central heating advise please !

[Dav88uk]

Boiler : Myson Apollo 60 si
Circulating pump : Grundfos selectric TF110
14 rads

We have just moved into new house that has been empty for a year and has had the system drained , we have refilled the system and fired up the boiler

First problem is some radiators are getting hot ! others only luke warm spoke to next door and he informs me that i need to balance the system is there a correct procedure for this ? ie which rad to start at ?

Also is it normal for circulating pump to get quite warm !

Also should I have flushed system with anything seeing it had sat for over a year empty ?

will appreicate any replies

many thanks David

 

[oilman]

It's always worth putting some cleaner in the system and washing it out. Look up radiator balancing on your browser, there are a number of articles available on the web. Pump does get warm, sometimes hot.

 

[breezer]

have you bled the rads?

 

[Dav88uk]

I have bled the rads but made little difference ! whole rad is either hot or luke warm in each room

Do you need to follow rads in sequence to balance the system if so how do I tell which is next in line ? also can it be done without radiator thermometer, if not where will i get one and how much are they ?

ps will boiler in above message power 6 doubles and 8 single rads ?

Cheers David

 

[ChrisR]

Balancing rads.
Turn all rads off except one, making sure each will actually get hot - nothing blocked. Go round them all doing that.
If you have trv's open them all fully.
Open the rad nearest the pump just maybe 1/4 of a turn, and work your way across the house ending up with what seems the furthest full open - opening more than about half-open won't do much to increase the flow.

Rads never warm up all at the same time exactly. You can get close by feeling all the rads after starting from cold several times. If you have TRV's they help a lot - once a room is warming up they start turning off so the slower ones get more flow.

I do have digital pipe thermometers but using them implies a degree of accuracy in the process which just isn't attainable in a reasonable space of time.
Others will have their own opinions!

 

[Dav88uk]

Cheers for all the replies !

Chris , when you say the rad nearest the pump is that the Grundfos in the linen cuboard ? also when you say open the rad quarter of a turn is that both ends ?

Cheers David

 

[ChrisR]

Grundfos, yes. It has 3 speeds you may want to play with for added thrills.

If you have one valve a TRV the other one is called a lockshield, & should have a plain cap which you have to get off somehow to turn the shaft inside. Work it from shut to open - usually several turns but only about 1 turn on a few makes. A rad will work fully at a surprisingly small opening.

The idea is that when all is balanced you put the tamper-proof, plain cap back on and do any temperature adjustments with the valve at the other end. If you have ordinary valves (one with a turnable top for adjusting), then it doesn't really matter which one you use to set things up, unless there are kids around who will turn everything they can.

 

[Dav88uk]

Now have heat to all rads , but does not seem to be that hot ! System has been drained for about 14 months, so i am taking advise on flushing the system with Fernox ! will this help ?
Question : when it says add Fernox to header tank is this the small tank in the loft next to the main water tank ?
Also what is a Primatic system ?

Cheers David