Panic - please help

[Ashtara]

i recently had to check for a leak in my central heating system by marking the water level in the f & e tank with some tape and then holding ball cock up to see if water dropped.

To cut a long story short, recently had to remove two radiators and then re fit them, during the refill the piece of tape (I forgot to remove it) dislodged and has ended up somewhere in the central heating system.

Should I be worried? It was about 6 inch strip of masking tape

 

[Terrywookfit]

Not until something stops working.

 

[Ashtara]

Oh no that is not good, I am going to be in constant panic now

 

[Burnerman]

Are you sure it's not still in the tank?
John

 

[Ashtara]

Yep I have had a look and I can't see it in there at all just loads of sludge at the bottom

 

[Agile]

Well to make you feel better you could clean out all the sludge!

Next time measure the depth of water and write the figure on a piece of paper.

Or if a phone freak then text the figure to yourself.

Tony

 

[Ashtara]

What is likely to happen though?

 

[Terrywookfit]

Blocked pipe / Heat exchanger.. jammed pump / motorised valve.......etc.

 

[Ashtara]

Oh my god what a nightmare.

Will just have to wait and see or maybe it will stay in system without doing any harm?

Is it worth draining they system to force it to the end?

 

[Burnerman]

I think the most likely place for the tape to lodge is where the feed pipe from the loft tank connects to the central heating circuit......the water is often 'dead' around there. If there is a blockage, the first thing you'll notice is that the radiators won't let water out when you try to bleed them.
You could drain the whole system and still not find anything.
John

 

[Ashtara]

I have bled all the radiators and they are all letting water out. The pump seems to be making more noise though, like a drumming sound rather than a hum. I have checked the bleed screw on the pump and there is no air but a little bit of water came out which I understand is to be expected.

I am reluctant to bleed the system if it's not going to guarantee I find the tape.

I may well have to wait for it to show itself in whatever way it decides to

 

[DaveHerns]

Might be worth taking the head off the pump to see if the tape is in the impellor causing the noise

 

[shambolic]

Could've been worse I've heard of Aliens and also wee in tanks in the loft before