One for the plumbers on here

[sawtooth]

Could someone identify what the valve with the thumbwheel (pictured) is meant to be doing?

I've been trying to bleed the system as I hear rumbling and gurgling in the pipes and rads. I may have turned the wheel and now don't know whether it was mean to be fully open, fully closed or somewhere in between. No idea what it does.

The noise in the rads seems to happen mostly when switching CH on/off but there might not be a pattern to it.

There is an AAV (pictured) which was put in a couple of years ago, however the boiler which was downstairs was taken out and replaced about 4 months ago due to an extension build. The new boiler is now upstairs.

I am told that it can take months to expel all of the air in the system but another thing crossed my mind. Can air still escape via the AAV (pictured) if the boiler is now higher than it?

Also any tips on best way to bleed system would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Craigg]

Could do with a closer pic but the valve at the bottom is either the cold inlet to the tank, or the heating coil in/out.Either way it should be fully open.
Bleed you rads with the heating off so the pump doesn't push air around.

 

[stevelev]

Is the pipe hot or cold water? It looks to me like its a stop valve for the hot water outlet. I think it is used to prevent the need to drain down the heating vessel when working on the hot water pipes

Stu C will give you a better answer as its his trade, I'm just a curious fiddler

 

[Craigg]

Is the pipe hot or cold water? It looks to me like its a stop valve for the hot water outlet. I think it is used to prevent the need to drain down the heating vessel when working on the hot water pipes

Stu C will give you a better answer as its his trade, I'm just a curious fiddler

We need Stu C here. I thought the Hot Water Outlet was on the top of the tank (heat rises and all that)?

 

[sawtooth]

Could do with a closer pic but the valve at the bottom is either the cold inlet to the tank, or the heating coil in/out.Either way it should be fully open.
Bleed you rads with the heating off so the pump doesn't push air around.

The wheel is fully closed! Can you zoom the picture if you right click on it and save onto your PC? It might be a bit grainy but hopefully you can see the connections ok.

Thanks

 

[Craigg]

Could you post a pic of the pipework underneath the silver box (motorised valve)

 

[sawtooth]

Is the pipe hot or cold water? It looks to me like its a stop valve for the hot water outlet. I think it is used to prevent the need to drain down the heating vessel when working on the hot water pipes

Stu C will give you a better answer as its his trade, I'm just a curious fiddler

Pretty sure its a HW pipe it comes off the bottom of the mid position valve. I've just turned it fully open now (it has been fully closed with seemingly no problems) Just some air in the system that's all.

 

[sawtooth]

Could you post a pic of the pipework underneath the silver box (motorised valve)

 

[Craigg]

The pipe that goes into the bottom of the mid position valve comes from the boiler, then either goes to the rads or the coil in the tank, whichever side is open.

 

[Craigg]

looks odd, give me a minute

 

[Craigg]

I'd close that valve again. It doesn't look like the bottom of the coil

 

[Craigg]

Think I've exhausted my plumbing knowledge. We need Stu C to tell us what that valve is for.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

It's an Automatic Air Vent, it should release any air that's trapped n the system.

You might have small pockets of air that's just struggling to get out, it might take 2days or 2months to eventually come out.

It shouldn't be fully closed, give it a half turn and leave it.

 

[sawtooth]

I'd close that valve again. It doesn't look like the bottom of the coil

Just closed it again.

I think leaving it open it looks like water can leave the pump and take a short cut back to the boiler. Closing it means that all of the water goes through the mid position valve and then can be diverted normally for HW or CH. That's how it looks to a non-plumber person like myself.

But why is it there at all and should it be fully closed?

 

[Craigg]

Ah. Would I be correct in saying the bottom pipe, the one the other side of the Wheel valve, is the return to the boiler (bottom of the coil)?

 

[sawtooth]

Ah. Would I be correct in saying the bottom pipe, the one the other side of the Wheel valve, is the return to the boiler (bottom of the coil)?

Yes it is the bottom pipe in the cylinder for sure and probably that pipe is going back to the boiler in the other direction.

 

[Craigg]

I'm on the right lines then. Still can't work out the reason for the wheel valve...

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Yes it is the bottom pipe in the cylinder for sure and probably that pipe is going back to the boiler in the other direction.

The top pipe is flow pipe into the coil and bottom is return pipe to boiler, it then tee's off for the CH at the 3 port valve.

The pipe that comes from the pump is the flow into 3port, goes off to the CH flow and the other way into the cylinder to heat the coil for HW.

 

[sawtooth]

It's an Automatic Air Vent, it should release any air that's trapped n the system.

You might have small pockets of air that's just struggling to get out, it might take 2days or 2months to eventually come out.

It shouldn't be fully closed, give it a half turn and leave it.

What about the red wheeled valve Stu? Cheers

 

[Deleted member 1740]

What about the red wheeled valve Stu? Cheers

Sorry that's a bypass valve that should be only be open say half a turn and it basically stops the boiler from overheating in laymen terms.