boiler and radiator problems .But which is it ??

[imintheshed]

HI
I posted on here the other day and recieved a reply but my problem has moved on a bit since then and is really baffling me .

My boiler switches on but I don't think the gas valve is released because there may be no flow of water ( I could be wrong )even though the carcase of the boiler warms up .. So the boiler stops itself. Only the pump continues to run .

I then bleed the top two radiators and eventually everything is fine .Until ,that is its turned off again for a period of time ,say about three hours . and the problem reappears .I have to bleed twice and when i do I don't get a brilliant flow of water just a trickle (pump off ) ..but it solves the problem for the day

What I don't understand is the header tank is NOT refilling all the time and I have no obvious water leaks so why do I have to continual bleed the rads to make the boiler ingnite . And yes I did removed a rad in the summer .

the only other solution I can think of is to leave the heating on 24/7

I'm convinced its a air problem but can't figure out where all the air is coming from !!

manks whoops many thanks
Sheddy

 

[bookahandyman]

it sounds like first off you need to fix the ball valve in the header tank so that it works properly. .

you then need to find out if theres a leak or supply problem.do the following:-

fill up and bleed all rads.then isolate the supply to the tank, mark where the water level is in the header tank. full leave off the heating for a while as long as possible.and see if the level in the tank drops at all. if it does you have a leak somewhere.
if it doesnt then attach hose to your drain off point and drain some water out of the system then check the level again. if it drops then all good. if it doesnt drop then the supply pipe to your heating pipwork is blocked, either air or physical blockage.


once you have got the answer to this you can then start on the heating itself.

 

[imintheshed]

I also rang an ex-colleague of mine who was an ex-british gas engineer he told me almost straight away it may be blocked cold water feed and what to do . So last night I blocked off and emptied the header tank and removed the pump underneath in the upstairs cupboard .
obviously with the valve closed .Opened the valve and nothing came out .

6 inches above the valve was a compression joint wnhere the vent is fitted .I didn't fancy removing that so I stuck a wire coat hanger up the pipe .My mate had told me I may need something more substantial to remove the blockage as it may be jammed tight .

Anyway as I barely prodded at it ,it all fell away I nearly didn't get my container underneath .

I replaced everything and let the water flow then it was time for lots of bleeding of rads then realised I have no hot water in was bleeding things until until 11.30 last night .Came down this morning and the boiler has been firing now for 40 minutes without problems .
WILL CHECK iN A SECOND IF i HAVE HOT WATER
I did have to bleed the domestic water too as so mush air had invaded . So many thanks to bookahandyman because you was correct .