Potty Page

October 27, 2004

I'm no bleeding expert but...

Our new bathroom which we had been promised a while back has finally managed to materialse today! I've managed to reaffirm my belief that the plumber/odd job man is in fact a cowboy.

Since like forever we've had a problem with the radiator in my room (at the top of the house). Basically it fills itself full of air about 3 times a week! This means that it needs bleeding often. Too often.

I asked him about it. Oh, that's normal. All radiators need bleeding occasianally. Especially the one at the top of the house, because that's where the air goes... I doubt doubt him on this, as this is true. I do however completely think his explanation of where the air comes from is complete toss.

Apparantly, because the water is hot it evapourates... water leaves the system at the top of the system (highest radiator) and a gap of air appears. Yeah, clearly.

A few points:

  • water evapourates through the metal of the radiator does it?
  • if water does get through the metal (which is why my windows are always steamed up... erm no...) why doesn't the air get out and refill the radiator, in a similar way to how it does when I bleed it?
  • The highest point is clearly the expansion pipe anyway... and that's the only open point of the system... water can expand out of there... or evapourate if it wishes, but the header tank will refill it up... air shoudn't get back in through the expansion pipe and get its way through to my radiator.

Clearly, in a working system the air in the rads comes from air that was dissolved in the water, and when it heats up it is released and bubbles up to the top of the system over time. Not from some crazy evapouration action, which just shouldn't happen in a closed system.

Air is clearly getting in from elsewhere!

A webpage that says that what's happening to me is probably baaad.

What's worrying is that it is this same cowboy dude who's done the Gas Safety Check on the property for the last however long! Hmmm... maybe I should have a look for his CORGI number!

Posted by Ed at October 27, 2004 12:23 AM | Rant |
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So, what colour is the water in the system?

The main problem is, of course, that solving the problem is expensive in the short term, and the landlady won't want to spend the money.

Posted by: Joe on October 27, 2004 12:55 PM

It's at the black stage, but then eventually it runs colourless.

The landlady will never know there is a problem because she will beleive that the water is evapourating.

Posted by: Ed on October 27, 2004 1:40 PM

You'll have to file it in the "Not My Problem" drawer then. :-(
I hate watching things which could and should be relatively simple to fix get destroyed because somebody just doesn't care.
Seb rented a house near Newark which had loads of unfinished jobs. I did half of them because it made it a nicer place to live, but I stopped caring when it became apparant that the landlord didn't give a shit and wouldn't even pay for the materials I'd used.

Do you think the landlady would listen if you raised your concerns, or would she just carry on using him 'cos he's cheap?

Posted by: Joe on October 27, 2004 4:07 PM

He's a long standing family friend. That being the big problem.

I'm quite humoured... he didn't use our visitor's permit and now has a fine to pay :-) Better not try pining it on us... the permit is well visable on the fridge.

Teehee.

The landlady also refuses to beleive that the house is falling down... and blames it on the house still drying out... it's 100 years old for fucksake!

Posted by: Ed on October 27, 2004 4:10 PM

You have to wonder how the house got wet in the first place!

Do you have CO detectors around your appliances?

Posted by: Joe on October 27, 2004 4:13 PM

I think they mean the wet the house gets when it's built with mortar and plaster! I shit you not.

Yeah, we've got a CO detector on the fridge.

Posted by: Ed on October 27, 2004 4:21 PM
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