Cold radiators upstairs

[nickhanson]

Hello,

I have a 28 year old IDEAL gravity-fed boiler system, which we just had serviced. However, I now have great downstairs heat through the rads but no rads at all working upstairs. I've checked header tank (full) and closed off all downstairs rads, but upstairs barely gets warm. With downstairs rads open, upstairs all cold. I've also turned off all locking valves downstairs and still no heat upstairs.

I can't find a 'gravity valve?', only thermostat is on the boiler itself. Pump is turning, but I'm wondering whether this is faulty and not able to pump upstairs.

Any thoughts on what to try next?

thanks
Nick.

 

[JohnD]

Very likely air in the rads or possibly an airlock in a pipe. Have you bled the rads?

If it's a gravity system then there's no pump to blow the pipes out, but it's possible to open an upstairs rad and put a hose on the downstaires drain cock, and connect it to the cold tap, then the mains water pressure will dislodge iit.

 

[nickhanson]

JohnD,

thank you. I do have a pump on the system, but it maybe faulty. I'll try your idea of blowing through with cold water.

 

[JohnD]

Make sure the pressure can escape, preferably through the expansion pipe. thin steel radiators aren't built to stand high pressure, especially when they're rusty.