Can't refill my drained down CH system - please help me!!

[AWT]

Hi people,

I've just stumbled across this website & am pinning my hopes on it now!! This is my first post n I'm a novice / keen learner so please be nice!! Any advice will be very gratefully received

I've drained the CH system down to tee off from other F&R pipes to the new radiator that I've put into the utility room / extension downstairs...I'm dead chuffed with myself for having gotten this far!

My problem is that I can't get the blooming system to refill!! Argh!!! I've turned back on everything that I'd turned off (& checked all valves / stoptaps again four times since!). The F&E header tank has refilled (to approx a third full), but no water is draining out of it into the radiators, nor is it feeding through to the boiler, so I believe. I've tried bleeding the system many times from every valve. I've removed the pump screw to check there wasn't an airlock in there (it's empty - no water in it beyond the couple of drips sitting in there). I've even put a piece of hose over the outlet pipe in the F&E tank and blown sharply into it in case an air block there was causing the problem...but no change.

I've tried turning up the thermostat & putting the boiler on, (although I've turned it off again now through fear of damaging the boiler...??)

The other water (C&H) is all working fine by the way.

Any advice on this guys? ;-)

Tags:
draining down CH system, CH system not refilling, airlock, refill problem, help needed

 

[drip-dry]

Well it could be that the cold feed from the header tank is blocked ,however when you drained the system originally did you notice if the F&E tank emptied ?
Do not turn boiler on until the system is filled as you may damage boiler and pump

 

[lucas121]

If it's an air lock:

The way I get rid of air locks is first open up the drain valve (with drain hose attached), usually this would create movement in the system and the water from the f&e tank would push air out of the drain valve. If it's a bad air lock then I secure the drain hose with a jubilee click, attach the other end to a water mains and gently open up the water mains to push the air lock up to the tank.

However, your system may be full of crud, and by draining down that crud has caused a blockage.

 

[townfanjon]

You don say anything about manually opening any zone valves ( usualy a slideing lever ) that maybe the problem .

 

[AWT]

Thank you very much for your comments everyone

drip-dry: I didn't notice the water level in the F&E tank, but I will look at that next week time - good tip. Unfortunately, I'd already put the boiler on and it seems that I have indeed caused damage to the pump &/or boiler. Dammit! Live n learn, eh? I've got a heating engineer coming out later today.

Lucas121: spot on big problems with airlocks as it turned out, and your trick worked well... Lots of running around the house bleeding the 9 radiators and 4 endfeed bleed valves though for hours, but all are full now.

townfanjon: OK, are you talking about the silver cuboid gizmo above the Grundfos pump? If so, this is a seaman anyway I'm told, and so is set to manual. Yes it does have a sliding lever on the side. Does having this in manual open up all the pipe pathways?
NB Is this nightmare to change, or straightforward? I'm all up for learning!!

The boiler is a Vaillant Eco Max Pro. When switching on now, can hear ignition, fan, but not pump. (Pump in loft powers up for about 2 seconds when boiler switched on.)
Boiler display shows red flashing led & flashing phone symbol.
Also shows: 05 F (meaning fault?) - manual says this means 'pump mode selection'
At some points, this code changes to: 11 F - 'night/day setpoint (delta value)

Someone else has also suggested that this could be an issue with the pump.He has advised me to have someone switch on the boiler and, with the large screw removed from the pump, gently push a flathead screwdriver into the motor...if it kicks the screwdriver back out if its way, then it's working. If it just stops, then the pump has died / burned out n needs replacing.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks again everyone.

 

[AWT]

...

 

[AWT]

If it's an air lock:

The way I get rid of air locks is first open up the drain valve (with drain hose attached), usually this would create movement in the system and the water from the f&e tank would push air out of the drain valve. If it's a bad air lock then I secure the drain hose with a jubilee click, attach the other end to a water mains and gently open up the water mains to push the air lock up to the tank.

However, your system may be full of crud, and by draining down that crud has caused a blockage.

Thanks...I've replied to you in another post...yup! New to forums! ;-)

 

[AWT]

Well it could be that the cold feed from the header tank is blocked ,however when you drained the system originally did you notice if the F&E tank emptied ?
Do not turn boiler on until the system is filled as you may damage boiler and pump

Thanks...I've replied to you in another post...yup! New to forums! ;-)

 

[AWT]

You don say anything about manually opening any zone valves ( usualy a slideing lever ) that maybe the problem .

Thanks...I've replied to you in another post...yup! New to forums! ;-)