Can I stick coat hanger up this pipe if I remove it from pump as magnet sticks to it

[Andrew lyond]

Hi everyone.....thanks in advance for any help with this. Replaced some trv valves on downstairs radiators...( two down and 3 upsatirs) no heating now for 3 days.

F and e tank empty at mo.

I have a small magnet on pipe above pump and it sticks all the way from pump to the t junction.

When heating on the pipe is hot but thinking not enough flow to pump.

Could I remove the screw on pump and stick coat hanger up to see if I can dislodge and catch what ever falls out.

Will I have enough gap from pump if I remove nut to get at pipe.

Having trouble removing nut on pump to even get access to pipe. As whole thing keeps moving...

Image shows little magnet on pipe and pump.

Also I had removed pipe below pump as magnet stuck on it and now cleaned the water gets hot in pipe below pump and magnet not sticking to it...however the valve at bottom leaking....what is that valve for?

Thanks for spending time reading...appreciate as mother in law arrives on Friday night and I an hear the complaints already if the house is freezing.

Learning as I go...

 

[Ric2013]

The valve appears to be a mechanical valve actuated by a remote sensor strapped to the cylinder. A Drayton tap-stat. As the cylinder heats up, the valve shuts off, thus preventing the water overheating.

I don't understand the rest of your post. There is obviously sludge in the system, and if you want to poke about with a bit of wire, I can't see what harm you can do (though you'll need to remove the pump valves to get any access to the pipes at all - check the valves are fully open while you're about it), but I do not understand the rest. If there is no water in the system, then obviously there will be no flow.

Is the pump spinning okay (you won't really be able to tell unless it has water in it due to water lubricated bearings) and is the impeller in good order? Otherwise you'll obviously have flow issues.

Did the F & E drain down okay when you emptied the system or was it very very slow to drain? I'm wondering if the cold feed is obstructed.

FWIW, this system seems to be in generally in poor state with leaks all over the place.

 

[gmartine]

Those pump valves are so you can remove and replace the pump in situ, it's a little bunged up and you need the right tools. If there's that much ferrite in your system it could do with a clean that's for sure.

 

[sammathias]

WhhhAa...magnet sticks on pipework from pump to t piece??? Well it would wouldn't it as it's copper pipe.....

Your f+e shouldn't be empty...

 

[SimonG]

Get a somebody in to remove the air separator and 're jig the pipework.

 

[Riley]

I was going to say you are better off cutting out the air separator and piping it better

 

[king of pipes]

You need a heating engineer to sort your system out not a coat hanger dont mess around get a maintenance company in

 

[Ric2013]

WhhhAa...magnet sticks on pipework from pump to t piece??? Well it would wouldn't it as it's copper pipe...

Your f+e shouldn't be empty...

Magnets are not attracted to copper, only ferrous metals such as iron and steel. Try it with clean copper tube if you doubt this.

By sticking a magnet to the pipe the OP has revealed that the pipe is obviously internally caked in iron oxides.