Cold upstairs!

[alastairsmith]

I have just moved into a new house and it's cold!
The boiler is a combi type and seems very efficient and new. The radiators downstairs are hot very quickly, but the upstairs rads do not heat up at all, not even the feed pipes on most of them.
I have tried bleeding them, but only one hissed a bit, but mostly nothing!
Is it sludge or do I have a broken bit?

Help please!

 

[oilman]

If it's a new house with a new heating system installed to meet current building regulations, then it sounds like there's a valve to control the upstairs radiators which is not working. But then you ask about sludge. This will take years to build up, so how old is the house?
Do you have a seperate wall thermostat upstairs? Is there a zone valve controlling the upstairs?
There may be an air lock in the pipes to the upstairs rads. Have you tried turning all of the radiators off, except for only one upstairs. If this makes a difference repeat for all radiators upstairs.
This is a starter, see if it helps.

 

[alastairsmith]

Thanks for tips.
house is new to me - but is actually Victorian!
I would guess that the heating system is 5-10 years old.
Thanks

 

[oilman]

It's possibly a blockage or an air lock then (or a service valve thats been closed).
Try having only 1 rad open upstairs (and all otehrs, up and down, closed) turn the pump to full speed and try that.

Drain a cup of water from one of the drain cocks, if its black, the system may need cleaning.