Users can remove all display ads (not sponsors) for a small fee. Click for info (must be logged in)

Gravity system pumping over?

Post new thread

Discuss Gravity system pumping over? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

B

bigron72

Messages
8
Happy New Year all. Just been out to a noisy gravity system where pipes are making a racket. Checked vent in f and and e tank and it's warm full of brown sludgy water. Am I right in saying that the see sawing of dirty water will make the system dirtier and pull in air over time. pump speed was high for a 7 rad system its all 8mm microbore and cyst said it was flushed by bg in the summer. I was going to clean out f and e before draining and doing a cold flush but thought I'd ask first. Thanks in advance
 
8mm that dont fill you with confidence bud obviously its been neglected the system should not be allowed to get in that state, all you can do is try cleaning it but may or may not be succesful pumping over will cause all sort of problems. Kop
 
Last edited:
Be careful you manage the expectations of your customer. BG has already tried flushing the system and it's still full of sludge. Whatever you have in mind (unless it's re-pipe the system) has also got a high probability of not working and may well make matters worse. Suddenly, as the last person to touch the system, it will all be your fault.

If you do decide to have a go, absolutely don't wash sludge from the F/E tank or any of the pipework near it through the rest of the system. If you can flush section by section, that might work but it is going to be time-consuming.

IMO, vented microbore systems are the Devil's Work. Any money spent maintaining them is wasted and should instead be put towards replacement.
 
Chuck said:
Be careful you manage the expectations of your customer. BG has already tried flushing the system and it's still full of sludge. Whatever you have in mind (unless it's re-pipe the system) has also got a high probability of not working and may well make matters worse. Suddenly, as the last person to touch the system, it will all be your fault.

If you do decide to have a go, absolutely don't wash sludge from the F/E tank or any of the pipework near it through the rest of the system. If you can flush section by section, that might work but it is going to be time-consuming.

IMO, vented microbore systems are the Devil's Work. Any money spent maintaining them is wasted and should instead be put towards replacement.
Click to expand...
Thanks both. I'll recommended scrapping the 8mm.
 
Riley said:
I’d tell them to go back to BG don’t they guarantee their powerflushes for life
Click to expand...
It's the banging pipes that was the initial reason for the call out but I've explained that its a smaller part of a much bigger problem. Got a feeling that they know they should have upgraded the pipework when the boiler was changed but opted to save a few pounds instead.
 
I was at a very similar job a couple of weeks ago.....As suggested you may get the finger pointed. I emailed before hand to explain what I was going to do & why just to cover my own backside.

I cleaned the F & E tank, cut the main flow & return under the floor & very carefully & gently put compressed air back through from each rad. The main blockage was from the cylinder coil & cause a bit of a noise when trying to heat up, it was the reason for the over pumping also.
I got the system working well but I feel it is only a matter of time.....

I advised the customers to start saving for new pipework & radiators as there is a new boiler in already & i am sure it will all save them money in the long run as the system can't be running very efficiently.
 
Chuck said:
Be careful you manage the expectations of your customer. BG has already tried flushing the system and it's still full of sludge. Whatever you have in mind (unless it's re-pipe the system) has also got a high probability of not working and may well make matters worse. Suddenly, as the last person to touch the system, it will all be your fault.

If you do decide to have a go, absolutely don't wash sludge from the F/E tank or any of the pipework near it through the rest of the system. If you can flush section by section, that might work but it is going to be time-consuming.

IMO, vented microbore systems are the Devil's Work. Any money spent maintaining them is wasted and should instead be put towards replacement.[/QUh
Click to expand...
island fling said:
I was at a very similar job a couple of weeks ago...As suggested you may get the finger pointed. I emailed before hand to explain what I was going to do & why just to cover my own backside.

I cleaned the F & E tank, cut the main flow & return under the floor & very carefully & gently put compressed air back through from each rad. The main blockage was from the cylinder coil & cause a bit of a noise when trying to heat up, it was the reason for the over pumping also.
I got the system working well but I feel it is only a matter of time...

I advised the customers to start saving for new pipework & radiators as there is a new boiler in already & i am sure it will all save them money in the long run as the system can't be running very efficiently.
Click to expand...
The customers already suggesting the system Is worse since I looked at it and I've not touched anything yet.
 

Reply to Gravity system pumping over? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Similar plumbing topics

P
Repeated Airlock in Bathroom
Hi, Can anyone advise as to why the cold water to my bathroom keeps airlocking? This originally happened about 12 months ago and has happened 3-4...
Replies
9
Views
431
Chuck
C
johndave
Outdoor stopcock doesn't fully close
Hi all I'm hoping someone can shine a light on this for me Since our stop tap on the pavement has now been filled with sand for whatever reason...
Replies
3
Views
328
exedon2
exedon2

Newest Plumbing Threads

Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock