Mystery, missing open vent on F & E tank.

[paulnwales]

my thoughts would be if the first installer put it in and the second changed it.. was it changed correctly? i have seen some strange systems in the past 15 years or so that seem to work fine untill you change one little thing. cheers for the info tho... do any other manufactures allow it do you know?

 

[paulnwales]

let us know the outcome dannypipe please.

 

[Dannypipe]

Well many thanks for all the comments. Still lots to learn!

I'll see what comes of it and will report back with the conclusion. Checked the MI, and it seems a combined feed/vent is allowed. Oh well, I wasn't to know, I'm 32 so it's been sealed systems on everything I've installed, and always a swan neck open vent on the header of existing systems that I've worked on. No one knows it all!

 

[tamz]

The drawing in the ideal book is just an improvement on an inverted feed. Also "old technology" that works.
The purpose of the aerject is to act like a small header and slow the water down as it passes through. The feed(exp) within 6" is to keep it within the neutral pressure zone. The head can be kept even lower using this method.

 

[tamz]

Just about every boiler manu who do regular boilers will allow combined feed expansions. There are many ways to skin a rabbit and they only list the most common ways.
Here is another one from Vokera mynute he

 

[Dannypipe]

Update:

I called the client this morning with the additional info I gleaned from this thread. She said she had allready called British Gas and they were coming. I explained about combined feed/vents and that if BG charged her then I would pay her back.

They came out, two guys, a senior engineer and regular engineer. Found no fault but noted combined vent/feed and said that I was correct the second engineer must have cut it out to prevent the problem of air entering the system. They didn't charge my client. They then suggested that her plumber change the ball float valve!

I came over in the afternoon and changed the ball float valve free of charge.

So there you go. You live and learn. All credit to BG, they could have charged...and they had made the right call in the first place.

 

[Puddle]

Update:

I called the client this morning with the additional info I gleaned from this thread. She said she had allready called British Gas and they were coming. I explained about combined feed/vents and that if BG charged her then I would pay her back.

They came out, two guys, a senior engineer and regular engineer. Found no fault but noted combined vent/feed and said that I was correct the second engineer must have cut it out to prevent the problem of air entering the system. They didn't charge my client. They then suggested that her plumber change the ball float valve!

I came over in the afternoon and changed the ball float valve free of charge.

So there you go. You live and learn. All credit to BG, they could have charged...and they had made the right call in the first place.

respect to you Danny,handled really well

 

[Dannypipe]

Thanks mate!

 

[tamz]

Yes you handled it well Danny. Hopefully the cust appreciates the good intentions and effort you made.

There were many weird and wonderful ways of piping systems up that are being lost a bit as everything is being sealed.
Doesn't take much thought to throw in a loop of pipe on a sealed system, No matter which up down round about way it is piped it will work. Open systems needed a bit more thought to get right hence the amount of badly fitted sludged up systems which aren't helped when someone comes along a few years later and fits a new pump and sets it to speed 3.
You now know a way to pipe an open system if it has a low head or is drawing air or pumping over.

 

[Dannypipe]

Cheers, true. Lesson learned and that information is logged for future reference. I'm sure it'll crop up again sometime.

 

[diamondgas]

Always learning Dannypipe... this place is invaluable in helping us all benefit from others experience .. long may it continue! You will never ever know it all but knowing where to turn is the mark of a professional. *VBS*

 

[richw]

never easy when you have other tradesmen looking at work and advising your customers in your absence. you done what you thought was right and treated your customer really well, they will hopefully apreciate that.

 

[TheWeekendGuys]

What a fantastic thread, I looked at a house today with the same thing - no vent on the f & e, I did not expect to find an answer to this.
It is clear it had a vent at some point hence the spare hole in the ceiling of the airing cupboard. As someone who is relativly new to the profession I thought this must be wrong but now I know different.
Thank you everyone who has chipped in here with their knowledge and experience for everyone to benefit.