Sludge in F&E tank - only drained 12 months ago

foreversummer

Hi

I had my central heating pump and valve re-sited last January and the plumber resited the f&e tank also. I've had a few strange noises in my system lately and one of my radiators needs bleeding every couple of days.

I checked the F&E tank and it is full of sludge. should it be?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Foreversummer

bryanb

It should not be full of sludge, How was it before the work was done? Do you use inhibitor in the system?

foreversummer

Thanks for the quick reply.

When we moved into the house there was two f&e tanks - one in use and one not. When we had the pump and valve moved the plumber suggested transferring back to the original f&e tank because he said it was in a more sensible place, ie next to the big cold water tank and above the hot water tank in the airing cupboard. We also had a couple of extra radiators fitted at the same time.

The radiator that fills up with air has always filled with air since we came here and the plumber said that resiting and repiping would prevent this happening. However, it has not.

We sometimes getting a whooshing sound through the pipes between the pump and the said radiator and sometimes we can hear a popping noise as well. Sometimes, however, everything goes quiet. All other radiators are fine and warming up just fine.

It was only yesterday that for some reason I looked in the tank in the loft and saw all the sludge.

Foreversummer

foreversummer

Sorry

Forgot to add, he did add inhibitor.

Foreversummer

SplanK

i have a similar issue where after about a week i need to bleed the bathroom rad - i think its the highest one.... its got better over time - i used to get air out of most rads when my pump was replaced - now just the bathroom one.... im sure its due to a small leak somewhere in the system - but there is no evidence of a leak on any of the walls...... hmm!

foreversummer

Hi Splank

Infuriating isn't it. Does yours make a whooshing sound if you do not bleed it? Sometimes the radiator sounds as if its got a stone in it rattling when the boiler is firing. I'm not sure if this is air or what?

I am quite OK with bleeding every couple of days except I am worried if there is a deeper problem that I should be addressing. Don't want the whole system to corrode. Now that I've found sludge in the f&e tank I am a bit concerned.

Foreversummer

SplanK

the first hint that it gives when it needs doing is the boiler starts to make a bubbling noise as the air travels through the system... just after the pump was replaced you could hear the air been pushed around the pipes... as i say after about 2 weeks of bleeding every couple of days it settled down - and now I just have to bleed the bathroom rad once a week/2 weeks..

i plan to get the boiler services in March (over due now - well, was overdue when I moved in in Oct but the plumber let us down and didnt turn up to do the service and not had any more time off since then...) so will see if they can spot anything that could be allowing air to build up in the system....

foreversummer

Hi Splank

Trouble is mine just doesn't settle down however often I bleed the radiator. I go through a few days when all is quiet but when whoosh! Pop! Back to square one!

I had the boiler checked over twice last year, once by Gloworm themselves who said that the noise in the boiler is just 'system noise', whatever that means.

Hope your's gets sorted. Have you looked in your F&E tank? Mine has a brown coloured thick scum/sludge all over the surface. Doesn't sink to the bottom just clings to the top.

Foreversummer

SplanK

i dont have ladders long enough to be able to get into the loft to check the header tank so not checked it but i dont have a prob with any of the rads warming up - they all seem to warm up fully

foreversummer

Perhaps we have nothing to worry about. Perhaps one of those nice plumbers will come along in due course and put our minds at rest . . . or otherwise?

Foreversummer

Canucklehead

Hi

Every system is different and without seeing the pipework layout it's difficult to say why you might be getting air in the system However you seem to have an organic scum .
Have a look at the other technical guides for air related problems.

Corgi Guy