Help with Central Heating ...

[leedrummond]

ok ive noticed that our central heating isnt quite getting hot enough.

Ive checked radiators to see if they need bleeding which they dont.
I have been into the loft and noticed the ball cock was not operationg so ive held it down to fill the water up just below the over flow pipe.

I have then gone into airincupboard and bled the pump although im not sure i have all the air out the system as i can hear a sound that sounds like rushing air/water occasionally.

Now i also notice that on the pump ther eare 3 settings 1 2 and 3, it was set on 2. do i keep it on number 2 ?



Now i spoke to somebody about this and he said what im best doing is summer next year replacing the faulty ballcock in the tank in the loft.alsodraining the entire system ( radiator in lounge has hose pipe connection )
then starting all again.

now all the upstairs radiators dont seem too bad, its mainly the one in the lounge and one in kitchen that dont get as hot as upstairs.

And it also seems that when i turn thermostat up on the boiler to 7 rather than 3 for example, the radiators get colder !!!


Can you advise me on any quick fix, draining , bleeding techniques

 

[ChrisR]

Your problem is SLUDGE. Do a search and all will be revealed.
The F&E tank level should only be about 4" .

 

[JohnD]

perhaps I should add Magnacleans to my RCBO warehouse

 

[leedrummond]

ok cheers, i will have a search now

4" so is that from the bottom of the tank?

 

[JohnD]

yes

here's a few from the last three months

//www.diynot.com/search/forum....t=3&author=&search=Search+Forum&mode=advanced

 

[leedrummond]

cheers so it looks likethis x400 stuff i might grab some from B7Q tommorow, then leave it in the system for a few weeks then drain whole system sooner rather than later, ie 2 weeks time be enough?

 

[D_Hailsham]

I have been into the loft and noticed the ball cock was not operationg so ive held it down to fill the water up just below the over flow pipe.

So you thought that, just because the water level in the F/E tank was low, the ball cock was not working! Presumably the ball was actually floating on the top of the water and not hanging in mid-air. It's like this for a reason. You see the pipe hanging over the top of the tank? This is the expansion pipe. If the water in the system over heats it will expand and come out of the expansion pipe. The space between the water level and the overflow is to catch the overspill. Now that you have filled up the tank, any overspill will go down the overflow!

Bail some water out of the F/E tank until it's just above the outlet. If it's too low, the ball valve will open and fill to the correct level.

Now i also notice that on the pump ther eare 3 settings 1 2 and 3, it was set on 2. do i keep it on number 2 ?

Unless someone has fiddled with the pump setting, leave it where it is,

 

[JohnD]

cheers so it looks likethis x400 stuff i might grab some from B7Q tommorow, then leave it in the system for a few weeks then drain whole system sooner rather than later, ie 2 weeks time be enough?

you can leave it for 4 weeks, it won't do any harm and the extra time will help loosen more sediment.

you'll know it's starting to work when the water goes black

Bale out all the mud from the F&E tank and sponge it clean, you don't want that sediment being washed down into your rads as well.

After adding the X400 and stirring it in, you have to drain a bucket of water out downstairs to draw the mixture down into the rads (otherwise it may just sit in the F&E tank)

When you have finished draining and rinsing, add a bottle of corrosion inhibitor like X100 to prevent future corrosion forming new sediment.

Beware of cheap own-brand chemicals which may not be as good.

If you can afford an extra £100, a Magnaclean device will also help

 

[bones001]

now all the upstairs radiators dont seem too bad, its mainly the one in the lounge and one in kitchen that dont get as hot as upstairs.

well it sounds to me as if your pump hasn't enough power to pump the water back upstairs from downstairs anymore therefore i would turn your pump to number three and see if that helps

 

[JohnD]

you could also try balancing. turn the hot rads down a bit and that will force more flow to the cooler ones (but if you are desludging don't fiddle with the lockshields yet because it may correct itself when flow improves)