Drained down C H, refilled but boiler trips and pump grinds

[braychurchmouse]

In the middle of a bit of a DIY disaster and will probably have to call in the professionals tomorrow. I needed to remove a radiator as part of the downstairs cloakroom refurb project (I posted a while back about burying pipes - many thanks for replies) - Its 8mm microbore with a seized radiator valve. Anyway I drained down system by loosening the valve and managed to fit compression end stops to the two pipes and remove the rad.

Its a vented system with old style boiler and hot water tank.

I refilled checking no leaks on my end stops. I found the ground floor rads didn't need much bleeding but the upstairs ones did. Unfortunately I couldn't get at a couple of the rads, behind a mountain of junk.

I restarted the timer etc and boiler. After a few minutes the boiler tripped out. The pump continued to run but with a grinding noise. I reset the boiler but it tripped again fairly quickly. I switched off the CH and Water on the timer but the pump comntinued to rumble away. After 5 minutes I switched off the power supply to the timer which stopped the pump.

Do you think this is all due to there still being air in the system...and if I bleed the 2 rads I missed first time round, do you think that will solve the problem?... or is it on the phone to a plumber tomorrow!

 

[seco services]

Bleed the pump.
hold a rag under pump, remove large centre screw and let any air out.
Refit screw.
When you re-try system try putting pump on high speed setting.
Make sure hw/heating are turned on and calling for heat.



Edited for CBF. LOL

 

[CBF]

+1 on above, apart from the pimp bit

 

[seco services]

+1 on above, apart from the pimp bit

 

[braychurchmouse]

Many thanks seco, will try that in the morning. Not sure what CBF meant???

Would the pump failing to operate properly cause the boiler to trip?

Off to bed now will let yorl know how i get on tomorrow.

 

[seco services]

Yes no circulation.

CBF meant i put pimp instead of pump.

 

[braychurchmouse]

A million thanks Seco!!! (seems I can only do one thankyou on DIYnot).

I fought my way to the two remaining rads that I hadn't been able to bleed yesterday, bled them, re-bled all the others (actually no more air in them) and then did as you suggested with the pump. It squirted black water at first, then air, then water so I reckoned all done at that point and retightened central screw. Leaked a little so had to turn pretty firmly to stop leak.

Powered on timer and set HW and CH to on and turned room thermostat up.

Boiler fired straight away amidst much gurgling and pump made quite a noise but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. But the boiler didn't trip and after 10-15 mins the gurgling and pump noise settled down. Took a while for all the rads to heat up, but they are all working fine now thank goodness.

I'm assuming that all that gurgling was air still in the system and that it will work its way into the rads over the next few days. So I'll do a check and re-bleed them. presumably I don't have to rebleed the pump again?

Actually I noticed there were stop vaves either side of the pump (right up against it) which I didn't close off when I drained the system, so maybe next time if i close these off when i drain the system it should keep water in the pump?

Anyway so far so good.

Now I have to source a boiler temperature control knob (the one that goes 0-5 Max on the front of the boiler.) It hadn't been moved for about 5 years and fractured at the spindle end when I turned it to 0. Don't think Araldite will do it. Just using pliers pro tem. Any tips re sources? its a Potterton Profile wall hung fanned flue boiler.

...and many thanks again....saved an emergency call-out fee and a divorce lawyer.

 

[seco services]

Any air will find it's way to the vent pipe or rads so just give a bleed in a day or so.
As for the pump valves i wouldn't bother closing them if you drain again as most times they are useally seized or start to leak at the spindles.
and they won't stop air in the pump when you refill anyway.

The dials are still available pt no 225251
or even see a few on fleabay.