Coal fired back boiler has heating but no hot water.

[TheWhittys]

Hi

i am after some advice regarding my heating/water system. I have recently purchased a house with a coal fired back boiler that heats the water and the central heating. The heating is on demand via a simple on/off switch on the wall which gets red hot. The water on the other hand will not run hot out of the taps even though i can here it bubbling and have to put the radiators on to disperse some heat.

I have looked in the loft and the airing cupboard. In the cupboard is a quite new immersion heater which heats great and also hot water out of the taps. In the loft i have a maze of pipes. 1 large cold water tank (by the looks of it) and adjacent to that a smaller tank with a ball valve and an inline stop tap between the 2 tanks. The smaller tank is empty.

This problem has only occured in the last 2 weeks until then all ran great apart from the system obviously needing balancing as no pressure in upstairs radiators.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[superdupergasman]

Sounds like you smaller header tank has a jammed ball valve
or it has been turned off because it was passing.

Due to this, your system water will have evaporated or slightly drained its self to a point where the gravity system to heat your HW cylinder is not correctly filled.

Try refilling the system by giving the ball valve a skoosh with WD40 and a waggle.

 

[tonybhoy]

You have no water in the system or very little.

Wiggle the ball-valve about in the F&E tank(small tank) in the loft ,they sometimes stick closed due to infrequent use if you don;t get any water check a stopcock at the tank isn't closed.

 

[easyflow]

The heating is on demand via a simple on/off switch on the wall which gets red hot.

Switch gets red hot.......wouldnt ignore that for too long.

 

[tonybhoy]

The heating is on demand via a simple on/off switch on the wall which gets red hot.

Switch gets red hot.......wouldnt ignore that for too long.

Probably a valve (non-electric).

We are talking old system here

 

[TheWhittys]

The heating is on demand via a simple on/off switch on the wall which gets red hot.

Switch gets red hot.......wouldnt ignore that for too long.

Sorry meant heating got red hot but not switch

 

[TheWhittys]

Tap to the small tank from the large one was turned off so no water getting into small tank. I have now filled this up and it looks like the ball valve has stopped the flow of water when the tank is full. Is there anything i need to do to get the water flowing properly now this tank is full....

 

[superdupergasman]

you might want to blead the pipes going into the side
of the cylinder.

Or even just try it and see what happens!

 

[tonybhoy]

you might want to blead the pipes going into the side
of the cylinder.

Or even just try it and see what happens!

Probably big one inch gravities,no need to bleed

 

[TheWhittys]

Hot water working ok now, thanks. Only other issue is there are 2 newish radiators upstairs that get red hot when fire is on (read in another post these could be to dissapate heat) but when pump turns on radiators downstairs heat up but the ones upstairs cool down.??

 

[tonybhoy]

Hot water working ok now, thanks. Only other issue is there are 2 newish radiators upstairs that get red hot when fire is on (read in another post these could be to dissapate heat) but when pump turns on radiators downstairs heat up but the ones upstairs cool down.??

Probably linked to the hot water circuit if so they should heat up eventually.You might need to balance the system a tad.

 

[TheWhittys]

Will give it a try.

Thanks for all your help.

Reckon I'm gonna need to replace system pretty soon. cannot get gas where we live and oil is getting expensive so any ideas on servicing or replacing the system i have.

Parkray smokeless fuel burner
Back boiler for heating and water
Immersion heater for backup (handy last 2 weeks hehe)

I know its a bit vague but other neighbours been told so many different things. Also read on another post that keeping back boiler and immersion was agood idea??

 

[tonybhoy]

Will give it a try.

Thanks for all your help.

Reckon I'm gonna need to replace system pretty soon. cannot get gas where we live and oil is getting expensive so any ideas on servicing or replacing the system i have.

Parkray smokeless fuel burner
Back boiler for heating and water
Immersion heater for backup (handy last 2 weeks hehe)

I know its a bit vague but other neighbours been told so many different things. Also read on another post that keeping back boiler and immersion was agood idea??

I would keep it as long as coal doesn't get too dear to be honest.

Was brought up with a coal fire there is nothing like it though we only had hot water heating and the coal fire itself.

Re servicing think you just do a smoke test on the chimney/flue and make sure the baffle is working ok and give the parkray a right good clean in the spring