No heat upstairs

[rkinsella]

Ok, I think I may have killed my upstairs pump.

You may have seen my previous post about tuning my upstairs heating. The main problem was the radiator in the master bathroom was not heating up.

1. I took the radiator off the wall
2. drained it
3. checked the feed and return values
4. put the radiator back on the wall
5. bled the radiator

I couldn't see anything wrong with it. At that point, I figured out that it was the last radiator on the manifold and that the second last radiator was heated towel rail that was recently installed. So I turned down the heated towel rail (it was very hot) and hey presto! The radiator in the master bathroom heated up .... mystery solved!

Two days later ... and there is no heat in the upstairs at all. When I turn on and off the upstairs pump, the power LED turns on and off also, but there is no whizzing sound like there is from the downstairs pump.

The upstairs feed manifold (shown on the left in the photo below) and the feed to the boiler are both hot, but the return is cold (shown on the right in the photo below). So I presume I have managed to kill the pump somehow.

Was there something I neglected to do after I reattached the radiator to the system ?

 

[seco services]

tap the pump lightly with a tool it may free or remove the centre screw from pump and turn the spindle with a screw driver.

 

[rkinsella]

Thanks,

To correct myself, its actually a valve ... not a pump ... here is the guide.

I tried the tapping lightly with a screw driver but to not avail,
there is manual switch to open the value but its spring loaded,
so it closes once you take the pressure off.

I will hope open this evening for a while and see if that clears the problem ??

 

[seco services]

if the programmer and wall stat are calling for heat.
push the lever on the end of valve across and it will clip in holding it there.

do the rads get hot then ?
if so sounds like the motor in the top of the actuator has failed.

 

[rkinsella]

It doesn't seem to clip ... I read that it should be able to, but I think the pump didn't bother his *rse putting on the switch ... have a look above.

This doesn't surprise me as the plumber also didn't bother his *rse giving us radiator caps and left the cold water tank in the attic overflowing ...

 

[rkinsella]

The next problem is now, that if it case that is the pump that has failed.
I can't detach the pump from the actuator without putting a hole in my wall

Have a close look at the photo, the detach button is facing the wall

 

[seco services]

but I think the pump didn't bother his *a**e putting on the switch

?

when you push the lever across lift it slightly and it should latch in a slot.

 

[seco services]

what pump where talking about the valve. ?

 

[rkinsella]

when you push the lever across lift it slightly and it should latch in a slot.

Sorry I keep saying pump ... I mean the valve ...
I will give it a try .. sorry for venting my spline about the plumping. Is it safe to do this, just to lock it open until I can replace the motor ?

BTW do you know where I can pick up new caps for the radiators, its seems like a trival thing to find ... but no-one seems to have them ... He left me two that work, they are marked "Stella 45" ?

 

[seco services]

Is it safe to do this, just to lock it open until I can replace the motor ?

yes .


contact http://www.giacominisales.co.uk/html/contact_us.html
they do the stella rad valves.

 

[rkinsella]

Hi,

Will try it when I get home tonight (am at work).

Thanks for the contact.

 

[rkinsella]

Thanks that worked like a charm