Ideal Elan Boiler problem

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23 Jan 2006
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Location
Norwich
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United Kingdom
I have recently moved a radiator. I tied up the expansion tank ballcock, bled the system and moved the radiator and everything seemed ok except the radiators downstairs didn't heat up. I tried bleeding the radiators again but no joy so I drained off some water downstairs until the warm water came through and everything worked perfectly, the radiators got hot and the water heated up. The next morning our hot water was on timed and I awoke to a lot of knocking coming from the boiler which I quickly switched off. Now if I start up hot water or heating the boiler starts up fine but after about 10-30 seconds later it whooshes, knocks, clicks and switches off. Please could someone help. I was wondering whether to try using a flushing chemical to try to resolve the problem or as I am in a gas service plan contact them.
 
just thought of a few other details.
This happens with both heating and water.
Expansion tank fills ok.
Pump gets very hot and the pipe above pump seems very hot.

What a time for heating to go wrong, thick snow and its freeeeeezing!
 
Have you got water coming out of all rad bleed nipples??

If you have refilled the system then it probably is an airlock !!

turn off all rads apart from the furthest and turn the pump on full,,, make a note of the pumps original position so when its sorted you can set it back :wink:
 
Thanks, all rads have got water coming out of bleed nipples. Will try pump but am I right in thinking hot water system doesn't use the pump.
 
can you control the heating and water separately ??

I would have thought it was fully pumped but even if it aint then this method can still sort most airlock problems ..
 
yes I can control heating and water separate. I'm trying heating with pump on full I think, I've turned switch on side of pump to the opposite end of 3 settings but no change yet. Pump doesn't seem to change tone. I've even put screwdriver to pump and my ear, changed switch but the slight hum doesn't change. Both pump and pipes either side of it are getting very hot.
 
Hmmm is the pump moving ???
Sounds stuck !!

is it the grunfoss with the big flat head screw??
or the myson with the black finger turning knob??

either way you need to check its moving so with a bowl underneath remove screw and check its moving.
 
its got like a big plastic nut on front. Do I undo this while the heating and pump are switched on?
 
Yeah start to undo it and it will start to pull out to engage the impeller ,, if it pulls out and dont try to turn then you should be able to free it by turning it to start or free it ...
 
great turned impeller, sounded gritty and now pump is working. Can't remember it sounding so loud and it has seemed to be really hot for a long while. It was set to fastest speed and we only have 8 rads and 3 of them are really small. Think everything is now ok.
Thanks very much for your help. Much appreciated.
 
Well done buddy and maybe get a new pump in the house ready for when this 1 dont wanna start again :wink:
 
I'm back!!!!!
Thought I'd got it sorted but still don't think pump is working up to scratch because it was a bit noisy and upstairs rads were heating up great but downstairs didn't. Hot water seemed to take ages to heat up so my partner asked me to put boiler to high and water did heat up enough for a bath but after about 20/30 mins the pilot light went out. Started pilot light up easy but when hot water or heating is switched on the boiler light comes on but it doesn't fire up. Is my boiler knackered or is it something simple. Got British Gas (who we have got a service and maintenance with) coming round on Wednesday and I know they will say boiler needs replacing as they have done in about the last four or five years when servicing boiler.
 
Thanks. Got the boiler firing again. It was a switch problem when relighting the pilot. The button you push in before pushing the spark/igniting button was sticking so wasn't coming out quite far enough.

Thought it was the pump because it is struggling to push water all way round the heating system and the downstairs rads, last in chain, are not heating up. Also boiler is only firing up for about 40 secs then only going off for about 30 secs before firing up again so checked with British Gas if pump was covered by our service plan and it is and they are coming round tomorrow. So hopefully I'll be all up and running tomorrow.

As I have emptied the heating system a few times I think I need to add some anti-corrosion fluid. Any recommendations.

Thanks again for all your help Gasman
 
Wait till BG have changed it b4 you add inhibitor... any inhibitor will do the job really so pop down ya local plumbing supplies and see what they have ,, Im sure they will give you the right stuff ,, when you get it pour into expansion tank in loft then dran off about the same amount thats in the tank to pull it into the system ..

Ya welcome BTW :wink:
 

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