System does not refill from Header tank

PKB

Joined
6 Nov 2003
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Upstairs rads cold, yet each upstairs rad will get hot if ALL rads in house are turned off(both valves).and each individual radiator is then bled (With difficulty). No air or water will come out of the upstairs rads when system is switched off, no problem with the downstairs. Pump works fine, as do the aqua stat and room stat. both motorised valves valves work ok. Thought there might be a sludge build up, so drained some water out of system. Found out then that the header tank although full of water and the valve fully open was not refilling system, hence no pressure. Any ideas
 
Sponsored Links
Yes. Feed pipe from header tank is blocked, and this usually occurs where the pipe joins the rest of the system. Search the forum for something like "feed" and "block" or "blockage".
 
Thanks for info.
Will look through forum as you suggest
 
Unable to find any article in forum to assist with this problem. I have bought a sludge remover, emptied water from header tank, but obviously cannot put into system because feed pipe full of water from Blockage back to header tank, any suggestions on how to clear this blockage.
 
Sponsored Links
PKB said:
Unable to find any article in forum to assist with this problem. I have bought a sludge remover, emptied water from header tank, but obviously cannot put into system because feed pipe full of water from Blockage back to header tank, any suggestions on how to clear this blockage.

nowt for it but to start cutting into feed mate, the blockage is most likely to be occuring at a contristed point (bend) or a tee, do you have an air seperator as its my experiance it normally gets blocked there.
 
Thanks for link, will give some of those methods a try.
 
You should really take note of corgiman's advice. You WILL have to cut the pipe. If the pipe is blocked, you cannot get an unblocking chemical down it; fact of life, fluid won't flow into dead end. I've looked at the screwfix link, and I doubt you will find a reliable cure there.
 
I looked at the link page, and had come to the conclusion that I would have to start cutting on "tees" and "bends" from the header down, I just hope that I find the offending section quickly. Many thanks for your help and advice.
 
The first place to try is where the feed pipe joins the system. The blockage will probably be in the next restriction back.
 
You're a bit quick with the knife, chaps!

Often these blockages are quite soft, and you can use the mains to blow the sludge out. You have a mains supply for the header, so use that. There are two ways
(First the third way, if you have a water vac (Wickes £35 or so). Get a good seal and suck on the vent pipe - the 22mm one which loop sover the top. Then suck at the tank connector fitting, inside the tank. Let some water in and repeat. Often gets enough movement for the system to fill slowly)

Best way: Turn off f/e tank's stop cock.
undo connection on f/e tank's stop cock on the side that goes to the tank.
Connect a garden hose via a normal, small size garden hose adaptor (1/2" bsp). Then you connect the hose to the feed pipe, which is 22mm so the fitting is hard to get - BES do a Speedfit one which is perfect. Gunge gets pushed up the f/e outlet into the tank, so you can vac or bail it out.
Could also use a flexy tap connector screwed on that stop cock, other end is 15mm. Use plastic plumbing pipe to fit to vent via 15/22mm adaptor - again Speedfit.

Second best way:
Use a (long) 15mm to 1/2" flexy tap cpnnector. Connect one end to that stop cock and the other end to the pipe which is connected to the f/e 's output tank connector. Then when you turn on the stop cock the gunge will come out of the vent which you must have a BUCKET under - you've disconnected the tank's ouput so you don't want it in there. If you have the bits to connect a hose to the vent pipe you can push the hose down the overflow pipe and the grot goes into the neighbour's garden.
(First you had to empty the f/e tank!)

If you don't have a stop cock on the feed to the f/e tank then fit one.

Once you get the system filling, even slowly, you stand a chance with chemicals.

Another way to just get the system full of water is to connect a mains hose to a drain cock and open up. You really need about 3 people , to watch things, though.

You have to be a bit careful putting mains on a heating system - if nothing's moving don't let the pressure build for long!
 
I know what your saying chris and have tried these methods more than once in the twenty five odd uyears I have been playing at plumbing ;) and have been sucessfull with them about twice.

I say dont muck about get cutting its quicker and cheaper
 
I've done one of the above half a dozen times in the last year and cleared the block every time. If you have the right connectors handy it takes minutes, and no need to drain down, or cut into a pipe you can't empty first!

And 9 times out of 10 you can't get to the point where the feed joins the system, even if you know where it is! I know where mine is - it's behind the cylinder...
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top