to bleed or not to bleed

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Recently moved in to a property with an open vented system, that has not been serviced for at least 5 years.

Boiler is a potterton Kingfisher 2. Some of the rads are a bit rusty, and when the pump kicks in there are blubble sounds. One rad downstairs is 2/3 cold, 1/3 hot. I am thinking gas in the system, probably from the rusty rads.

We are planning on replacing the system in the next 2 - 3 years.

but in the meantime, should I bleed the rads, or work on the principle of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'?

If I do bleed it, do I need to re-introduce more water into the system somehow?

many thanks.
 
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Bleed; make-up water should enter through the float valve on the F&E cistern.

Check the system isn't pumping over and there is adequate space in the F&E cistern to accomodate the expansion water when the system is hot without overflowing.

Flush through if practical.
Add inhibitor.
 
Thanks for that. I have 2 tanks up in the loft - Feed & Expansion is the smaller one, right (other one feeds the HW cylinder)?

Never checked for pumping over - do I just spend a few minutes looking at the F&E overflow pipe when the heating is on to see if a lot of hot water is coming out? Should I also have a look and see if the water in the F&E tank is sludgy/rusty?

Re flush & inhibitor - again I am wondering - if it ain't broke, should I interfere given that we hope to be replacing the sytem in a couple of years?
 
Usually a 4 gallon F&E and 50 gallon cold water storage, but you need to trace pipes to check they connect to the right cistern.

The water in the F&E will be dirty. Check it with the system hot and while the 3-port valve (if any, maybe gravity hot water) changes over from HW to CH, to HW & CH. See if the tank, cold feed or open vent pipes get hot.

I'd give it a flush through with a Pressure reducing valve on the supply, but I have had some practice. I'd add inhibitor, just to help ensure the boiler lasts for the next few years. They are fairly bullet proof, listen out for kettling, usually indicative of a long-term leak and limescale build-up (see Fernox site).
 
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Cheers Onetap

I've attached a pic of our programmer - no CH without HW. Perhaps i still have a semi-gravity system? It may have been updated since, not sure.


Anyway, I will be up in the loft this weekend poking around the tanks whilst the missus changes the programmer from HW to HW&CH


I will read up on how to add the inhibitor - any good brands?
 
lfnfan";p="1872122 said:
Cheers Onetap

I've attached a pic of our programmer - no CH without HW. Perhaps i still have a semi-gravity system? It may have been updated since, not sure.
lfnfan";p="1872122 said:
Loving the THUNDERBIRD STYLE red neon
 
ha ha - just need to get it to play the tune whenever the boiler kicks in now 'da daddle-ah, da da da dum dee dee dum dee dum'.

Think the previous owner retro-fitted that light.
 

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