Worcester 30Si misbehaving ?

[king of pipes]

All looks tidy there bud a picture of the loft may help is the system vented in the loft ? It may just be air locked the boiler can modulate down to 7 - 8 kw on heating side so providing you have flow it should work ok , did the engineer have a look in the filter that would be a tell tale sign of how bad your system is .

 

[damovs]

Adding pic of the bypass pipework in loft. The engineer was going to switch off the bypass to prove his point, but when he tried it started to leak so he didn't want to continue. But he was convinced that was the problem. He didn't bother looking at the filter as kop asked, as he said that that catches rubbish just before the return to the boiler, and it was his opinion that the blockage(s) were in the hot water loop itself.

Thinking about it, prob won't be too messy for pipe replacement. Being a bungalow, all pipes come down from the loft in room corners with plastic boxing, so I guess not too much to be disturbed. Only in bathroom has it been boxed behind some t&g woodwork, and I guess that can be replaced fairly painlessly. But I would only go down that road if that is the best long term option.


Am happy to remove and clean rads myself, I took them all off years ago when I first moved in and decorated, and can get a fitter to put new valves on. But if the 'gunk' is inside the rads, might it also be an option for me to replace those? (I was even thinking of increasing size of one or two of rads, so good to know I have capacity to do so in boiler by sounds of things.) I know the cost/job is creeping up, but if microbore and rads block up over time, what's point of replacing pipework if I still have old rads with crap inside them? At least then I know whole system should be good for another 10 years (hopefully)! If that is the case, I think that's a job for summer, when rads not required.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[king of pipes]

There's your problem bud that bypass valve should be sprung loaded type not a normal 15mm isolating valve a honeywell or similar the water is finding the easiest route up through better to move the bypass below the ceiling and make sure your flue fittings are drilled and screwed together and also get your engineer to clean the filter have a look at it to see how much magnatite is stuck to it . Regards k

 

[damovs]

So, I've been looking at info re the spring-loaded bypass valve, and it seems like that is definitely the way forward these days. But again, the one in place is left over from the original CH install about 15 yrs ago, when I from what I've read it was normal to have a valve like I have partially open.

So in order to try and resolve the problem, which is definitely still persisting, what is the best order of suggestions from above to carry out? I will get a price for a re-pipe, but I would prefer not to go down that road until summer unless absolutely necessary. Then I may consider changing rads, valves, etc if reqd. For now, however, perhaps just adding one of the cleaning compounds to system followed by powerflush & replacement bypass valve change. Might that be a good plan of attack?

Cheers

 

[damovs]

remove duplicate

 

[king of pipes]

Get your installer to take the old bypass valve out and just cap it off both sides , 15 mins work if that turn your boiler stat down to 2-3 give it a try , you will know if you need a chemical clean .

 

[damovs]

Get your installer to take the old bypass valve out and just cap it off both sides , 15 mins work if that turn your boiler stat down to 2-3 give it a try , you will know if you need a chemical clean .

Thanks for that again kop. Just to check I understand you correctly tho, by suggesting to remove the old bypass valve, are you also implying that he install one of the newer spring-loaded ones you mentioned previously?

 

[jtsplumbing]

So, I've been looking at info re the spring-loaded bypass valve, and it seems like that is definitely the way forward these days. But again, the one in place is left over from the original CH install about 15 yrs ago, when I from what I've read it was normal to have a valve like I have partially open.

So in order to try and resolve the problem, which is definitely still persisting, what is the best order of suggestions from above to carry out? I will get a price for a re-pipe, but I would prefer not to go down that road until summer unless absolutely necessary. Then I may consider changing rads, valves, etc if reqd. For now, however, perhaps just adding one of the cleaning compounds to system followed by powerflush & replacement bypass valve change. Might that be a good plan of attack?

Cheers

Use Fernox F5, replace old rad valves, don't waste your money on power flush with 10mm pipes , not recommended, Places sludge usely collects is in valves due to size of waterways, rads,and I have had blockages in the man-a-folds, so replace them as well

 

[king of pipes]

Just try what I advised first you can install a external bypass later there is one in the boiler so will be ok just don't run it flat out until you have proved you have flow .