What to do to central heating to prevent burst pipes

[JamesEB]

This has been gone over lots of times before but I can't equate the answers to my problem and I would be glad of some help.

Since we had two very bad burst pipe floods while we were away in winter we were told to turn off the mains tap and then turn the hot and cold taps on in the kitchen sink until they both ran dry. This took about a half an hour. Then turn off the central heating.

New pipework was put in with a new boiler. I turned off the mains tap as usual but when I ran the hot and cold taps they were still running away after an hour.

What to do please?

Thanks

JamesEB

 

[Burnerman]

Consider turning the mains stopcock off, and leaving the heating on low, James?
For the latter part of your post, I reckon that wasnt the mains stopcock you shut off.....or the stopcock isnt working.
John

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Draining the hot and cold water systems will still leave water in the central heating system. This could freeze in extreme cold. You could add anti-freeze (e.g. Sentinel X500), but its pretty expensive. Otherwise drain down central heating. An alternative is to leave the heating on at, say 12 degrees, but this only works if no power cuts or breakdowns in the heating system.
2. If you have had a combi boiler installed, it sounds as if the main stop valve is not working, or the one you are using is not the main valve. As it worked before it suggests you turned off the cold supply to the cold water storage cistern. Turning on taps would then have drained the cold, which in turn would stop the hot. Note however that the hot water cylinder would still have been full of water.

 

[JamesEB]

It definitely was the mains stopcock I turned off.

There is now a change of circumstances in that the boiler has failed and will not be repaired before I go away.

What shall I do now please?

Thanks for help

 

[terryplumb]

Do you have a combi boiler or a system boiler ( tanks in loft and hot water cylinder somewhere).
Either one ,you should drain out the central heating system.
If your mains stopcock is faulty ,and not fully closing ,it should be replaced.
If you have a stopcock outside your property boundary ,below ground, you could close that down .

 

[JamesEB]

Do you have a combi boiler or a system boiler ( tanks in loft and hot water cylinder somewhere).
Either one ,you should drain out the central heating system.
If your mains stopcock is faulty ,and not fully closing ,it should be replaced.
If you have a stopcock outside your property boundary ,below ground, you could close that down .

Thanks

It's not a combi.

The stopcock should not be faulty, it was recently checked.

There is the Water Company stopcock by the water meter on the boundary but it is fairly deep down. I am a 78years old with disabilities and no use of my hands. I am not able to get to it and for the same reason I cannot drain the radiators. I have no one to help.

I have two lofts, one in the upper part of the house and the other in the single storey. When we had the bad flood both lofts had burst pipes and 4 feet of water in the lounge.

The second time it was just the cold tank of water but still did quite a lot of damage.

Thanks for help.

 

[terryplumb]

Call in a plumber to do it all for you ,maybe ?

 

[JamesEB]

Thanks. Tried that but live out in the sticks and plumbers won't come out for small jobs and there are a load of cowboys there anyway.

I have to do something I can do myself.

 

[terryplumb]

Turn your stop cock fully off , and turn on the kitchen cold water tap ,that should cease to give water immediately. And will prove its working. Are you not able to use spanners / screwdrivers etc ? If not you can't drain central heating system .

 

[JamesEB]

Turn your stop cock fully off , and turn on the kitchen cold water tap ,that should cease to give water immediately. And will prove its working. Are you not able to use spanners / screwdrivers etc ? If not you can't drain central heating system .

Thanks

That is why I can't drain the central heating system.

I will try the stopcock.

Thanks for help

JamesEB

 

[terryplumb]

Your welcome James.

 

[Mottie]

There is the Water Company stopcock by the water meter on the boundary but it is fairly deep down. I am a 78years old with disabilities and no use of my hands. I am not able to get to it

Could you not get a stopcock key James? https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p62757

 

[JamesEB]

Could you not get a stopcock key James? https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p62757

Thanks .

I've got two but no use of my hands so can't turn it.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Get a 'Surestop' fitted.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/surestop...Vks13Ch07tgP3EAQYASABEgJwkvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Andy

 

[JamesEB]

Get a 'Surestop' fitted.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/surestop...Vks13Ch07tgP3EAQYASABEgJwkvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Andy

Thanks but that is beyond me
JamesB