How to stop the overflow from an F and E tank when the ball valve is ok
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2013
- The problem. You have an overflow running from the loft you take a look at the cold water storage tank and find it is ok, you then look in the F and E tank (the small one that fills and vents the heating and hot water system) and see that it is overflowing. You renew the valve in the tank only to find after a few days it is overflowing again. The answer is easier than you think . Save money and do it yourself. I will show you how.
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Brilliantly explained. New cylinder is best but some clients don't have the money. I do home surveys for people buying houses and I have attempted to explain this to people with varying degrees of success.
Yes it is a tough one to explain.
Al.
Thank you for this! I so appreciate people like you who take the time to help others with these daily life issues, thank you for your time effort and advice much appreciated!
No problem Marie.
I do agree the more expensive option is the one , but if this fix got you by for a short time until funds allow then it`s a good option.
Kind regards,
al.
Thanks very much for that clear explanation. My tank overflows like that, now l know why. I will now replace hot water tank.
Thank you for this. I was just about to change the valve again thinking it was just corroding.
I wonder if there might be a cheaper easier option though, probably only a short term fix:
Drain the hot water cylinder (turn off supply to cylinder, making sure immersion is off, drain by turning on hot water taps), add leak sealer to central heating circuit and let that fix the hole. I've used leak sealer before and been very impressed with the leaks it has been able to fix, and they are still fixed years later. Being immersed in the cylinder may limit its longevity, but may be worth a try?
After letting the sealer go to work, refill the cylinder. Jobs a good'n.... Hopefully!!!
Reason I recommend draining the tank is because the pressure differential may stop the sealer touching the leak, and I doubt the sealer would actually work/set unless there was air outside the leak.
a bee Worth a try, Al
That's the perfect explanation of what I'm getting at home. Loads of rusty coloured water pouring out of the overflow pipe. I was wondering why the water from the rads was getting pushed up to the F&E tank. Mystery solved. Now - to bite the bullet and get a new cylinder installed....Thanks.
That's the expensive part Kenneth.
Al.
pure gold,many thanks,what a conundrum until you know what it is!
Ok will do.
Kind regards,
al.
Hi Arfan , rather than go through it , I will do a video on it , i should have it up by Monday .
Kind regards
al.
Thanks really informative appreciate the input.
hi al. great videos keep them coming.I need advice on draining central heating on a combi boiler system.I need to move a radiator,and need to run new pipes.how do i drain the system? when i refill it do i have to use inhibitor? how do i fill the system with inhibitor? i don't have any towel rails just standard radiators thanks
By the way Al. Does a hole in the heating coil mean that the water from the rads gets pushed into the F&E tank which then gets expelled outside?
hi , I have the same issue , it doesn't come out of the overflow all of the time , just at some point with the heating on , the fill line in the F&E tank is warm to the touch,the ball cock is not leaking. But the tanks are under the hip of the roof as I have a loft conversion and the F&E tank has already been raised above the cold water tank so it is above the height of the radiators in the dorma. Any ideas? many thanks
Great video.
Thanks for the visit
Chemicals from central heating system can get into hot water cylinder and out through hot water draw off.
Wow absolutely brilliant, thanks
No problem
We have an airflow heating system and only use the immersion heater for water, we have this problem which your video confirmed, cheers!
instead of raising the tank up can you just turn that feed off?
GLYN CURTIS Yes you can, but eventually the airflow boiler will start to run out of water as it evaporates over time and is not topped up by the small tank, it could take up to 3 months too show up though, the boiler will shut itself off, banging and knocking before it does.
For anyone worrying about the chemicals in CH inhibitor getting in your hot water and then you showering in it - the main chemicals used actually aren't particularly toxic (borax etc) despite the warning labels on the side of the inhibitor bottles. So don't freak out too much. But obviously, better not to be bathing in it lol.
Thanks for the info Bertie.
Hi Al! Hmm... Pinhole in the coils in the hot water cylinder? Would it be worth trying to use something like Sentinel leak sealer (add to f&e tank) or is that a bad idea? Would I end up with leak sealer in the domestic hot water supply?
I mean, do leak sealers need exposure to air in order to cure/dry and fix the leak? Cos if they do, they obviously will not work in this case as this pinhole leak is underwater (unless I emptied the hot water cylinder first... But then I can't run the boiler....)
I think it would be worth a try it does cure underwater. I would drain some of the heating system down and the water in the outer, to the level of the cylinder return pipe, before adding it. So when filling the leak sealer goes straight into the heat exchanger coil of the cylinder.
Hello would you not be able to fit a one way valve on the outlet of the following and even tank to stop this, or would this be contrary to building regs?
+simon green The one way valve only works under pressure, there would not be enough to keep it open to keep the boiler and rads topped up. Al.
Cheers Al I thought that may be the case but was hoping for a smaller job than the one I'm now faced with
You good man! Thanks so much
You're welcome!
thanks for the video
I tried everything to fix the leak.
2 Ballcocks later large small tank changed.
I realised this is the issue I had from your video. now I didn't lift the F&E tank same height as main tank but put in a check valve . this seems to have fixed the problem but just query could I cause any other issues by using this method.
Only if the expansion ever blocked as the cold feed is blocked with a check valve.
Baby Noel take the check valve out ASAP
Hi,
Would a none return valve on the inlet to the tank solve the problem. I have tested that a one metre column of water in a 15mm pipe releases the valve and water flows freely down but the unwanted back flow is prevented.
I have tried that but it never worked, but do give it a go. Raising the H and E tank to the same level as the main roof tank works, as does sorting the main problem which is to renew the hot water cylinder.
Would thissituation cause hot water to feed into the tank ?
Mine has only started overflowing this week as temperature has dropped but the water in the tank is very warm !!
Yes it would.
Hi, Thanks for the video, however my issue seems to be only happening when the boiler is heating up the hot water, Water seems to be coming out of the vent I have turned the water temp really low but it still happens . Any ideas?
+Nigel Gregory . The level of water in the F and E tank may be too high to begin with , go up and bale out the tank to a lower level and make sure the ballcock is set low as well.
Thanks for the info ...however if the coil was damaged wouldn't my hot water from the taps be dirty? It isn't and the overflow drip is clean too yet my f&e tank still overflows even submerging the ballcock after new valve fitted..thank you.
If it is a small hole then your hot water would not be contaminated enough to show. You will still however have the overflow. Your F and E tank must be sitting on your ceiling next to your main tank.
dereton33 oh I see...that's interesting ...and yes the tank is right next to the main tank in the loft ...the main tank level being much higher under normal operation ...looks like a new hw cylinder then....that's for your reply and for all your hard work with your reviews and tips.
I have just had british gas round doing a service. They have informed me that the pipe sticking out similar to yours is illegal and I have to get it diverted from the second floor to a drain as scorching water could come out or they will put a sticker on my boiler saying unsafe to use. Is this correct? Any advice would gratefully be received
Have just e-mailed you, but in short that is correct.
thanks next step will be this. Tried everything else,,,
Good luck with it . Al.
Hi thanks for the video.
Is there any reason why the main tank would keep overflowing even though the ball valve has been changed several times to ensure that's ok?
Good question! Check the hot water tank is not getting too hot and expanding into the roof tank.
@@dereton33 Thanks for quick reply.
So in my roof I have 2 tanks. Main tank and F&E (smaller) tank.
Water keeps continuously overflowing from main tank, have tried various new ball valves to fix this.
The only inlet I see into the main tank is from the mains water.
So what am I looking for here and have I even got this right?!
Thank you
You're welcome
What about the possibility of water treatments getting into the main tank/drinking water???
Very rare.
no big tank just the wee one and the waters warm, quite a lot of over flow any advice please
Inner coil of the cylinder may be punctured.
Thankfully my little pinhole must have clogged by itself because the drip drip drip finally stopped shortly before I was due to get the hot tank replaced. Either that, or somehow the excess of air I had in the system was expanding as it got hot and causing overflow. Uncertain. Either way, the F&E eventually stopped filling and overflowing.
Fingers crossed it stays ok.
Just moved into house, two overflows, one drips slowly (drip about every 10 seconds), so going to go up and check the ball valve. So if water level is above it and the tank is lower, then this could be the problem. I guess I check the valve first.
+Nic Chilton Thats it Nic, ill keep my fingers crossed for you. Al.
+dereton33
I have the problem but the water overflows from the larger main tank positioned close up to the ceiling housed in a closet in the bathroom while the small tank is positioned on the joists housed in the loft. You could say that the small tank is higher than the main tank.
When the hot water is turned on from the boiler the main tank over flow. The hot water does not stay hot for long.
To stop the water coming out of the over flow I have to keep the boiler hot water off and leave the hot water tap slowly running.
What do you think is happening.
I thought of asking God but he was unavailable so watching your videos I think you are the next best thing.
Wonder why my f&e tank is two feet higher than the top of my cold water tank?
Also, why is the f&e tank overflow going into the cold water tank?
That is the way they used to be fitted. It sure would not be allowed now. That overflow would never discharge into the water tank, but have it`s own overflow pipe leading outside.
dereton33
Should I lower it?
While I replace ball valve I'm going to install its own separate overflow now that I've seen it goes into the cold water tank 🤢
Great video. However, I’ve just changed my hot water tank and the F & E tank is still filling up and the ball valve is fine. Any idea as to why this is still happening?
Blockage in heating system. Have you had the heating system cleaned recently, within the last 5 years.
@@dereton33
Hi, I’m just having it cleaned now. I’ve put in some Fernox and will leave that in for a week then flush it though. Also I’ve lifted the ball value so no new water is introduced into the F & E tank, but the level of water has still risen about an inch and a half from yesterday. In answer to your question, it’s not been cleaned for the last 7 years
Ok I'm a bit confused now! So if I'm getting lots of rusty water from the overflow pipe, what's the diagnosis?
Water from your cylinder is being forced into the inner coil and mixing with the rad and boiler water this then pushes up into the small header tank and out through the overflow pipe.
Regards,
al.
my tanks overflowing as i type and im frantically looking for solutions lol
If it is coming from the F and E tank, then you have big trouble.
i turned off a valve which was under my kitchen sink. that stopped the over flow but i dont know what the problem is. i contacted my landlord and he said he will send in a plumber. i dont know what the problem is or the solution.
i believe it is the f and e tank. if it is, what kind of trouble am i in? also should i turn on the central heating / boiler? please excuse my incompetence.
That hole will only get bigger new cylinder every time
This is rubbish. You need to replace the cylinder. You have a pin hole in the coil which could contaminate the hot water that your brushing your teeth with if it gets larger.
Brushing your teeth with hot water urggh.
The hole won't get any better and I'd prefer the new tank method especially as I'm going to drain my central heating PERMANENTLY and go all electric. Whoever invented central heating with water being pumped all around the house wants a kick up the backside. What happens when you get a pinhole or a leak inside the walls or under the floor?
All electric? Hope you have deep pockets to pay your massive energy bill.
By the way Al. Does a hole in the heating coil mean that the water from the rads gets pushed into the F&E tank which then gets expelled outside?
Hi Kenneth no rather the water from the cylinder hot domestic side pushes up with the rad water to make the rather horrible rusty looking water from the overflow pipe.