Central heating crisis!!!!!

[desperado]

Hi there

Hope you can help with problem. I have an electric Redring Dualheat DC12c unvented boiler which supplies hot water and 7 wet radiators. A few months ago 1 rad needed constantly bled and the system deteriorated to only heating the top 6 inches of all radiators with the remaining 18 inches cold. Boiler seems to be ok - checked out with spark. We have had a plumber in - checked all over, pump ok etc. Water seems to be flowing, so had the system power flushed to remove any blockages. After a hefty bill the system is still as it was - no improvement at all. Plumber and I are at a loss what to do next!!!! p.s. initial problem radiator not heating at all - the other six only heating top 6 inches.

Can you advise what next course of action could be please? Thanks.

 

[Agile]

Its such a simple system that you have than any competent plumber should be able to work out whats wrong. From what you have said I have no idea but I dont expect it would take me more than 10 minutes if I was on site.

There is a public perception that all people calling themself plumbers are totally competent. Unfortunately anyone can call himself a plumber and there is a wide variation in their skills.

I assume that you called a reputable plumber who is a member of the Institute of Plumbing and Heating. They have a complaints procedure and if he was not competent then you should make a formal complaint about him.

Tony Glazier

 

[meldrew's_mate]

Your symptoms are of lack of water, possibly combined with residual chemicals from the powerflush.

Is this an electrically heated thermal store? If so the CH may be open vented, not sealed.
Do you have a single storey?
Can you locate the method of filling the system, a small header tank or a filling loop connection to the mains?

If you have a header tank check that it is full and the ballcock works.
There is a pipe leading from this to the heating called the cold fill; check with the plumber that this is clear/ was cleared during the powerflush.
If it's a sealed system there will be a pressure gauge, what is the pressure reading?
Did the plumber flush the heating, or mistakenly flush the DHW supply

 

[desperado]

Hi there. Thanks for your replies. Yes plumber and spark both registered. I will look into Agile's comments.

In answer to meldrew's mate, I think it is a heated store with 2 hot water storage tanks inside boiler (1 for hot water storage and 1 for heating only). I live in a single storey building. Cold water feed tank in loft feeding into boiler.

I will check with plumber when he returns ref feed pipe clear, and that he did'nt do the hot water in error!! Its is not a sealed system and does'nt have a pressure gauge, but water pressure on hot and cold is excellent. Plumber flushed the system via a jet pressure entering into central heating pump.

After pressure jetting system, plumber removed 1 rad that was not heating at all and manually flushed - running clear. He also checked that hot water was reaching in valve and water reaching out valve.

New pump fitted - made no difference - still left with 1 rad not working and 6 others hot at top 6 inches only. Thanks for info.

 

[Expertboy]

Its such a simple system that you have than any competent plumber should be able to work out whats wrong. From what you have said I have no idea but I dont expect it would take me more than 10 minutes if I was on site.

There is a public perception that all people calling themself plumbers are totally competent. Unfortunately anyone can call himself a plumber and there is a wide variation in their skills.

I assume that you called a reputable plumber who is a member of the Institute of Plumbing and Heating. They have a complaints procedure and if he was not competent then you should make a formal complaint about him.

Tony Glazier

 

[ACOperson]

Blocked cold feed shouldn't cause only the top of the rads to warm up. Easies way to check this is to drain the system, and try refilling it - if you can hear water filling the tank when you re-fill then the cold feed is OK.

Are all of the radiators heating equally at the top only, or are some getting hoter then others?

How long did your man take to powerflushflush the system?

 

[Agile]

If the rads are only hot at the top then the bottom channel is completely blocked !!!

So much for the power flushing, probably a cowboy who did not use any chemicals! Was he a member of the Institute of Power Flushing?

If do a power flush then we find out what the problem is first and then sort it out for you.

Tony

 

[jimbox]

Was he a member of the Institute of Power Flushing?

Is that actually a real thing?!

 

[ACOperson]

Mr Agile, what do you mean the bottom channel? Do you mean the passage at the bottom each radiator?

If thats what you mean, even a powerflush probably wouldn't help that unless you pre-treated it weeks before and then banged each rad while powerflushing with a rubber mallet!

 

[desperado]

Hi there, thanks for all advice/information. Here is the next instalment! Now all radiators are working except for 2 which are within 2 feet of each other. These 2 stay cold - even when the other 5 are on at 26 degrees (all over top and bottom!!!!!!). There is no air in them - I am at a loss now as the power flush was done with 2 chemicals previously. Any suggestions welcome! Thanks.