Heating

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Hi, I have been trying to get a central heating system working but cant seem to fix the problem, hoping for some advice!

Here's what's what;

The system is open vented with gravity primaries and pumped C/H. The boiler is an old ideal e-type, pump on the return.
The C/H doesn't work, the rads do not heat up properly, the only one that heats up is adjacent the boiler in the kitchen (seems to be making a circuit through conduction in the water). I've tried balancing the system and can never get all rads working at the same time.
The boiler is kettling cutting out cooling down firing up kettling and so on.
I tried changing the pump so that's new, no change.

It seems that the water isn't circulating as the flow does eventually heat up and the flow will get piping hot all the way to each rad but there is no where near the same amount of heat going through the rads or coming back on the return. the f/r come out of the boiler go down under the floor in the kitchen around to the downstairs rads then up in the living room to feed upstairs rads

I have power flushed the system, no change.

All rads have been changed.

I still think that there is a blockage in the pipes at low level, the customer has said that its never worked in the 10years hes lived there but it gets worse year after year, strange
there is evidence of the f/e tank overflowing boiling over maybe? and there was no inhibitor in the system.

I'm stumped, don't know what to do. He wants to suss out whats wrong with the system before he goes ahead with fitting a new boiler (combi) which has always been the plan. I've said the best thing to do is go ahead with the new boiler, do away with the old circuit under the floor downstairs (which is set in cement with no protection) and run a new circuit under the floor upstairs with drops to all downstairs rads.

He still pushing me to try and fix, is my advice the right advice? any help or suggestions greatly appreciated. I try not to sell the most expensive option to customer but hes already spent over £1000 with every thing and it seems hes chucking good money after bad?

Frustrated plumber

Read more: //www.diynot.com/forums/diy-disasters/heating-problems.339167/#2528583#ixzz289NXjIjE
 
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Crazy idea, but you could get a heating engineer into sort it, or go in the CC and people will be more than happy to help ;)
 
You are not a registered heating engineer who is qualified to work on boilers, are you? Just reading this, it became instantly obvious that you got 3 different, very basic things wrong. Give it up mate, you got no chance sorting this one out.
 
Hi Ben and the other bloke, Level 3 nvq in mechanical engineering services- plumbing (domestic).

Gas safe registered no. 533769

I am 24 years old, I have been taught how to install boilers, cyilnders vented and un-vented. I have been taught about more modern system than this. Since there doesnt seem to be any jobs out there and its all one man bands who dont want to share thier knowledge for fear of competition I am self- employed and doing very well thanks.

I've come on here looking for help from older, experienced 'engineers' and I get your replies?

If you've got nothing nice or helpful to say, say nothing,

f***k you very much for the advice :mrgreen:
 
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How did you manage to get nvq3 in plumbing, and miss not 1 but at least 3 utterly obvious issues?
For genuine heating engineers, applying to admin for access to "the combustion chamber" is an interesting option.
 
ben, I'm here for help, what are these three obvious things?? what does asking adim for the combustion chamber about? is it an old post or somthing?

tell me these things I've missed? maybe I have checked?
 
The combustion chamber is a closed forum for registered and retired gas safe registered engineers.
This is the place to come and ask questions like these.
 
Like has been advised you need to get into the CC for help

Also if you have no understanding of older systems and have only been trained on new systems might I suggest you stick to them or tell the customer you don't understand their system, before you start the job, then see of you get the job

Whether you like it or not, what you have done by charging £1000 for basically nothing, is well out of order, and it's things like this that get the rest of us a bad name, some may even refer to you as a cow boy
 
Hi ollie, did I say I charged £1000 so far? no, he has spent over £1000 getting valves changed on the rads then changing the rads, then changing the f+e tank etc. why any of that would help is beyond me but he has had 4 different plumbers there before me and I'm the only one still trying to resolve the issue the rest have had their money and stopped answering their phones.

Think before you jump to conclusions.
 
I also made the chap aware before beginning that this type of system is not what I'm used to working with and that I'd try everything I can think of, he is grateful that I'm continuing to try and sort it and that I havent run off with his money.
 
ben and ollie,

1) Abusive or unhelpful posts are not welcome. This is a friendly site and we ask that everyone is treated with respect! Abusive or unhelpful posts are not welcome on this site and are always removed! Keep it civil!

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cheers guys, hope you've made yourselves feel big for the day
 
ben, business reg 533769 engineer no. 2834331. did you put the number in both boxes when checking up on me on the gas safe site? thought an all knowing so and so like you would've thought of that? basic, ben basic.
 
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