Rust in water

[scubabeaver]

My neighbour has just started lighting her open fire with back boiler for the first time in 3 years.
She now finds she cannot turn off the hot water tap properly as the sediment from the boiler has stopped the washer seating properly. I have flushed it twice in two days but it is still happening.
My question is: should the open fire's back boiler supply her only radiator in the bathroom as well as the hot water in the taps?

 

[HTB]

I wonder if its a primatic cylinder??

 

[Bernie2]

Yes its quite common.

But beware of any noises by the boiler it may mean blocked primary pipes.

When the system is cold and no water is running, drain some water out of the primaries if they have got drain off cock's on.

Then while your doing that, check the store tank in the roof space is filling up. Then you know at least, one of the primaries would seem to have a direct route for the hot water to expand.

Test the pipes near the boiler as well as it heats up, one should be hotter than the other, indicating circulation. Then check the cylinder is getting hot as well as the bathroom rad.

You have to go careful with rust in back boilers in case it blocks the primaries. If its coal fired in a fire place its a good chance its got no safety valve on. So blocked primaries are dangerous and need checking out.

 

[david williams]

it is proberly a galv hot water tank not a cylinder,this is a very old system and this is how it was done 40s and 50s,gravity back boiler supplying heat to a galv tank and one rad or towl rail in bathroom

 

[Bernie2]

Yes could be! The hot water tank may even be in the roof space, same applies though.

 

[buffy27]

what s this hot water tank about.i have only seen cylinders??
i thought that in the direct b boilers that the boiler is copper ??/
is there gun barrel/mild steel pipe work in the system?

 

[Plouasne]

what s this hot water tank about.i have only seen cylinders??
i thought that in the direct b boilers that the boiler is copper ??/
is there gun barrel/mild steel pipe work in the system?

Your just a "nipper" then, copper cylinders only came into their own in the 50's, before that there were galvanised cylinders or square/rectangular sealed tanks, with a bolted access cover, sometimes the whole top of a cylinder would be in a separate piece which was bolted on

The tanks would be drilled with a tank cutter, and the iron barrel would be connected to the tank with a long screw, and either two backnuts or a socket on the inside of the tank, and a backnut run up tight to the tank, with a hemp grommet on either side of the tank between the socket/backnut, and the tank wall

Before the war, for top quality work it could be a plate copper cylinder (about an 1/8" thick copper), with all screwed copper pipework, the copper tube wall almost as thick as iron barrel, and the threads were very fine close pitch, the fittings were either brass or gunmetal

 

[buffy27]

Your just a "nipper" then, copper cylinders only came into their own in the 50's, before that there were galvanised cylinders or square/rectangular sealed tanks, with a bolted access cover, sometimes the whole top of a cylinder would be in a separate piece which was bolted on

The tanks would be drilled with a tank cutter, and the iron barrel would be connected to the tank with a long screw, and either two backnuts or a socket on the inside of the tank, and a backnut run up tight to the tank, with a hemp grommet on either side of the tank between the socket/backnut, and the tank wall

Before the war, for top quality work it could be a plate copper cylinder (about an 1/8" thick copper), with all screwed copper pipework, the copper tube wall almost as thick as iron barrel, and the threads were very fine close pitch, the fittings were either brass or gunmetal

whats the craic...
was there rads incorporated into the old systems with the tanks ...
never knew that u could get threaded copper.!!!! thickcopper v's gun metal -- how did this go in the systems... ps were u around before the war ..presume u mean the 2nd ww and not like the war on terrorism or something like that.

 

[Bernie2]

Even if you where not around during the war, you have probably worked on houses and systems that where. Its the same today, probably millions of houses have got old fashioned plumbing systems in. If your on repair work you will probably come across all kinds of old systems which you have to work out how they work.

Threaded copper is certainly not something unusual, I think you can still get it. I was not working in the 50's but systems with galvanized tanks where about.

 

[Hugh]

bathroom rad is knowen as a heat leak radiator

 

[buffy27]

Even if you where not around during the war, you have probably worked on houses and systems that where. Its the same today, probably millions of houses have got old fashioned plumbing systems in. If your on repair work you will probably come across all kinds of old systems which you have to work out how they work.

Threaded copper is certainly not something unusual, I think you can still get it. I was not working in the 50's but systems with galvanized tanks where about.

no dude.never came across ..either the tanks or the threaded copper...not here in ireland anyway.i am only plumbing with 5 yrs so am a "nipper" i suppose to these things

 

[scubabeaver]

Thanks for all your replies, have now sorted it out, there was rust still in the system. I have flushed the complete system through and seems to be working fine now.
Many thanks.