Hello everyone, i'm sorry my first post is a plea for help, but i have been lurking for a while and have learnt some valuable information from your helpfull forum.
For the last few months 2 of my largest radiators have not been getting hot, and the rest of the smaller ones have only been getting luke warm at best.
My system is 9 years old and because i wasnt the owner when it was installed i have no idea if it was cleaned out prior to fitting.
I have basic plumbing skills and understand how heating systems work..
So, after reading the forums i thought that maybe the TRV's were stuck, sprayed wd40 on them all and they move up and down perfectly.
I then hired a powerflush machine and cleaned the whole system, to be honest the water was pretty clean.
Refilled everything and added inhibitor.
When i was refilling i could hear the air vent on the pump letting air out, so think this is ok.
Bled all the radiators and fired the system up.
Loads of gurgling happened for the first few seconds and then it seemed to settle down.
The boiler though would only run for about 20 seconds and then stop, when it was firing it made a sound similar to a kettle heating its water up, getting louding and "hissy"
I thought there may have been some air trapped near the pump, so after learning a trick on here i was flicking the pump speed switch between 3 and 2 which stopped the pump and then started it again, i was hoping it would force the air into a radiator somewhere.
I did this for almost an hour with no joy.
I then went back to basics and drained the system again and refilled it.
Exactly the same thing was happening.
So to summarise whats happening.
Boiler will fire for 20 seconds or so and then stop (sometimes giving a solid red "A" light, which goes out on its own after a short while)
The pump is working, but when i was setting it between 3 and 2 to stop the pump i can hear water gurgling down from the boiler somewhere and into the pipes.
The pump is not getting hot as i would expect it too if it was pumping hot water.
The flow pipe from the boiler gets red hot, but soon cools, the return pipe never seems to get warm.
When i put a screwdriver to the Flow pipe and listen all i hear is water "trickling" down, with the pump running.
I have just priced up an Alpha pump and with vat its almost £135.
Now before i spend this money am i right in assuming the pump has gone?
If so what goes wrong on a pump that allows it to run but not pump anything?
It seems that the boiler is stopping because it is overheating where the pump is not taking the water away fast enough...
Realy appreciate any help as i live with my elderly mother and believe it or not she is cold.....
Many thanks for any help
O, the boiler is situated in a cupboard which makes for awkward maintenance and the boiler is higher than any of the pipework and radiators in the house.
For the last few months 2 of my largest radiators have not been getting hot, and the rest of the smaller ones have only been getting luke warm at best.
My system is 9 years old and because i wasnt the owner when it was installed i have no idea if it was cleaned out prior to fitting.
I have basic plumbing skills and understand how heating systems work..
So, after reading the forums i thought that maybe the TRV's were stuck, sprayed wd40 on them all and they move up and down perfectly.
I then hired a powerflush machine and cleaned the whole system, to be honest the water was pretty clean.
Refilled everything and added inhibitor.
When i was refilling i could hear the air vent on the pump letting air out, so think this is ok.
Bled all the radiators and fired the system up.
Loads of gurgling happened for the first few seconds and then it seemed to settle down.
The boiler though would only run for about 20 seconds and then stop, when it was firing it made a sound similar to a kettle heating its water up, getting louding and "hissy"
I thought there may have been some air trapped near the pump, so after learning a trick on here i was flicking the pump speed switch between 3 and 2 which stopped the pump and then started it again, i was hoping it would force the air into a radiator somewhere.
I did this for almost an hour with no joy.
I then went back to basics and drained the system again and refilled it.
Exactly the same thing was happening.
So to summarise whats happening.
Boiler will fire for 20 seconds or so and then stop (sometimes giving a solid red "A" light, which goes out on its own after a short while)
The pump is working, but when i was setting it between 3 and 2 to stop the pump i can hear water gurgling down from the boiler somewhere and into the pipes.
The pump is not getting hot as i would expect it too if it was pumping hot water.
The flow pipe from the boiler gets red hot, but soon cools, the return pipe never seems to get warm.
When i put a screwdriver to the Flow pipe and listen all i hear is water "trickling" down, with the pump running.
I have just priced up an Alpha pump and with vat its almost £135.
Now before i spend this money am i right in assuming the pump has gone?
If so what goes wrong on a pump that allows it to run but not pump anything?
It seems that the boiler is stopping because it is overheating where the pump is not taking the water away fast enough...
Realy appreciate any help as i live with my elderly mother and believe it or not she is cold.....
Many thanks for any help
O, the boiler is situated in a cupboard which makes for awkward maintenance and the boiler is higher than any of the pipework and radiators in the house.
