Removing Leak Sealer??

[bigsul]

Hi,

Been hanging around reading, but now I need to post.

Cleaned my CH & HW system out with DS-40 last week, drained and flushed 4 times yesterday. All was well.
On the final fill up I put in Fernox MB-1, Fernox Boiler Noise Silencer and Fernox Leak Sealer.
At 4am this morning the CH was banging, I sped the pump up but it got worse, so I slowed it down. This stopped the banging but it sounds like the water is trickling through the pump. (Its still like that now).
I have an open vented system, standard boiler (@16 years old) with a brand new pump and 3 way valve, and MICROBORE pipe.
There is gooey vaseline like globules floating in the F&E Tank.

I'm thinking that the leak sealer has gunked my system up?
I can't see it being the other two things?

Any other ideas?
Oh, and how do I get the leak sealer out of the system? If thats the problem. I assume a hot drain and flush won't do it?

Thanks for reading.

Regards,
Bigsul.

 

[petit_pablo]

Sounds more like an air lock / lack of water rather than the leak sealer blocking up your system unless you solely filled the system with it

 

[bigsul]

Sounds more like an air lock / lack of water rather than the leak sealer blocking up your system unless you solely filled the system with it

LOL, no I used water too.
I can see what your saying, I've been checking it out today and when the system is cold it seems okay. After a certain amount of time the boiler starts to chuff (like a train), this gets louder until it turns into banging and shaking. Then I cycle the pump speed, unless its on fast already, slowing down the pump (when fast) causes the banging and pipes to go mental, so I switch it off. It doesn't do this at a fixed time or pump speed.
Do you think the feed or expansion pipe could be blocked up?
I know all this stuff is a bit of a black art, I made my assumptions after reading some bad press about leak sealer and microbore.

If an airlock, would it be in the heat exchanger?

Regards,

Bigsul.

 

[oilman]

I know all this stuff is a bit of a black art, ...........

No, it's just simple plumbing.

 

[bigsul]

No, it's just simple plumbing.

True, but I'm not a plumber, what I meant was some symptoms can often point to a number of causes.

Any ideas on my problem?

Bigsul.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Sounds more like an air lock / lack of water rather than the leak sealer blocking up your system unless you solely filled the system with it

I will go along with that

it sounds like the water is trickling through the pump.

Thats what a pump sounds like when theres air in it.

In between the settings on your pump there will be an unofficial OFF position. Use this off position between 2 and 3 to turn your pump on for say a minute and off for 30 seconds. This will 'help' clear the air from your system.
Have you bled the air from the manual vent near your cylinder?

I have never seen a blocked expansion pipe yet and if the feed was blocked you wouldnt have been able to fill the system 4 times.

 

[bigsul]

I have tried cycling the pump speed, but it doesn't seem to help.
I'm going to do some investigating tonight.

I have no manual vent near the cylinder.

I'll let you know what I find.

Bigsul.

 

[bigsul]

Okay.

Took out the pump and 3 way valve, all clear. Feed and vent pipes all clear.
From cold, turn on heating and/or hot water. After about 10 minutes boiler starts to chuff like a train. Quiet at first then gets louder until pipes start to vibrate in airing cupboard. Then calms down and goes quiet for a minute and then starts all over again. (When system up to temp the noise thing goes into about a 4 minute cycle, 3 minutes noise build up, 1 minute quiet).

Plenty of water in system, boiler downstairs and pump, valve upstairs.

Considering draining and running through with DS-40 again.

System seems de-aereated, quiet in airing cupboard, no trickling noises anymore.

Any ideas?

Regards,

Bigsul.

 

[giblets]

What make & model of boiler have you got?

 

[bigsul]

Its a Myson Economist WM 40/50 BF.

Its only started doing this since I drained it down 4 times and then put all the additives in.

Regards,

Bigsul.

 

[giblets]

That boiler requires a minimum flow rate of 250 gal/hr (1150 L/hr). Possible that the pump is failing to provide this (how old is it & what make/model?)

Also possible that the draining & refilling has disturbed some sediment that has found it's way into the boiler and is blocking the heat exchanger waterways. You may need to remove the heat exchanger and make sure it is clear.

Just out of interest - why did you add the noise silencer & leak sealer as well as the inhibitor? Have there been previous problems that you haven't mentioned?

 

[bigsul]

Pump is a brand new Grundfos a rated 15-60.

I had a lot of vibration, changed pump, solved.

I did have a noisy boiler (kettling), cleaned with Fernox DS-40, noise stopped.

Had a new 2 panel rad fitted in lounge, in place of 1 panel.

Leaky pipe to rad so I drained cleaner out and refilled with water for a week.

4 x drain and flushes last Friday, fixed pipe and filled up with MB-1, Leak Sealer and noise silencer, all Fernox.
(I used LS and BNS as just in case measures, didn't think it would hurt!!)

Since 4am Sat morning, chuffing from boiler then banging which comes and goes. Takes ten mins from cold for noise to start.

It's doing my head in

Regards,

Bigsul.

 

[Fluffster]

The chuffing from the boiler is lack of water so you still have a flow issue, poss a partial blockage.
May be worth a chemical clean leave it in for a few days as microbore does not promote easy flow rates.

Pete

 

[bigsul]

Yeah the lack of flow was probably caused by me and my 'Additives'.
I'm kicking myself now.
I'm monitoring it at the moment as the chuffing has died down a bit. Still there, but not as violent, there was a loud bang earlier and like I said it died down.
Can still hear a trickling through the boiler sometimes, so a chemical flush is on the cards. DS-40, restorer, then inhibitor 'ONLY'.
Tempted to powerflush the system myself though, just to be sure.

Regards,

Bigsul.

 

[JohnD]

not much use on microbore

what sort of muck came out?

how hot are all the rads?