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DIY expert Q&As
DIY expert Mike Dawson advises Saga readers on tightening up door hinges and what to do about water that keeps getting into the central heating system's oil
Oil and water
Q: Is there an easy way to remove the water from the oil supplying my central heating system? An engineer came and drained off a gallon or so of half oil and half water and got the boiler going but the boiler has locked out again. Even though I cannot do it myself I want to know if the tank must be emptied or is there a knack?
A: I think that the installation of your tank may be faulty. There will always be water in your tank - caused mainly by condensation in the air void above the oil, especially on metal tanks, but water and oil don't mix. Oil has a Specific Gravity (SG) between 0.8 and 0.9 - it will float on top of the water. Water has an SG of 1 - it's what everything else is compared to. For this reason, the outlet is never at the very bottom of the tank, it is always about 5% of the total height above the bottom to give the water and contaminants a "sump" to fill, before they affect the oil flow.
A normal installation has the tank at a slight slope away from the outlet pipe, with the drain plug at the opposite, lower end. This means rain will run off, as will condensation underneath. It sounds like your installation is sloping towards the outlet pipe, reducing the volume of water that can be accommodated before it becomes a problem, and preventing it from being completely drained away.
The slope of the tank can be quite easily changed using a car jack and wooden plank (to spread the load) to lift one end or the other, to either raise the outlet end, or lower the non-outlet end - it depends if there is any free play in the outlet pipe which end you adjust.
I would say this is well within the competence of a good diy-er. If, however, some of your toolkit doubles up as cutlery, you may want to get a tradesman in.
Tightening up hinges
Q: I have one internal door which swings open fully when unlatched and another which closes when I have entered the room. Both of these events are, to say the least, most infuriating. Your recomendations/remedy would be most welcome.
A: This is so unusual. Many, many times I have been called to sticking and stiff hinges - the problem here is that the hinges are too free! The real, professional answer to this is to get a plumbline, or vertical spirit level and a chisel, and take out enough doorframe from behind the hinges to ensure that the door is hung perfectly vertical - it will then stay where you put it, without any bias to open or close. This is very difficult.
The easy answer is to get a medium-sized hammer, and hit the hinges with the intent of putting dents or creases in them, to create a bit of friction. Do this with the door open, so you can't see the damage from the room, and concentrate on the part of the hinge that moves around, not the static one. Use the hammer at a slight angle, not flat.
Don't try this on hinges more than, say, 40 years old. They might be made of iron, and they might shatter. In this case, replace the hinges with new ones, but don't oil them.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by Saga unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, medical or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.
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Reader comments
query on the oil tank. our old boiler started locking out after a new delivery of oil. we couldnt get it going again and as our boiler was 30yrs old (never been a problem) we bought a new one at chrismas. this one has started locking out about a month after getting it. my husband drained some oil out and there is water - we presume as it is split with some crumby substance. is there any way we can check if the oil was faulty as never had any problems before that delivery. and if there has been a build uop of water can it be rectified our tank mis still 3/4 full of oil and we cant see any way water can get in.
Posted by: miriam slack | 21/03/2008 19:13:38
