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[JesterRT]

...SWMBO has been on for a while about getting a radiator in our bathroom, so during some other work I had a plumber doing they put the tails in the bathroom ready to take the radiator (needed to tile before it went on which is why he left it at that).

I've come to drain my heating system to fit the radiator and I'm struggling.  I've got a retro fitted heating system (ie after the house was built, house is circa 1958).  Heating system is about 5 year old I think, but I've only moved in a year ago.  Anyway, it's a back boiler and I've got a cold water expansion tank in the loft.  I've also got an immersion heater in a cupboard upstairs.

From what I've done in the past (and read on the 'net) I've stopped the header tank from refilling and I found two radiators downstairs with drain valves on, and opened both of them, and not a drop came out.   :-/  Not sure what to try next.  As it happens I've already taken off every other radiator upstairs, so there shouldn't be much water up there.  They were pretty sludged up.  I figure that the downstairs radiators are the same way, and perhaps the valves are blocked up.  Not knowing what to try next I thought if I emptied enough water out the pipework upstairs then perhaps I could get away with fitting the new radiator anyway, so I started draining water from where an upstairs radiator used to be...

I've probably drained about 20-30 litres of water now, filling a bucket slowly and emptying each by hand.  If the header tank isn't filling, the water to the house is now turned off, taps opened and nothing coming out, hot water tank empty, boiler switched off, water pump switched off... where the heck's the water coming from?!!

Anyone offer any words of advice (that don't involve ringing a plumber?!!!!!)

Thanks in advance!!!!!!!

[Taxi_Driver]

Only thing i can say......

The heating and hot water is seperate systems......so no need to drain hot water tank.
The only obvious thing i can think of, is you have turned of the header for the cylinder and not the header tank for the central heating, so you are emptying that tank.

I spose the rads downstairs could be on a sperate circuit.....hence why no water is coming out.....coz its already empty  :-/

Boilerman is the one to PM.....he's the only heating blokey on here i know, but apologies if there are others  

[miggy]

...SWMBO has been on for a while about getting a radiator in our bathroom, so during some other work I had a plumber doing they put the tails in the bathroom ready to take the radiator (needed to tile before it went on which is why he left it at that).

I've come to drain my heating system to fit the radiator and I'm struggling.  I've got a retro fitted heating system (ie after the house was built, house is circa 1958).  Heating system is about 5 year old I think, but I've only moved in a year ago.  Anyway, it's a back boiler and I've got a cold water expansion tank in the loft.  I've also got an immersion heater in a cupboard upstairs.

From what I've done in the past (and read on the 'net) I've stopped the header tank from refilling and I found two radiators downstairs with drain valves on, and opened both of them, and not a drop came out.   :-/  Not sure what to try next.  As it happens I've already taken off every other radiator upstairs, so there shouldn't be much water up there.  They were pretty sludged up.  I figure that the downstairs radiators are the same way, and perhaps the valves are blocked up.  Not knowing what to try next I thought if I emptied enough water out the pipework upstairs then perhaps I could get away with fitting the new radiator anyway, so I started draining water from where an upstairs radiator used to be...

I've probably drained about 20-30 litres of water now, filling a bucket slowly and emptying each by hand.  If the header tank isn't filling, the water to the house is now turned off, taps opened and nothing coming out, hot water tank empty, boiler switched off, water pump switched off... where the heck's the water coming from?!!

Anyone offer any words of advice (that don't involve ringing a plumber?!!!!!)

Thanks in advance!!!!!!!

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/contents.html#Hosted

Have a look mate, scroll on the page to heating, hope it helps

 

[JesterRT]

Cheers TD...

The downstairs rads are drop-downs (pipes drop from the ceiling), and opening the air bleed valves sees water fly out, so they must be full.

I've only one tank in the loft and it's empty.  Water supply to the house is off.  There's no radiators upstairs (all removed during the decoration I'm doing at the moment).  I've continued to drain what must now be nearly 50 litres in total.

Still at a complete loss....

...more confusing than the jobs I've done on the 'meega!    

[Taxi_Driver]

Cheers TD...

The downstairs rads are drop-downs (pipes drop from the ceiling), and opening the air bleed valves sees water fly out, so they must be full.

I've only one tank in the loft and it's empty.  Water supply to the house is off.  There's no radiators upstairs (all removed during the decoration I'm doing at the moment).  I've continued to drain what must now be nearly 50 litres in total.

Still at a complete loss....

...more confusing than the jobs I've done on the 'meega!    

Ah rite.....soz i read in your original post nothing came outa the rads downstairs.....

Ive definately have 2 tanks......one for rads, one for hot water......

So i probably dont know what im talking about and you have a completely different type of system  

So havent a clue then, soz  

[miggy]

Keep draining mate, if your heating header tank is empty and there is deffo no water getting into it then it must be water that is still in your system, the heating is not fed from any other water supply apart from your heating header tank, have a look at the link i sent you and see what system set up you have.

 :-/ :-/

[JesterRT]

That's the half the problem I think TD - the proper drain valves on the downstairs rads when fully open don't produce one drop of water.  Open the air valve on the same radiator and you get soaked - loads of pressure there.

...now drained around 60 litres.   :-?  Where the hell's this stuff coming from...  NO rads upstairs, NO water in header tank (unless it's buried in the chimney, next door or hidden somewhere else.

Slowly losing the will...

Would call the guy that fitted the pipework for the new radiator in the bathroom, but the job over-ran, pricing was suspect, labour was charged by the day, etc, etc  - don't want to see/speak to him again  :-/

Read through the web-pages, but I'm still not really any the wiser.  I thought perhaps I had a vented system.  I don't think it's closed - I'd be suprised.  There's nowhere to read a pressure dial (that I can find).  Back-boiler's a bit old-school as I understand, and if it's 5 yrs old then I'm suprised it was even installed.

Thanks for the link though

[miggy]

What size is you pipework on the system, is it 8-10mm or 15mm, do you know for sure you have drained 60 lites, you will be supprised how much water is in a heating system, your rads are fed from your header tank in the loft, if nothing coming out of the drain valves at the bottom of the rads they will be blocked with the sludge, this sludge settles when the system is off, or the sludge will be what has ran from you header tank that builds up over time.

I know it dont help mate, check there are no water feeds going to your boiler, but there cannot be if you have the header tank.

[JesterRT]

15mm pipework.  50/60l is an estimate, but I know it's a fair bit.  It's a decent sized bucket and I've emptied it loads of times...

Looking like a plumber will be on his way in the near future to keep SWMBO happy (and I'll watch what he does and take notes )

Thanks for all the pointers/help/ideas!

[Taxi_Driver]

Well....i might be totally wrong.....but

I still think you must have a header tank for the central heating......as where does the water go when heating on....i mean if your system is full when cold.....when the rads are lovely and hot.....water expands....so has to go somewhere.....it normally gets forced back up into the header tank...

As said could be totally wrong on your system......but just my mind trying to think where the water goes when it expands  :-/

Dont spose you got 2 lofts  

I only ask coz......ive got 2 lofts.....and header tanks were in different lofts ( until i had one moved, to gain more hot water pressure )

[miggy]

15mm pipework.  50/60l is an estimate, but I know it's a fair bit.  It's a decent sized bucket and I've emptied it loads of times...

Looking like a plumber will be on his way in the near future to keep SWMBO happy (and I'll watch what he does and take notes )

Thanks for all the pointers/help/ideas!

Keep us posted mate, interesting to see where all you water is coming from.

  :-/ :-/

[JesterRT]

Haha - 2 lofts  Nah - it's a bog-standard 3 Bed Semi (until the builders arrive next year and I get my new garage!)

I'm on a water meter - so unless there's an unmetered feed into the house to feed my boiler I just don't get where the stuff's coming from!

Well - back to draining...

[miggy]

Haha - 2 lofts  Nah - it's a bog-standard 3 Bed Semi (until the builders arrive next year and I get my new garage!)

I'm on a water meter - so unless there's an unmetered feed into the house to feed my boiler I just don't get where the stuff's coming from!

Well - back to draining...

Ah, metered, write down the reading now, start draining again, then check after 10 mins.
If the reading is the same then you know it must be the 15mm system still draining, if the meter moves, then there must be another feed somewhere

 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Are the check valves and stats (if fitted) open on the down stairs rads?

These systems hold a lot of water.....the tanks can hold upto 5 gallon on there own!

Dont forget to add a good inhibotor when re-filling.

[Jimbob]

Are the check valves and stats (if fitted) open on the down stairs rads?

These systems hold a lot of water.....the tanks can hold upto 5 gallon on there own!

Dont forget to add a good inhibotor when re-filling.

Red antifreeze do for that?