radiators not working

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • jayjaya
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Oct 2006
    • 2

    radiators not working

    I really need advice. Had old heating boiler replaced with condensing boiler last March. Corgi engineer etc. Since then had nothing but problems, simply not all radiators will work. Boiler has worked fine for hot water, seems to be a feed problem when heating is on. One day some will work next day won't. When guy comes out he leaves with every radiator working. When timer switches off and comes on later, its back to just a few working. This problem didn't happen with old boiler, but after 20 years, was ketterling. Now he says need new pump, before its has been air in pipes. I find this hard to swallow because radiators nearest to the boilers location , are the ones that dont work, the ones farthest away get hot. Am in need of advice, the engineer is always quick to come out, but says the problem is bewildering. The property is a bungalow and yes have bleed the radiators, do I contact the boiler company or corgi, as the engineer truly seems at a lost, I am getting hot under the collar, but thats about all. Any advice grateful
    confused as usual
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    Re: radiators not working

    Do you have thermostatic valves on your rads. You might have a few dodgy ones.
    Try turning off all rads except one and then gradually turn the others one.
    Have you tried balancing the rads.
    This site explains it really well.

    or here
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

    Comment

    • sunbeam
      Moderator
      • Feb 2006
      • 261

      #3
      Re: radiators not working

      I agree with toscal try balancing the rads first but really there's nothing worse than putting a new boiler onto an old system,

      was the system flushed out first?

      you could be getting 20 years worth of rust and sludge clogging up your new boiler.

      you might be as well turning a rad off draining some water out of it adding some system cleanser via the top of the rad Turing the rad back on and running your central heating for a week.draining the system down and then top it back up.

      alternatively get the system flushed out but this is very expensive.

      Comment

      • jayjaya
        Automated Home Lurker
        • Oct 2006
        • 2

        #4
        Re: radiators not working

        The system was not flushed, chemical was put into the tank for several weeks prior to new boiler installation. Toscal have turned all radiators off and just but one on, it worked on thursday am, by time heating switched on at night the two I did this to, were back to being stone cold. As for rad thermostat, would five of them all go dicky since boiler was fitted, out of 8 rads with thermostat only 3 are now working.
        As for balancing rads, will but this to him Friday when eng calls out again. If not thanks for the sites with diy help.
        Just one question, all the pipes leading to the cold rads have no heat in them. Why is this. Plus on balancing rads, the info site says rads nearest boiler get warmer, this is the opposite, the 2 farthest away are working fine, rad therms working and red hot if on highest.
        confused as usual

        Comment

        • toscal
          Moderator
          • Oct 2005
          • 2061

          #5
          Re: radiators not working

          Your radiators may not be balanced correctly which is why the farthest ones get hot and not the others.
          I know from experience that some types of thermostatic valves get stuck. My parents had three valves stick at the same time. If you feel confident, then it is possible to remove the thermostatic part leaving the actual valve mechanism attached to the rad. Then very veery carefully using a pair of pliers move the valve rod up and down. This is the little rod sticking up in the center of the valve.
          Of course you may have some debris stuck in the system and then it will need to be flushed.
          I had mine flushed a few years ago and I was amazed at the amount of rubbish in the system. The engineer had what looked liked a vacuum cleaner combined with an octopus. He connected up the 2 pipes from the machine to the feed and return of the heating system and cycled his machine for about 10 minutes in one direction then 10 mins in the other direction. And then drained the machine put some clean fluid into it and did the process all over again. This time the fluid stayed clean.
          Good luck
          IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
          Renovation Spain Blog

          Comment

          • Kipper
            Automated Home Lurker
            • Oct 2006
            • 2

            #6
            Re: radiators not working

            Just rying to pick up some info but noticed this thread.

            I've just had my boiler and rads serviced. Old cast iron boiler - expensive to run but even more expensive to change so sticking with it for now. Had all the TRV's changed on every rad but before he did this the engineer drained the system, added the 'breakdown' chemicals, re-filled the system and left for two weeks. He also took off all the old TRV's and made sure every valve was open. Even if you have taken the TRV head off it doesn't mean the valve will be open. With the heating running, he had to hammer some of the rads to ensure the sediment was not preventing full circulation.

            Two weeks later, drained the system again changed all the TRV's and re-filled, adding inhibitor to prevent sediment building up again. No mention of balancing at all.

            Total cost for job including boiler service, eighteen TRV's, all chemicals and three weekends work £360.

            Hope that helps.

            Comment

            Working...
            X