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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 15:04:10 GMT
I moved back into a house I used to rent out and the old tenant never told me when anything went wrong so no idea how long it's been like this.
My boiler (a very old glow worm space saver 38) is kettling like a good un.
Went up into the cylinder cupboard and the gate valve on the hot water return was pretty much shut, so opened it a turn. Boiler still kettling, fully opened it and still kettling.
I'll worry about setting that gate valve properly when the system is cleared up a bit, I think the valve is on there to help persuade the boiler f/r round the c/h side.
Got a strong magnet on the pipes and both the c/h and h/w flow pipes are attracting the magnet so they're magnetited up a fair bit too.
Now it's my house and it's nice weather so I don't mind it taking a while.
I was planning on fitting a magnetic filter to the boiler return and dosing with non acidic system cleaner like x400 and just letting it do its thing for a few weeks.
The pipes aren't blocked but I'm guessing they're caked up enough to restrict the flow enough to make the boiler noisy.
I'd rather not chop pipes near the cylinder because the compression fittings and cylinder unions look older than gods dog and I don't want to disturb them if I can help it, I can see it being 'new cylinder time' if I start disturbing them.
What do you guys reckon?
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 15:05:44 GMT
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Post by tomplum on May 20, 2017 15:24:23 GMT
first thing i noticed is the pump is pointing up, thats not recommended, I know some think its better for venting but the manual will say the spindle must be horizontal and your spindle is vertical, I think you're right about the kettling, its due to poor circulation and as you've found evidence of iron inside the copper, thats probably the cause, Ive not faith in those tubs of snake oil or those overpriced magnet filters, when the blockage is enough to stick a magnet its too thick to clean with chemicals imho, surgery to the pipework would be my way, Seeing as the boiler is 30 years old, I'd be looking at upgrading and repipeing the system, or at least partialy repiping,  |
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 16:43:48 GMT
Cheers Tom. I agree about the pump but it's been in for over 15 years and does its job well. If I do repipe I'll raise it so I can rotate it properly, it won't go any other way with the pipes where they are at the moment. That pump is how I got into plumbing, other halfs cousin worked for BG and came to fix our heating but couldn't nick a pump from his stock. He told me how to do it and I did it. I thought 'that was easy' and enrolled on my c+g plumbing course that year  I'm just worried about the cylinder unions if I try to alter any pipework near the cylinder, I'm planning to convert to a combi at some point in the future so just want to buy some time really without risking having to get a new cylinder. The central heating is on its last legs in this house, got a leaky lockshield, a broken TRV, caked up pipework old inefficient rads, no drain offs, I'll get round to it one day... probably  |
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Post by crowsfoot on May 20, 2017 17:22:44 GMT
Glow worm space savers were synonymous with psssh, bang, crack, kittling noises.
A quick temporary cure is to add a cupful of washing up liquid to the system and hey presto schhhhhhh, it's all gone quite (for a while anyway).
Normally you just drain off a couple of gallons from the system and add the liquid to the header tank before re-filling.
Take it from me it's an old trick but it works a treat!
Tappy,
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Post by tomplum on May 20, 2017 17:24:00 GMT
your own house is always the last to get done, thats because you're not making any money while doing it, plus you're spending a lot,  |
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 18:39:06 GMT
Glow worm space savers were synonymous with psssh, bang, crack, kittling noises. A quick temporary cure is to add a cupful of washing up liquid to the system and hey presto schhhhhhh, it's all gone quite (for a while anyway). Normally you just drain off a couple of gallons from the system and add the liquid to the header tank before re-filling. Take it from me it's an old trick but it works a treat! Tappy, You're pulling my leg? |
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 18:39:22 GMT
your own house is always the last to get done, thats because you're not making any money while doing it, plus you're spending a lot, Hit the nail on the head there Tom |
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Post by Plumberboy on May 20, 2017 18:43:31 GMT
Glow worm space savers were synonymous with psssh, bang, crack, kittling noises. A quick temporary cure is to add a cupful of washing up liquid to the system and hey presto schhhhhhh, it's all gone quite (for a while anyway). Normally you just drain off a couple of gallons from the system and add the liquid to the header tank before re-filling. Take it from me it's an old trick but it works a treat! Tappy, You're pulling my leg? That's very true JCPlumb,,,try it mate. |
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 18:50:58 GMT
I'll go and do it now, will let you know how I get on.
If I get suds flowing out of my header tank then you're not coming to my birthday party!
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Post by Plumberboy on May 20, 2017 18:54:49 GMT
I'll go and do it now, will let you know how I get on. If I get suds flowing out of my header tank then you're not coming to my birthday party! Have faith mate,  it was a trick they used to use yrs back. |
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Post by tomplum on May 20, 2017 19:03:21 GMT
I will also comfirm the washing up trick works, all that snake oil you buy for £ssss only changes the PH of water, just like washing up liquid does but it only costs 60p a bottle,
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Post by endfeed on May 20, 2017 19:08:21 GMT
My boiler was fizzing and popping last summer,put some boiler silencers in been fine since mate.probably washing liquid in a bottle any way |
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Post by jcplumb on May 20, 2017 19:31:54 GMT
Well I drained a bucket and a half of water out from the most awkward almost-ceiling level drain off cock.
Went upstairs, header tank against ceiling so can't see in it. Made a dip-stick out of some copper and an angled flexi (the one I use for dosing). Used dip-stick, only an inch wet so drained another half bucket and added a cup of washing up liquid to header tank.
Turned water back on and nothing, no noise from fill valve in header tank, used inspection mirror and can see water in it, my guess is it never dropped when I drained the system because of the blockage where it tees into flow from boiler at the air seperator.
poop...
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Post by tomplum on May 20, 2017 19:46:44 GMT
its common for the blockage to block the cold feed, thats because that water is not moving during normal use so its easy for the build up to form there, empty the tank with a bucket so it lessens the water coming at you when you cut the feed pipe,  |
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it was a trick they used to use yrs back. 
