I live in a bungalow with open vented vented heating. One of the pairs of 15mm downpipes, of which there are five pairs, feeds radiators in two adjoining bathrooms. Where these two pipes turn down from the loft they each have a 450mm tall x 15mm pipe upstand topped by a thumbscrew air vent. I recently had a new heat exchanger fitted to the gas boiler by a local gasfitter/plumber after which the bathroom rads did not heat up. I went into the loft where I knew there were these air vents and I vented one of the pipes after which the bathroom rads heated up for a day or so. The rads then went cold again so I repeated the process on the same air vent. This on/off process continued for a week or so by which time I was getting browned off. I then tried venting the other pipe after which the two rads worked ok for about two weeks but then went cold. I vented one of the pipes again which brought the rads back on but now that vent is leaking. I have had to wrap some rag around the leaking vent and drape it into a bucket to collect the drips while I await the plumber to call me back. The rads are now working OK. but I am having to drain the collected water daily.
I am a bit fed up with these thumbscrew vents as I find they have to be tightened with pliers. Finger tightening does not seem to work. My assumption is that vents for these two particular pipes were found to be necessary when the central heating was installed or modified some years previously, and this brings me on to two questions which I would be grateful if someone could answer.
Firstly, would one expect the pipes to the two radiator feed pipes to be blocked by air so frequently following the boiler work. Secondly, are there better and more reliable air vents that could be installed in place of the thumbscrew vents.
I am a bit fed up with these thumbscrew vents as I find they have to be tightened with pliers. Finger tightening does not seem to work. My assumption is that vents for these two particular pipes were found to be necessary when the central heating was installed or modified some years previously, and this brings me on to two questions which I would be grateful if someone could answer.
Firstly, would one expect the pipes to the two radiator feed pipes to be blocked by air so frequently following the boiler work. Secondly, are there better and more reliable air vents that could be installed in place of the thumbscrew vents.