Bypass fitted at wrong -15 degrees

[finlaand]

Hi see photo

System fitted 10 years back.
A year ago I put the red magnet you see on the pipework to the left of the bypass valve and it sticks, had plumber removed the pipework, and full of metal. I noticed pipework had a slight fall to bottom right so things settling there.

Today I had a look a year later and it's back again full of metal hence magnet sticking. This a mistake surely by installer? If so to save me paying for a plumber, I do below?

Drain system (done a few times before over the years)
The two compression fittings either side of the bypass (that have three points a spanner could go to), might be obvious but I loosen the ones near the bypass, while holding the middle bit?

I guess could get plumber to fix the angle so things don't keep settling here also.

 

[Scally-Ho]

I gather your system is not fitted with a magnetic filter to collect any circulating magnetite. Why not do yourself a favour and buy/fit the best one you can afford.

 

[finlaand]

I have one of them also fitted actually, and empty it now and then. Not the issue. It's the angle here.

 

[Madrab]

I think the bigger concern should be - why is there a such a level of corrosion in the system for it to collect anywhere. I don't really think the angle is the real issue. As the valve opens and closes the lack of circulation in that area will allow the solids to settle out of solution anyway, even if it was level.

The system should be in such a condition whereby there should little or no magnetite to then collect anywhere.

Your process to remove the bypass and the pipework either side is correct. When replacing, if re-using the fittings/olives then some PFTE tape over the olives would be recommended.

 

[finlaand]

Thanks, will be moving a rad in a few weeks, and draining down, so will do this then. System has inhibitor added after any drain down as fyi.

Also I have three rads off for decorating right now, washed them out with house outside, yes some black, bit nothing major really at all. The iron bits that gather where the photo is a different story of chunkiness. If that makes sense.

I think this year I'll stick a vacuum inside to see much I can pull out.

 

[Madrab]

TBH - once a system is clean, dosed properly and regulated and it stays clean then it shouldn't create a build up of magnetite anywhere. That's the whole point of keeping a clean system, if that makes sense. Is it a black material that is coating the inner pipe walls? Is the system water dark? Is the system sealed or OV?

Rarely can pipework be vacuumed or cleaned out once the magnetite has got to the point where a magnet will stick to it. Best option is to remove and re-new. The question is still why is it doing it. You may want to run a cleaner around the system for a week prior to draining and flushing and see how it comes out.

 

[Scally-Ho]

Thinking back a few decades made me remember something like this from an open vented system. I presume yours is a closed pressurised system, otherwise pump-over into the expansion tank could be a cause of excessive corrosion. But then again, as the pump is external to the boiler, perhaps it is an open system.

 

[Madrab]

In an open vent - the 'H' section - where the feed and vent connect are a notorious area for corrosion build up in older systems, forgotten the number of times I've cut that out & replaced due to circulation issues caused by build up.

 

[finlaand]

Regular boiler, 40cdi wb, tanks in attic ect, with tf1 big magnet thing on the incoming pipework to boiler.

A year ago when we took off the bypass, I had to run it under hose at pressure as bits there hard to get out, blowing through to hard to do initially... Nothing stuck to inside of pipes though but after the bypass was kindof obvious that bits would get caught there as the flow rate greatly reduced at the bypass..

All the rads work fine as fyi.

 

[Exedon]

In an open vent - the 'H' section - where the feed and vent connect are a notorious area for corrosion build up in older systems, forgotten the number of times I've cut that out a replaced due to circulation issues caused by build up.

Here's one I ripped out couple of weeks ago.

 

[Scally-Ho]

Bilmey, iron oxide widely deposited and also looks calcified, but from where? For that amount of deposit, a large volume of oxygen must be finding its way into your system and then some. I dread to think what the waterways of your boiler look like and what it's doing to the boiler efficiency.

 

[Exedon]

As Madrab said very common.
Pic is section taken from a oil fired system Worcester boiler had unsurprisingly failed at 6 years old.
Unfortunately far from unusual.