Had to drain hot water tank. Now bad pressure

Xcellor

I had to change taps in kitchen and there was no good way of stopping hot water apart from draining the tank. I switched off cold water and turned off one valve that was going into the hot water tank. It was in the middle of the tank and had the typical red handle. Even though I have everything flowing again the pressure of hot water is less than it was before. How can I get it back to what it was...

Also what teh hell is the big red round thing in my hot press. Its like a massiev alarm bell? Always wondered ....

THanks for help!
X

Xcellor

Also the big red alarm thing has an air valve like a car tyre? Does this need to be inflated?

lucky-colm

you probably have an airlock somewhere

the big red alarm bell thingy is a pressure vessel

it sounds to me like you have a pressurised system or at least your heating is pressurised if your whole system is pressurised then your domestic water should pressurise by it self if not wait for a while and see if the airlock moves on also make sure you fully opened all the valves that you closed after that iam stumped


ps.
did you have your pants hang down and the top half of your cheeks showing like all plumbers
this would seem to be an important part of plumbing and maybe thats why your water is not working

Heating expansion vessel, takes up expansion of the heating circuit as it gets up to temperature, plumbers use the valve on top to charge the vessel, Gary.

Damn.. to slow:).

Xcellor

OK so if I have an air lock how do I clear it. I've never drained the hot tank completely before.

The hot tank has four pipes, one at the base, (Im guessing this is cold water that comes from water tank in attic), one in the middle which is the hot water from the boiler and two at the top which must be the feeds off to the different parts of the house requiring hot water. Is there anyway to purge the airlock quickly?

If you have a mixer tap in the kitchen( which should have a cold mains) hold your hand over the end of the tap or if no mixing tap then a hose between the two taps, open the hot tap than the cold, then you can try back filling, works sometimes, Gary.

Xcellor

gary71 wrote: »

If you have a mixer tap in the kitchen( which should have a cold mains) hold your hand over the end of the tap or if no mixing tap then a hose between the two taps, open the hot tap than the cold, then you can try back filling, works sometimes, Gary.

The cold water mains would have greater pressure than the opposing hot water so it would force the hot water back up the system freeing air in the system. Where does the air go? Into the hotwater tank?

The idea would be to get a bit of movement so any large pockets of air breakdown, so that when you draw the hot water your more likely to pull the air threw, Gary