Finding a blockage in heating pipework

[jaydebruyne]

If it looks grey but is fairly soft and silver if you scratch it it's likely to be lead. Lead was still used up until about, say, 1970.

Anyway, the techniques used for jointing lead are not quite the same as for copper tubing and I would recommend you don't make the first time you try it on a customer's system.

There are a couple of people who are active posters (Last Plumber and JustinLead1 come to mind) who have mentioned they have leadwork skills. Probably best to upload a couple of photos and hope they drop in.

Def not lead. Exactly like copper but silver. Cheers chuck

 

[Chuck]

Thin steel (copper shortage in the 70s)

If it is steel then, obviously, you can't use a magnet to tell whether it's blocked...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Would give them a price to re pipe if it is what I'm thinking about

 

[jaydebruyne]

Thin steel (copper shortage in the 70s)

Only compression can't solder

Is it thin/soft enough to cut with a pipe slice? There's no room for a hacksaw lol

 

[jaydebruyne]

If it is steel then, obviously, you can't use a magnet to tell whether it's blocked...

I know where the blockage is.. but no.. glad I found it before I got the magnet out lol

 

[jaydebruyne]

Would give them a price to re pipe if it is what I'm thinking about

As in rip out all thin steel pipe? It's not weird sizesis it? Standard compressions will be ok?

 

[Old Account]

Maybe you could cut the T out to inspect how badly it was blocked. It would interest me

 

[Chuck]

Standard compressions will be ok?

Not if it's what I think it is (galvanised steel). You'll need to use a 'dielectric' coupling and put a thread on the end of the steel pipe. There may be other methods, my only real experience of steel pipe is seeing it in a skip after someone else has ripped it out. But... I'd describe it as looking more 'grey' than 'silver' (think electrical conduit). 'Silver' could describe stainless-steel, but I've never seen that in domestic premises.

Sorry, I think you'll need to post a picture for a postive id.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Is it thin/soft enough to cut with a pipe slice? There's no room for a hacksaw lol

No hacksaw job sorry to say or grinder

 

[ShaunCorbs]

As in rip out all thin steel pipe? It's not weird sizesis it? Standard compressions will be ok?

Yea stnd 22mm will fit you might need some 3/4 olives tho

 

[jaydebruyne]

This is the pipe material.. all soldered joints . Some copper rad tails have been soldered onto the steel

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yea looks like it's been brazed

 

[jaydebruyne]

Yea looks like it's been brazed

So just hacksaw and compressions?

 

[jaydebruyne]

Ok.. have just cut it out and it's completely clear lol buggar! Suggestions please?

 

[jaydebruyne]

So the branch left (to rad) was hot up to the tee, the branch top (to boiler) wasn't as hot but was still quite warm, the oth 2 branches were cold.

Logic told me the blockage was in the tee. My logic was mistaken!

Any help would be grand!

UPDATE: the branch bottom I believe is the old cold feed as it appears to be capped (not entirely sure but the pipe is loose so I can only presume and it goes in same direction as the flow to old cylinder.

 

[jaydebruyne]

any chance this could been an air lock? Doubt it as flush woulda cleared it but just putting it out there lol

 

[Last Plumber]

That pipe looks from the photo like Truweld, (brand name ), it was used during the copper shortage in the 60's and most of the stuff I've seen is steel pipe, thin walled which had been tinned so it could be soldered like copper.

My advice to you, if the customer is willing is to get shut.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You have two options

1 you know the blockage is on the main run, so start one end and cut and splice until you find it

2 re pipe

 

[jaydebruyne]

That pipe looks from the photo like Truweld, (brand name ), it was used during the copper shortage in the 60's and most of the stuff I've seen is steel pipe, thin walled which had been tinned so it could be soldered like copper.

My advice to you, if the customer is willing is to get shut.

It's def not that tee. but still not getting any return flow past first two rads

 

[jaydebruyne]

You have two options

1 you know the blockage is on the main run, so start one end and cut and splice until you find it

2 re pipe

If I'm going to do option 1 may as well do option 2 and be done with it

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If I'm going to do option 1 may as well do option 2 and be done with it

Depends how much the cus wants to spend

 

[jaydebruyne]

Depends how much the cus wants to spend

They don't want flooring taken up really as current tenant is pregnant. Plus they say funds are tight. Plus they're turning the gaf into flats in 2 years.

I'll call him and see what he wants to do.

 

[Chuck]

Truwel (sp?) is notoriously difficult to join reliably. There was even a debate in Parliament about it:

GAS CENTRAL HEATING (WEST MIDLANDS) (Hansard, 30 October 1974)

Proceed with caution.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Truwel (sp?) is notoriously difficult to join reliably. There was even a debate in Parliament about it:

GAS CENTRAL HEATING (WEST MIDLANDS) (Hansard, 30 October 1974)

Proceed with caution.

I'm ripping it all out next week and replacing. Happy days. I'm tempted to just redo the return since the flow seems to be good. But as I'm taking up the floor will prob run a new flow too

 

[Old Account]

If I were you I'd just talk to the customer regarding replacing heating pipes. You spent so much time and work on trying to solve it. Now, it's time to make him realise you will need to replace big sections of pipework to make things working. The best way would be replacing the heating system completely. But that's just my opinion