Boilermate 2 draining down

[divvy]

i'm looking to drain down the heating to install a couple of new towel rails, but in my old house all I had to do was isolate the mains water to the header tank in the roof. However I now have a Boilermate 2, do I just isolate the water on the tank on the top of the boilermate?

Many Thanks

 

[Softus]

Yes, unless the installer saw fit to install isolating valves on the flow and return to the store.

The only extra consideration with the BM2 is that it stores much more water than a conventional closed system, and the store is hot even when the rads are cold.

 

[gas4you]

Good luck when you come to refill the system.

These are prone to having the cold feed blocked at the bottom of the cylinder

 

[Softus]

Hm. I'd forgotten about that one.

divvy, since you can plan when you're going to drain down, you might toy with the idea of doing something I've never had the time to, which is add a system cleanser to the system now and let it work some magic before you drain.

 

[nickso]

as has already been pointed out, isolate at top right, drain at bottom right.

dont worry about the cold feed blocking its almost a feature now. if it does, either run a new cold feed to the drain point or simply back fill through the vent pipe on the left side inside the header tank.

back filling isnt a great solution as you need to remember to refill it every so often.

 

[divvy]

Thanks guys, I'm looking at draining the system on Thursday. So from what you say I drain the entire store then I drain the heating at the lowest point is this correct?
When I come to refill will the store fill first then I bleed the rads, or do I have to manually switch anything?

Fingers crossed I have no cold feed issue!!

 

[nickso]

refilling will probably take a couple of eons so give yourself plenty of time.

just leave if filling until it stops then bleed rads and give it a whirl. remember it will take some time for the store temp to reach a decent level too.

 

[divvy]

Thanks for your replys. I'm a little nervous with draining the whole system, I can't afford to be out of either hot water or heating if it goes wrong.

Just out of interest whats everyones thoughts on freezing the pipes instead? Not sure if this possible as its only 10mm pipe and there is only a small amount of expossed pipe work and I would needs to use a blow tourch. Thanks

 

[nickso]

thats probably not going to work mate.

your only potential problem is going to be the refilling. if it doesnt refill very well then let is know and we can walk you through it.

like i said it will take some time to refill as the cold feed is almost certain to be partially blocked.

 

[divvy]

More I think about it freezing will not work.

Can I just ask why I could have problems filling the system???...as I understand mains water fills the header tank which will fill the store and the heating. Where can the cold feed get blocked? I have excellent mains pressure.

If it does block I should run a cold feed through the drain point is this correct?

Like I said I'm a little nervous!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Nickso

 

[corgiman]

More I think about it freezing will not work.

Can I just ask why I could have problems filling the system???...as I understand mains water fills the header tank which will fill the store and the heating. Where can the cold feed get blocked? I have excellent mains pressure.

If it does block I should run a cold feed through the drain point is this correct?

Like I said I'm a little nervous!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Nickso

As nickso says the feed is prollie blocked

dont call these beasts "sludge buckets" for nowt

 

[divvy]

As nickso says the feed is prollie blocked

I don't understand what is prolli blocked?

 

[nickso]

the cold feed gets blocked inside the cylinder at the very bottom.

look at your cylinder, at the front right side of the smaller cylinder on top there is a 15mmish pipe that bends 90 degrees into the cylinder. thats the pipe that gets blocked, its nothing to do with your mains pressure as this pipe isnt connected to the mains.

to get you going immediately you can backfill. to sort it properly you will need to cut a hole in the smaller cylinder and run a new pipe in copper from there to the drain cock connection....obviously teeing into this so it leaves you with a drain cock.

none of this may be necesary as yours might not be blocked......but if its over 7-8 years old its probably going to be very soon.

 

[corgiman]

sorry prollie = probably

I am far to fat and lazy to type proper me

 

[divvy]

Thanks for explaining that to me.

What would be the symptoms of it not working, would it be the fact no water will get to the rads?

I've posted a picture of the beast!!

Sorry Corgiman I suffer from a similar problem, a vary basic knowledge of the Queens english!!!