Can anyone help me?

[Simoneinneed]

My heating system his gone a bit pear shaped, I have a THORN EMI heating Apollo boiler and a tank in my airing cupboard, with a pump.

The problem is that the system has been making some noise for some time and then the downstairs rads only got warm (not hot like the upstairs rads) so remembering my Dad once telling me to bleed them i went round the house bleeding them all, no air really coming out though, so i did it again today and now none of the downstairs ones work at all!! so i looked on the web for any answers and found this website, I have (from reading someone elses problem bled the pump, its very hot so i have left it to cool down. Can anyone suggest what else i can do? My house is freezing and i will struggle to pay someone so want to try anything first.

many thanks for reading

Cold and upset Simone

 

[lightning]

Change the pump

 

[Burnerman]

Can you go into your loft and discover the water tanks in there?
There will be one big one (that feeds your copper cylinder with cold water, ready to be heated) and one small one.
The small one is the one to look at - lift the lid and see if there ia about 4" of water in it. This is the central heating header tank, and there must be water in there. Lets do the obvious things first, so try that and post back.
John

 

[Simoneinneed]

Hi John, Thanks for helping.

I have done what you said and there is about 4" of very dirty water (this house is about 27 years old and so is the whole heating system.

I have now managed to get the rads downstairs on but only warm while the ones upstairs are hot to touch. I did this by turning all the valves down to half (not the temp valve) the other valve, on the rads upstairs. The rads upstairs and one in the downstairs loo are really hot.

It has been suggested I get the pump replaced, is this a big job?

I really apprieciate your help.

Simone

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Pump is fairly easy if you know how! Try turning down the upstairs rads a bit more, see if this will force the water into the downstairs rads and heat them up. It may just be the system needs balancing, how to is in the FAQ's I think....

 

[dextrous]

Could be the system is becoming sludged up and needs flushing through.

 

[Simoneinneed]

Ok, I have turned the upstairs valves down a bit more, but they are still not as hot as they used to be, soooooo whats this flushing through thing is it something I could do? or do I need a pro?

many thanks for everyones input....all these things are ruling out the simple things that i would have by now been charged the earth for.

Simone

 

[Burnerman]

Hi Simone
I'm not too happy to hear about the filthy water in the header tank....although it doesn't have to be eau de cologne its best that its not too full of sludge.
When you bleed the rads, is the water that comes out black? This does indicate dirt (or rather, old rust) in the system.
Dirty heating systems are cleaned out by 'power flushing' - I think there's reference to this in the FAQ's.
So - you are getting some circulation, especially upstairs so that would indicate that the pump is running.
Personally I think that there is significant grot in your system. Powerflushing is quite expensive but usually successful - it depends how full the piggy bank is.
If you can find a (willing) helper you could possibly improve things by turning one radiator off at a time, disconnecting it and flushing it through with a hose in the garden, if possible. I'd also like to syphon the dirty water out of the header tank too, to prevent it washing down.
I hope things work out!
John

 

[Simoneinneed]

Yeah there was some nasty black liquid coming from them, I recon they do need flushing then, so i will get someone to do it.

thank you