Water coming out of expansion pipe

[Ashley Bacon]

My rads wernt heating up. I checked for air lock and balanced. Quarter turn upstairs and all open down on lock shield. Central heating pump wilo gold 50 was noisy. I took a wild guess the pump wasn't circulating well. Purchased a wilo yonos which I was told is the direct replacement. Installed fine and flow arrow pointing down, same as the old one. Set the level to 3 speed. Rads all heating up, still not perfect but 90% better, they are old rads as is the boiler so hoping to keep the system going until I upgrade. some rads are hot bit not as hot as others. I then heard a water dripping sound from the loft. Looking in the loft there is what I believe to be an expansion pipe with water coming out into a smaller tank. Turning the pump to 1 stops the water. It's a 5 bed house so thought a faster speed was needed, not sure if the pump is too efficient and 1 is ok or if there is a bigger issue being masked?

 

[Rob Foster]

Looks like u have fixed it u could run it for a few days get it dead hot and switch off and dump the contents with a hose to see how mucky it is then refill with some chemicals added for a proper job

 

[Welder]

Ashley. Plumbing is a science. Nothing gets done without a genuine reason so a 'finger in the air' approach just doesn't cut it - much as we'd all like it to sometimes

Unfortunately, whoever told you how to balance your system was a fool. Your system is NOT balanced. Do it properly, or get it done properly (apply the science) and, most probably (as I cannot be there I cannot guarantee it), you will find your issues magically disappear.

Addendum:
If your system is not clean, so your old pump died due to being clogged or any 'blackness' to water bled from it, then it really needs to be flushed out and a filter fitted.
TBH there is little point in balancing a dirty system as none of the emitters will work as designed. Oxygen is the mortal enemy of a system so removing as much air as possible is VITAL. Yet another piece of kit installed I'm afraid.
The upshot of this work tho will be a system that will last longer, be cheaper to run and more responsive to your needs.

 

[shocking mod]

I just added mc3 cleaner pressure was a little high so I took some water out after 5 minutes and it had gone from colourless to yellow. I am leaving it in a few days before I flush. I am also hitting the bottom of the radiator lightly with a dead blow hammar, now at 60 degrees it is too hot for a long touch bottom and top.

I do not know about rebalancing, or changing a pump but clean water is the first step. Though I think though with my valiant ecotech plus I think you should not open the front cover as it is sealed so maybe I would not be able to change the pump but the cause of a bad pump is dirty water.

Then I would add inhibitor.

 

[Ashley Bacon]

Thanks all.

There is a little more history.

Been at my house 2 years. None of the Rads had TVR's. These were all fitted. The Rads have never all heated up as well as what I though they should. When the TVR's fitted each rad was disconnected and flushed outside. The heating was ok, but not perfect, I think there's lots of reasons for this.

I noticed this year when I put the heating on one of the rads was weeping slightly. I tightened the nut, it nearly went so the next day a little more, but the nut cracked. I had to drain the system, remove the nut and washer (absolute pain) all sorted now, but some rads get hot some don't as such I looked at options.

I first looked at the pump, it was noisy so not sure if that was usual, but to be honest the new pump is so quiet it was worth replacing. It had a dial 1,2 and 3. I t was set on 2, I changed to 3 (I fiddled switching between the levels too much) then the dial simply span, I broke it. I took the controller (black box) off the side of the wilo 50 gold and there was brittle plastic, so it wasnt looking good inside. Also before this I unscrewed the little nut on the pump and it was spinning but water was leaking out of it - youtube videos suggested that shouldnt happen. hence swapped the pump.

It has 1,23 levels (like the old) and variable, which I'm lead to believe shouldn't be used with TVR's?]

Anyway, it was on on setting 1 but this morning I heard water again. I turned it down further and it stopped, just seems strange that water keeps coming out of the overflow extension in the loft with heat.

The water is clean, but feel I may drain again. I do have the chemicals, but don't want to add until I know I've got it sorted.

I will have another look at balancing the RADS, I watched this guy
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...5.3552j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1

I haven't touched the valve that comes out of the tank.

Another thought, could this issue be caused by a broken coil in the tank?

Also when installing the new wilo pump, looking at it fresh out of the box with the flow arrow pointing down the controller unit was upside down, so the default setup is to have the flow arrow pointing up? The instructions suggest you can rotate the controller, so I did (I hope that hasnt caused an issue) and as I have said I made sure the flow arrow matched the old pump, which is pointing down.

Im thinking, flush the system out. fill up, remove airlocks and balance correctly (any helpful suggestions) and test.

 

[Rob Foster]

Thanks all.

There is a little more history.

Been at my house 2 years. None of the Rads had TVR's. These were all fitted. The Rads have never all heated up as well as what I though they should. When the TVR's fitted each rad was disconnected and flushed outside. The heating was ok, but not perfect, I think there's lots of reasons for this.

I noticed this year when I put the heating on one of the rads was weeping slightly. I tightened the nut, it nearly went so the next day a little more, but the nut cracked. I had to drain the system, remove the nut and washer (absolute pain) all sorted now, but some rads get hot some don't as such I looked at options.

I first looked at the pump, it was noisy so not sure if that was usual, but to be honest the new pump is so quiet it was worth replacing. It had a dial 1,2 and 3. I t was set on 2, I changed to 3 (I fiddled switching between the levels too much) then the dial simply span, I broke it. I took the controller (black box) off the side of the wilo 50 gold and there was brittle plastic, so it wasnt looking good inside. Also before this I unscrewed the little nut on the pump and it was spinning but water was leaking out of it - youtube videos suggested that shouldnt happen. hence swapped the pump.

It has 1,23 levels (like the old) and variable, which I'm lead to believe shouldn't be used with TVR's?]

Anyway, it was on on setting 1 but this morning I heard water again. I turned it down further and it stopped, just seems strange that water keeps coming out of the overflow extension in the loft with heat.

The water is clean, but feel I may drain again. I do have the chemicals, but don't want to add until I know I've got it sorted.

I will have another look at balancing the RADS, I watched this guy
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...5.3552j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1

I haven't touched the valve that comes out of the tank.

Another thought, could this issue be caused by a broken coil in the tank?

Also when installing the new wilo pump, looking at it fresh out of the box with the flow arrow pointing down the controller unit was upside down, so the default setup is to have the flow arrow pointing up? The instructions suggest you can rotate the controller, so I did (I hope that hasnt caused an issue) and as I have said I made sure the flow arrow matched the old pump, which is pointing down.

Im thinking, flush the system out. fill up, remove airlocks and balance correctly (any helpful suggestions) and test.

You can use a magnet to activate the sludge along the bottom of the rads you know