Radiators hot at top, cold at bottom

AnonymousImport · 29 Oct 2002

House is 16 months old, but we have problems with radiators. Plumbers say it cannot be sludge as system too new, any other suggestions?

AnonymousImport · 29 Oct 2002

Could be insufficient flow through the radiator, maybe lockshield valve closed too much?

Did it work OK before,and if so, has any work been done on the system since then?
Are all radiators affected, or just some?
Do you have room thermostat(s)?
Is the pump running OK?
Is it an oil/gas/solid fuel system?
Does the boiler heat your hot water as well?
Do you have a hot water cylinder?

More info and we'll try to help.

AnonymousImport · 29 Oct 2002

Moved into house last summer, first noticed problem this time last year. Plumbers have balanced radiators a couple of times which initially is fine then over a few weeks gradually gets worse. It is a 3 storey house and the double radiators are mostly affected with one in kitchen on ground floor, without thermostat, and one on top floor, with thermostat, being the worst.
It is a gas system and the boiler also heats the hot water and we do have a hot water cylinder.
As far as I know the pump is running OK, but we have had the boiler engineer out three times, once the pressure wasn't properly set and twice to replace the fan. The boiler had cut out several times.
Cold taps leave blue plastic flakes in the bath. Could there be sludge or dirt in the system?

AnonymousImport · 30 Oct 2002

Sounds like debris or sludge in the system, although the heating circuits would be seperate from the cold water supply to the bath. The blue plastic is probably coming from your cold water storage tank in the roof. Of course it could be getting in there from the mains water supply.
I'm guessing that the heating system pressure is topped up from the mains water, so if this is dirty, then there could be debris getting into you radiators and blocking the valves.
Sounds like you need to drain the system, flush it out, and re-fill with corrosion inhibitors. Unless you have pretty good pulmbing skills I would leave this to a plumber, or better still, a heating engineer.

Consider asking him to filter the mains water when he refills your heating system.

AnonymousImport · 30 Oct 2002

Thanks, I was hoping there would be a quick and simple solution. I didn't want to be calling plumbers out every few weeks again this winter.

AnonymousImport · 6 Dec 2002

what in heavens' name is/are balanced-
radiators??? I have radiators that are hot on the first floor & cold thru the upstairs & the rest of the house. i'm sitting in my room so's not to freeze. i'd appreciate it!!! j. izzo

AnonymousImport · 6 Dec 2002

what in heavens' name is/are balanced-
radiators??? I have radiators that are hot on the first floor & cold thru the upstairs & the rest of the house. i'm sitting in my room so's not to freeze. i'd appreciate it!!! j. izzo

AnonymousImport · 6 Dec 2002

using water isn't a precise method of moving heat around. you can control where it doesn't go by keeping it in pipes, but if there is an easy route for the water to go from pump to rads and back again, that is where it will go. balancing valve is a valve on LHS of rad which you can adjust to make some radiators easier to flow through and some harder so when system is running normally with all radiators on the water goes through all of the rads and they all get warm together. ie they are balanced.

I hope that helps

AnonymousImport · 4 Jan 2003

Don't assume the balancing valve is on the LHS.
I fitted 7 thermastatic valves to RHS of my radiators (assuming this was the inlet)only to find that only 2 had the inlet on the RHS.
You can check this by feeling which pipe gets hot first when turning the heating on.
Also if I'd have bought dual flow it would'nt have mattered.

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Radiators hot at top, cold at bottom

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