Air in my system ?

swayzak · 30 Dec 2008

hi

I recently had my radiators upgraded & some re-piping done. Very happy with result.

However there is now a noisy gurgling sound whenever the heating comes on ie. first thing in the morning.

It's annoying as the tank/boiler are above my bedroom.

It sounds like air in the system - and I discussed with plumber, who agreed. He said it should cure itself.

However that was a week ago & it is no better.

One thing I noticed when I got in (after the job was done) was one of the radiators was still off. So I turned it on and it sounded like it was filling with water - maybe that is the air that got in the system ?

Anyway I'm going to get them back to sort it out - will they have to redrain/fill the whole system to cure this ?

Also, won't air in the system damage the pump if left for too long ?

thanks

swayzak

gas4you · 30 Dec 2008

swayzak said:
One thing I noticed when I got in (after the job was done) was one of the radiators was still off. So I turned it on and it sounded like it was filling with water - maybe that is the air that got in the system ?

Have you bled this radiator then?

Air will often work its own way out if the system is well designed, but sadly most are not, so can trap air in various places.

swayzak · 30 Dec 2008

gas4you said:
swayzak said:

One thing I noticed when I got in (after the job was done) was one of the radiators was still off. So I turned it on and it sounded like it was filling with water - maybe that is the air that got in the system ?

Click to expand...

Have you bled this radiator then?

Air will often work its own way out if the system is well designed, but sadly most are not, so can trap air in various places.

Thanks

No I haven't bled that radiator as it seemed to fill OK and is working fine.

I just thought that maybe it was that air that has now worked it's way into the system.

Maybe it accumulates/is trapped somewhere near the pump/tank/boiler as this is where the noise comes from every morning....

JohnD · 30 Dec 2008

after you have had work done on the heating, it is always worth bleeding the radiators every few days. There may be some trapped air that is working its way round. Keep bleeding them until it stops coming out.

If you have a feed and expansion tank in the loft, check that water is not pumping over from the pipe that bends over the top of it.

Are you sure that a corrosion inhibitor was added when it was refilled? If not. corroding steel radiators generate gas and black sediment as they rot away.

Softus · 4 Jan 2009

swayzak said:
I recently had my radiators upgraded & some re-piping done. Very happy with result.

However...

"Very" happy? It doesn't sound like it.

there is now a noisy gurgling sound whenever the heating comes on ie. first thing in the morning.

It's annoying as the tank/boiler are above my bedroom.

It sounds like air in the system - and I discussed with plumber, who agreed. He said it should cure itself.

However that was a week ago & it is no better.

He was wrong then.

One thing I noticed when I got in (after the job was done) was one of the radiators was still off. So I turned it on and it sounded like it was filling with water - maybe that is the air that got in the system ?

Why did the installer leave the system with a radiator full of air?

Anyway I'm going to get them back to sort it out - will they have to redrain/fill the whole system to cure this ?

Does it matter?

Also, won't air in the system damage the pump if left for too long ?

Unlikely, but the installer would be liable anyway.

swayzak · 4 Jan 2009

Softus said:
swayzak said:

I recently had my radiators upgraded & some re-piping done. Very happy with result.

However...

Click to expand...

"Very" happy? It doesn't sound like it.

Well apart from this issue I meant - improvement in heating is much noticed & the radiators appear to fitted well.

there is now a noisy gurgling sound whenever the heating comes on ie. first thing in the morning.

It's annoying as the tank/boiler are above my bedroom.

It sounds like air in the system - and I discussed with plumber, who agreed. He said it should cure itself.

However that was a week ago & it is no better.

He was wrong then.

It has improved a bit - but still occurs occasionally. What else could it be (as it coincides exactly with this job) ?

One thing I noticed when I got in (after the job was done) was one of the radiators was still off. So I turned it on and it sounded like it was filling with water - maybe that is the air that got in the system ?

Why did the installer leave the system with a radiator full of air?

No idea - may be having a bad day (he also left the loft light on, which I didn't notice until 3 days later !!) ?

Anyway I'm going to get them back to sort it out - will they have to redrain/fill the whole system to cure this ?

Does it matter?

?

Softus · 5 Jan 2009

swayzak said:
Softus said:

Does it matter?

Click to expand...

?

It's not at all clear where you want this topic to lead.

Your installer hasn't left your system in a satisfactory, fully working state, and you're calling him back to remedy that situation.

What else can anyone do or say?

swayzak · 6 Jan 2009

Softus said:
swayzak said:

Softus said:

Does it matter?

Click to expand...

?

Click to expand...

It's not at all clear where you want this topic to lead.

Your installer hasn't left your system in a satisfactory, fully working state, and you're calling him back to remedy that situation.

What else can anyone do or say?

The system is working, just has noises that weren't there before.

It was really just whether the sounds I had noticed were likely to be due to air in the system, introduced by the work they did (or another cause).

You seemed to disagree about the air (although this was prior to me noticing an improvement).

However the sounds are definitely getting less now, and the large "blub blub" bubble sound has changed to a "finer" bubbling, as if the bubbles have got smaller.

I'm led to believe that this supports the air theory, and that it should disappear eventually.

If not, they will come out again to investigate.

Softus · 6 Jan 2009

swayzak said:
However the sounds are definitely getting less now, and the large "blub blub" bubble sound has changed to a "finer" bubbling, as if the bubbles have got smaller.

I'm led to believe that this supports the air theory, and that it should disappear eventually.

I'm not clear whether or not you're seeking a second opinion on the "diminishing bubbles" theory, but if you are, then my opinion is that it's boll*cks.

swayzak · 6 Jan 2009

Softus said:
swayzak said:

However the sounds are definitely getting less now, and the large "blub blub" bubble sound has changed to a "finer" bubbling, as if the bubbles have got smaller.

I'm led to believe that this supports the air theory, and that it should disappear eventually.

Click to expand...

I'm not clear whether or not you're seeking a second opinion on the "diminishing bubbles" theory, but if you are, then my opinion is that it's boll*cks.

Thanks - you're probably right.

I guess time may tell ...

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Air in my system ?

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