And by the looks of it no water. Ball cock blocked/failed. Needs looking at.

 

[Terry lambert]

Once you have sorted out why the F&E isn't filling and remedied. Bleed your rads etc

Once your pump valves have been sorted out add some inhibitor

 

[boogaloo]

Thanks very much all! Hugely appreciated.

 

[boogaloo]

Should I top it up with some fresh water to see me through the next few days? I've got an engineer coming out to repair on Weds.

 

[stardanny]

Yes, you can. Top it up till about 1/3 of the tank.

Keep an eyes on the pump valves, though.

Daniel.

 

[boogaloo]

Thank you all!