Boiler making noises and gurgling sounds in airing cupboard after draining system

[steph]

Hi

I recently installed 2 new radiator valves in the bathroom and now when my boiler fires up it is very noisy after about 30 seconds and the cylinder in the airing cupboard makes gurgling noises so I have had to switch the boiler off. My initial thought is that air has got in the system - how do i clear this? I was told to run all the taps to clear it but that has made no difference. I have also bled and refilled all the radiators.

There are 2 valves in the airing cupboard, see link below - will opening these release the air? Or may the problem actually be something else? Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

Many thanks for any advice!

 

[Chuck]

Hi Steph

I've just looked at your recent postings and you are clearly out of your depth with this project. Please get a competent plumber to come and give you a hand before you cause a lot of damage to your system.

 

[steph]

Hi Steph

I've just looked at your recent postings and you are clearly out of your depth with this project. Please get a competent plumber to come and give you a hand before you cause a lot of damage to your system.

I did - the plumber fixed the valves for me. Just the boiler problem now.

 

[steadyon]

In your second picture there is a white pipe running up the centre of the cylinder, then turning left towards the pump. On top of the elbow where it turns there appears to be a manual air admittance valve. With the boiler off, unscrew the cap of this valve no more than one complete turn. If there is air in the coil or elsewhere in the hot water side of the circuit this should allow it to escape. As soon as water comes out, close the cap again. You may have to repeat the process a few times, firing the boiler for hot water in between attempts.

If the cap is tight, gentle pressure with a pair of pliers may slacken it. Don't overdo the pressure and don't undo the cap too far. If it comes off and you lose it you'll have no way of stopping the water from coming out without draining the system. The cap will have a rubber seal underneath it. These sometimes perish, so if the cap is no longer water tight when you screw it back on you'll need something like a wad of PTFE tape to seal it until it can be replaced.

 

[steph]

In your second picture there is a white pipe running up the centre of the cylinder, then turning left towards the pump. On top of the elbow where it turns there appears to be a manual air admittance valve. With the boiler off, unscrew the cap of this valve no more than one complete turn. If there is air in the coil or elsewhere in the hot water side of the circuit this should allow it to escape. As soon as water comes out, close the cap again. You may have to repeat the process a few times, firing the boiler for hot water in between attempts.

If the cap is tight, gentle pressure with a pair of pliers may slacken it. Don't overdo the pressure and don't undo the cap too far. If it comes off and you lose it you'll have no way of stopping the water from coming out without draining the system. The cap will have a rubber seal underneath it. These sometimes perish, so if the cap is no longer water tight when you screw it back on you'll need something like a wad of PTFE tape to seal it until it can be replaced.

Thank you, I have now done that and a lot of air was released. I fired up the boiler for about 10 seconds and it sounded as if the cylinder was filling with water.

 

[steadyon]

The pipe mentioned above, and the one directly below it, are connected to a coil of copper tubing within the hot water cylinder. This coil is surrounded by the water which will be heated and go to your hot taps etc. Hot water from your boiler circulates through the coil when allowed to by the motorised valve, and the heat is transferred to the water in the rest of the cylinder, and then flows on demand to your hot taps.

There is no direct connection between the hot water from your boiler and the hot water at your taps. Any sound of water going into the tank you may have heard is almost certainly the coil re-filling.

 

[steph]

It's fixed - thank you so much!