# Need Plumbing / Heating Help For Uk- Water Pouring Down Outside Roof?



## rtlplumbing (Aug 5, 2010)

Our home is heated by solid fuel (coal) heating that gets circulated to each room via radiators. My neighbor chapped our door last night to say that it looked like our house was on fire. There was steam coming from the roof. It turned out that it was from hot water that was exiting an overflow pipe. To be honest, I did not even know the pipe was there before now. The house is old and we've only been in it for a few years. 

I'm an American now living in the UK and sadly, I don't know much about these types of heating systems. We have a heating unit/tank that heats the hot water for our home as well in addition to this back boiler thingy. 

The pipes have been much louder this winter when we fired up the fireplace and we were told there was probably air trapped in the radiators. I've bled the ones that I can get open and found there was no air in any of them, but do have three that won't seem to open. 

My questions are: 
1. Is it possible that there is air in these that I can't open and it's causing the problem?
2. If it is, how do I bleed the radiator if the key does not make it budge?
3. What's causing the water to need the overflow pipe?

To any Americans that wish to pass comment on using coal, please spare me. It's anthracite coal and clean burning. The village I live in does not have gas and I don't use an air conditioner six months of the year so zip it.


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Why on your website do you show a torch being used on a propress fitting? :laughing:

Have I been doing propress fitting wrong all this time? :laughing:


----------



## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

It seems that you are a plumber from your Bio.

It wouldn't matter what fuel you are using.... It seems that your boiler is getting to hot and your Relief valve is going off.

Is this a gravity system or a circulated system with pumps?

What temperature are you running at?

Check air intake air damper as this may be the cause of the increase in temperature. Something has to regulate the burning of the coal...it would be no different than wood fired.

There should be some type of control that regulates that.

hope this helps


----------



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

OldSchool said:


> It seems that you are a plumber from your Bio.
> 
> It wouldn't matter what fuel you are using.... It seems that your boiler is getting to hot and your Relief valve is going off.
> 
> ...


----------



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

Ron said:


> Why on your website do you show a torch being used on a propress fitting? :laughing:
> 
> Have I been doing propress fitting wrong all this time? :laughing:


Ron ... I don't believe that is a pro-press fitting looks more like the fitting that had the solder already in. I forget the name of them ...
Help ???


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Thanks Bill

Interesting, never seen it around my neck of the woods.


----------



## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Blowes and Home Crepo sell them. Yes, they are pre loaded with solder.


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Bill said:


> Blowes and Home Crepo sell them. Yes, they are pre loaded with solder.


Never shop there, guess thats why I have never seen them, our suppliers don't sell them, guess there not popular.


----------



## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

I admit, I tried one. No luck. I prefer the old school ways


----------



## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

Bill said:


> I admit, I tried one. No luck. I prefer the old school ways


 Cheaper the old school way too. Saw them here at a local hardware store for 1/2 coupling $1.59 each  then there is the good old 1/2 copper roll stop coupling for .39 cents :thumbsup:


----------



## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

*rtl*

since most of europe uses radiant, who works on boilers? i grew up with coal heat, beats cow paddys. do you understand how a gravity system functions? i could give you a smart answer but i think you have enough problems without my help. you should aaaaaahhhhhh call an honest to god " qualified professional". breid...................:rockon:


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

to this back boiler thingy. 


My questions are: 
1. Is it possible that there is air in these that I can't open and it's causing the problem?
2. If it is, how do I bleed the radiator if the key does not make it budge?
3. What's causing the water to need the overflow pipe?

To any Americans that wish to pass comment on using coal, please spare me. It's anthracite coal and clean burning. The village I live in does not have gas and I don't use an air conditioner six months of the year so zip it.[/quote]


I smell a rat. "boiler thingy"??? No plumber speaks like that. Also question #2 seems pretty elementary for a plumber. You should be able to get fittings apart IF you're a plumber as you say. Question #3, do you really have to ask why an overflow/relief pipe is needed?? Come on chap, what line of work are you really in, because it is not plumbing??:thumbsup:


----------



## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

i kinda liked the "boiler thingy". that's why i didn't tell him anything. maybe his friend plays with it. lol. breid.....................:rockon:


----------



## john_mccormack (Feb 27, 2010)

Bill said:


> Blowes and Home Crepo sell them. Yes, they are pre loaded with solder.


I believe they're used quite a bit in the UK.


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Who is to say that he is even affiliated with the website in his sig...........


----------



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Also, assuming he is legit (which I don't buy), this forum is about 98% north American plumbers. I know from working with a few UK plumbers here in the states that across the pond there plumbing is TOTALLY different. Very little that applies here, applies there.

For instance: we would find it very odd to see a gravity potable water distribution system here but it's fairly common in older building there.

Don't even get me started on sanitary drainage.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Protech said:


> Who is to say that he is even affiliated with the website in his sig...........


 
Thank you. I thought the same thing. Anyone can post a link to any website in the world.


----------



## ald toon loon (Mar 9, 2010)

hi all
ron you say that you have never seen a fitting like that before well in my neck of the woods they are called yorkies.you clean the ends use flux stick the fitting on<cleaned and fluxed >and put the heat on gently,wiping off the excess solder and flux while still hot :thumbsup:


----------



## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

What's this about pre-soldered fittings?? What's this world coming to?? 

Next thing you know, they'll start trying to seal copper pipe with o-rings....:whistling2:


----------



## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Airgap said:


> What's this about pre-soldered fittings?? What's this world coming to??
> 
> Next thing you know, they'll start trying to seal copper pipe with o-rings....:whistling2:


 Or glue:whistling2:


----------

