No hot water or heating

[coldspike]

Would really appreciate some help and guidance please, single story bungalow with vented Oil fired WB boiler, which is firing now and again as pipe(s) near the boiler gets hot (well the feed pipe at least get very hot - not thought to check return but will do later tonight) but I believe the boiler is ok, although oil level is getting lowish (I must order some more soon).

A week or so ago the hotwater stopped, and then the next day heating which has never been brilliant, when it did work the rad on the end of the loop (as thats the only one that doesn't have TVRs) use to get up to temp, and one other rad in a bed room also, some others use to get mildly warmer others not at all. But now they've all stopped heating up. The feed pipe to the pump was getting very warm when the problem first occurred but now isn't warm at all. I've had the pump face off and the impeller spins and is difficult to slow with finger pressure so I assume the pump is fine - although we have been through a few pumps in recent years. Current pump is a alpha 2l.

The F&E over flow drips fairly regularly.

Now the worse bit, there wasn't any (and still isn't any) inhibitor in the system although there is a magcleaner on the return in the boiler room. I quite rightly suspected gunk in the system and removed the bathroom radiator (as it was the smallest) and flushed that out - I think I need a powerflush put it that way. hate to think whats in the big double rads in the living room!

So got someone out to have a quick look at the system and he concluded that we've probably got a block between the vent and cold water feed (which are on the feed before the pump) - however later on I managed to over fill the system from a drain point and witnessed water coming out the vent pipe, and at that time the feed pipe from the boiler was warm and had some warm water coming out the vent pipe, and obviously the cold feed is ok because the system had filled previously from when I drained the system to remove the bathroom rad. Also when first draining the system the water was brown or black.

Although I've told him about my over fill experience he's still of the opinion thats where the blockage is he said he'd have to cut the pipe out and replace and reroute the cold feed as it wasn't close enough to the vent anyway to the tune of £350, seems excessive to me?

Open to any advice or further suggestions, if you need more info just ask.

Thanks
Spike

 

[Boiler medics]

Hi Spike just read your thread and it might be possible that you still have a slow running pump, try reducing the speed selector to speed two or one if the shaft stops dead on either of these speeds then replace the pump. If the pump does run on all speeds then try removing the pump head from its rear housing you may find that the impellor has come adrift on the pump shaft itself (replace pump) , or the actual eye of the impellor and outlet veins have become completely clogged with sludge reducing the flow and pressure of central heating water through the boiler which will result in poor radiator temperatures and the boiler shutting off on its boiler thermostat before the return pipe temperature is anywhere near the 11 degree temperature differential the boiler should be achieving .I hope this will may be of help .Boiler medics

 

[ianmcd]

If you think you have a blocked cold feed try a magnet on the copper pipe where the feed connects and see if the magnet attracts if it does that is where the blockage is.

 

[Boiler medics]

that’s exactly how the designer of the magnaclean unit had the initial idea to develope it in the first place i use that method too , if you tap the pipe with the magnet where the blockage is located it may even moved the sludge away , worth a try !