central heating - filling the system help

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cherylsmith1982

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Right where to start....
how about i thought i knew what i was doing but it turns out afterall that i dont!! :(

drained the central heating system today via the front room radiator. (i was having a sludge problem and it wasnt heating as it should). took the radiator off, flushed it out with a hose pipe - put new valves on it. Replaced the bedroom radiator which is directly above - and put new valves on it.
I've drained it before and re-filled it and never had any trouble - just never changed valves or a radiator before.
ANyway, radiators back on and in place - i went to fill the system via the filling loop - and nothing!! Rang someone my dad knows who isnt a plumber by trade but knows what he is doing and alls he said was to open the bleed valves and then try it - but that didnt work either. He is going to come and have a look tomorrow night for me but ideally i would like a shower tonight!!

It feels as if water is already in the loop but its just not moving along. I have no heating either because the boiler shuts down when the water pressure is below a certain level.

can anyone help in the most fool proof way possible - p.s i am female haha
 
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There is a non return valve on the filling loop, these sometimes stick, as you have the system drained its easy to disconnect the valve and see if the plastic ball will move when you push it. View media item 25843
 
Are there two taps on your filling loop, maybe, and the mains is turned on?
Usually the flexible kinds are left disconnected where possible, so you can see if water is starting to pass into the boiler.
If it starts to work, pressure up to 1.5 bar, then bleed each rad, repressurising as you go. When alls done, maintain the pressure at about 1 bar.
John :)
 
i was contemplating taking that off to have a look but i had visions of a never ending hose pipe effect happening? can i only take the end off nearest to the boiler or can both end be removed.

... also... would i be right in presuming that the little twisty cap things need to be in the closed position?
thank uuu :?:
 
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burnerman ...
yes there are two taps - i have opened them both and nothing - and yes the mains are also on.
tried re-setting the boiler aswell but nothing happened there either
 
little twisty cap thing,? you could try tapping the valve gently with the filling loop open, it might free it.
 
Is this a Vaillant boiler, with the 2 fill taps and a flexy pipe?
Either way, the turn knobs are on when they are in line with the run of the loop, and off when they are turned 90 degrees.
Turn them off, disconnect the loop, gently turn the valve on and water should be there....if not, picasso has the right idea.
John :)
 
picasso... little twisty cap things = possibley also known as tap heads maybe?
i mean the 2 things that you can twist to open each side of the filling loop. i have given it a tap already/.
sometimes when you turn the one on that is furthest away from the boiler - the first end that water passes through - it makes a slight hissing/trickling noise but only for about half a second. as if a tiny little bit seaps through into the filling loop but thats it
 
The water is being held back by either the check valve, or one of the taps isn't turning on - maybe being due to the plastic bit not turning the metal spindle beneath, but just slipping round it. Common enough if they aren't used very often.
John :)
 
its a 'not so great' heatline boiler with a tap at each side of the filling loop.
hmmm.. so which bit is the valve exactly - the bit before the first tap?
i am wondering if i can take a photo and post it up??
thanks so much for trying to help me out - its very much appreciated!
 
Put it this way - if you are prepared to turn the taps off (the one furthest from the boiler, where the mains water comes in) and disconnect the filling loop, you can see if the taps are working by turning them on a bit.....when you turn the plastic bit, does the action feel positive through 90 degrees?
If you don't like that idea (fearing a flood) you can just 'crack' open the filling loop nut and see if water is there.
John :)
 
well my guess would be its not the taps because they were working fine not all that long ago and they dont seem any different to turn now than they were then - plus the boiler and pipe work upto it was only installed less than 3 year ago.

So the check valve - this is directly infront of the first tap on the filling loop is it? i can see a flat head screw driver type screw about 2cms before the first tap - is this what i need to turn slightly - then turn back into place? or turn and then leave it?

ok so i'll never make a plumber...
 
picasso yeah thats pretty much the one...

just going to see if i can work out which the mains valve is... not sure how i will know which one is furthest away from the boiler when they are all underneath it?
 
just thought of something else that could cause a problem if i start undoing valves or etc

i have 2 loops on my central heating system is that makes sense?
the kitchen radiator and then the rest of the radiators are on another.
i havent drained the kitchen radiator - but all the others are empty.
 
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