Airlocked boiler - water or oil? :\

[beano]

OK you guys are gunna laugh at what idiots we. Please bare in mind I'm only 21 and completely clueless. Here's the story:

me and 3 other students share a house (OFCH). We're used to running out of oil cuz our landlords a bit of a waster and never fitted a gauge but this time after the oil man delivered the oil he said the top of the oil tank was open (obviously not good).

Thinking it might be just airlocked as usual, I went to the boiler and turned the valve to let the air out - when what I can only assume is water came out (well it was clear, didn't smell, and didn't seem to be "streaky" when I poured it out of the bucket on the concrete paving stones).

I let out what I thought was a fair amount, emptying it each time into a bucket. Each time I smelled it and it was odourless. I eventually gave up in case I was doing something wrong, but I don't know what to do next. I've been informed that home heating oil is clear too so is there any way to tell when I should stop letting out through the valve?

When I turn the heating on inside nothing happens so I'm assuming there's still water left...

Cheers,
Steve

 

[wilhelm]

this is a wind up post. cant be bothered to bite.

 

[beano]

Never mind, I was being even stupider than I realised. That valve was obviously for the water pipes - duh.

Turns out all we had to do was push a button that was hidden (to me anyway) on the boiler.

 

[beano]

just saw your post wilhelm i swear it wasn't a wind up. I'm just a ******!! I couldn't get the oil to work so i googled it.

now that it's sorted though, is it safe that I let so much water out? :\

We're kind of hoping it just comes from the mains supply and that we're not going to burn anything out cuz there's not enough water in the pipes... anyone?

 

[doitall]

Bite, bite bite

If the top of the tank is open then water can and will enter the tank, oil will float on the water therefore the water will need to be be extracted first.

Tank has a sludge cock on the lowest end for this purpose.

burner will suffer irrepairable damage if run with water in the line.

get and oftec engineer to sort it before its to late.

 

[beano]

Now I know how people feel when I try to explain computers to them

 

[doitall]

Now I know how people feel when I try to explain computers to them

I used to plumb them in to the water for cooling them

 

[wilhelm]

i stand corrected.