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barry1010 | 16:33 Mon 13th Nov 2023 | Home & Garden
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I have a new combi boiler - I am totally unfamiliar with these and how they work.  I am used to a gas boiler and immersion tank.

My question is - if I turn the tap on does it affect the radiators in any way? 

I ask because I have had a stupid accident bleeding a radiator in the bedroom.  The little bit that the key attaches to unscrewed totally and all the water came gushing out. It took me ages to get the bit back in.

Obviously the pressure in the boiler went down but I have rectified that.

I have managed to screw that little bit back in to the radiator but I am not confident that it is now water tight.  I don't want it spurting water when I turn the hot tap on.

Laugh if you must, but if I don't know, I don't know.  

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If you turn a tap on, the radiators are not affected. If you're not sure about the radiator bleed valve being tight, just keep an eye on it. I also have a combi boiler, and, if I leave it alone, it works fine. I, certainly, am not going to laugh at your accident. We can all have accidents, problems, whatever. I wish you well with your new boiler, and, if you have any more queries, don't hesitate to come back here.

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Thanks, bookbinder.   I am a great lummocking lummock, according to my wife.

Is that a good thing?

I'm sure that your dear wife loves you. That's obvious from the endearing terms that she addresses you with.

They're brilliant, never had a problem since my Bosch Combi was installed early 2020.  Mind you underfloor heating helps.

We've all done that Barry πŸ˜‹

I imagine you mean the bleed screw? A brass threaded pointy thing that screws down onto a conical seat to shut off the water.

The worst thing you could do is to cross-thread it. But I would expect it to drip if you did. It doesn't have to be 'murder-tight'.  Hand-tight first, then a little nip-up with a screwdriver(slotted) or a key.

Don't worry. plumbers aren't infallible. I worked on a hotel once where the plumber had got his 15mm pipework mixed up.

Gas came out of the sink tap... and the oven flooded  πŸ€£

Don't ask for the advice of a plumber on here.  It'll cost £150 per word.

Question Author

I can't believe that, Builder  πŸ˜‚

Thanks for all your support, folks.  Now I know the little pointy thing is called the bleed screw.   

Plus VAT dusty..............  πŸ€£

If you turn a tap on, the radiators are not affected. 

That's not strictly true.

Domestic hot water (DHW) takes priority over the central heating (CH) as the heat exchanger cannot cope with both at once. So when you turn a hot tap on, water in the central heating circuit is no longer heated until you turn the tap off. That shouldn't affect you with this problem though, barry.

Question Author

Thanks, NJ

Thanks I've just snorted reading your 17.30 post TB;-)

What you snortingπŸ˜‰

All perfectly true too, LB.  The biggest hotel in Ilfracombe too... many years ago when I lived there.  πŸ˜ƒ

Don't tell me LB's doing a 'line'  ?   πŸ˜Ž

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