A couple of problems

[abbadon]

Hi all,

I have a couple of problems in the house I bought recently.

In general the heating is fine, and so is the hot water, controls all work, thermostat seems to regulate ok and the radiators heat up and hot water is always available from the cylinder. Boiler is a glow worm energy saver 2 i think. there is a small cold tank in loft and the cylinder is below it. Cylinder has a small section on top and the large hot container below it.

However, the living room radiator has recently started to not seem to heat up anymore. Whether this is due to the weather changing and getting colder and me noticing it wasn’t warming up I am not sure, but I’m pretty sure it used to warm up quicker than this, now it seems to take 4 to 5 hours when the other radiators take a few minutes. I have wound open the balancing valve all the way (it was almost fully open already) and also the trv has been opened all the way from the start. The water in the pipe leading to the rad’ is boiling hot to the touch, right up to the trv.

Second problem is this - when running a bath, the first few minutes to hot water flows fast, then reduces to bit more than a trickle, but still hot, and continues to flow hot until the bath is full, a LONG time later.
Is there any way to increase this flow rate. I don’t think the hot water is running out, and the cylinder is rated as 115 litres hot according to the sticker.

any help is much appreciated!

Andy

 

[EliteHeat]

1st problem should be cured by bleeding the radiator.

2nd problem, check the water level in the top part of the hot water cylinder before you open the hot tap and then when the flow decreases. If there isn't much water up top, then that will be the problem.

 

[dal5band]

Check :

1 That the TRV is not stuck. Fully close and open it a few times. Otherwise you have to take the top off and put a drop of oil around the pin which opens/closes the valve and try again.

2 Does the hot water run fully on other taps ? if not then suspect the cold feed to the hot cyclider as ElteHeat suggested. If the other hot taps flow ok, then suspect the bath tap itself. It may to be opening properly (fully) - as it heats is expands and closes the little bit is has opened.

 

[abbadon]

I bled the radiators so I dont think its that. The trv seems to turn ok, and when i took the top off the needle appears to move in and out by hand. Any other suggestions? Can i pull the needle all the way out?

My tank has this small cold bit on top, and then there is the cold tank in the loft - which one should have the ball cock in, ad anyone got any idea how this is all plumbed up?

regards

Andy

 

[EliteHeat]

I bled the radiators so I dont think its that. The trv seems to turn ok, and when i took the top off the needle appears to move in and out by hand. Any other suggestions? Can i pull the needle all the way out?

My tank has this small cold bit on top, and then there is the cold tank in the loft - which one should have the ball cock in, ad anyone got any idea how this is all plumbed up?

regards

Andy

1) Ensure that the valve opposite is open - use a small spanner to do this. Close all other radiators and see if this one starts.

2) Please answer the original question regarding the amount of water in the 'cold' part of the cylinder

 

[ChrisR]

Don't pull the pin out of the trv - you'll get wet!


But DO answer those questions!

 

[abbadon]

OK, well ill when i stuck my fingers over the top of the top tank they get wet pretty much straight away so i think its full to correct level at the moment. I will try the bath experiment when I can. It only happens with bath as we never run that quantity of hot water elsewhere in one go, but once it happens it effects other hot taps also.

I did have some success with radiator this morning. I had already opened the lockshield valve all the way on tis radiator and it hadn't seemed to help. However when i shut off all the other radiators by closing the trv's to the blue off symbol, the living room rad has warmed up.

What is the best way to balance the system from here? should i just go round and close off the lock shield valves on other radiators until I am happy that the living room one gets warm at a good rate?

Maybe more info would help - the living room rad is around 1.5m long, double layer and floor to waist height. The next biggest radiator in the house is prob half the width and double layer. After that they are all single layer and either 450ish or 600ish width.

cheers

Andy