Header tank problem

[DeletedUser]

Hi,

I am having a bit of a problem with the header tank in my attic. It keeps filling up with water to the overflow pipe each time I turn the thermostat on the burner to 3 to increase the heating in the house.

There are three settings on the thermostat on the burner (1, 2 and 3). The overflow pipe coming from the top of this photo

View media item 85804
immediately starts to fill the header tank with hot water.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is with this?

Also, the pipe which the ball cock is attached to only drip feeds the system when it is very low. Is there any way of fixing this?

I think I have given as much detail as I can but I can try to answer any further questions.

P.S. The water in the header tank is very dirty also, not sure if this is related to the problem.

More pictures available in my albums.

 

[xr4x4]

Burner?

 

[DeletedUser]

oil burner at the back of the house

 

[DeletedUser]

Sorry the boiler at the back of the house.

 

[Steve]

Also, the pipe which the ball cock is attached to only drip feeds the system when it is very low. Is there any way of fixing this?

It is only ever meant to top up when water has evaporated from the cistern. The water level shouldn't ever get "very low". No water should escape from the system unless there's a leak - it can only evaporate from this header tank.

There's something wrong with the circulation if the top pipe is spewing out water. The water in the tank is mucky because of this - the water circulating the radiators will be full of rust and dirt and this is being circulated through the tank. If the water in the tank is exceptionally hot it may melt the tank (a VERY bad thing) but this can usually only happen with unregulated heat sources such as solid fuel burners where the water can eventually boil.

Why do you need to turn the burner up to maximum? What's the rating of the boiler and how many rads/rooms?

 

[freeflow]

Observations from the picture!

The float has been butchered on to the ball valve arm on entirely the wrong part of it!

The vent pipe looks like it is submerged.

And whats with the oversize of the overflow outlet?

 

[xr4x4]

Observations from the picture!

The float has been butchered on to the ball valve arm on entirely the wrong part of it!

Ha..!

Oh yeah, didn't see that!

 

[DeletedUser]

Steve,

The rads in the house are not overly hot, therefore I thought turning the burner up to maximum would help this however it just starts the overflow pipe. There are 8 rads in 7 rooms in the house. Not sure what the rating is sorry. What's the best way of sorting this problem out? Power flush?

Freeflow,

What does butchered on to entirely the wrong part of it actually mean?

The vent pipe IS NOT submerged. However, it does become submerged over time due to the continuous flow of said pipe. Can you tell me the relevance of this please?

Oversize of the overflow outlet.....I'd have to ask the original plumber for the house...

 

[Agile]

The overflow is larger but nothing wrong with that at all.

The blue float has apparently been forced onto an unthreaded part of the shaft of the valve but the setting looks about right.

But unless it has been threaded then there is quite a risk of it coming loose.

Tony

 

[xr4x4]

Sounds to me you have a part block cold/vent, and or the pump speed is too high for your system. I.e 3, try 2.

I have a 9 rad oil boiler system and the pump is on speed 1 and the boiler stat is on half but I have balanced it correctly.

Also your system needs a flush.