no heating....but plenty of water

[cheesesarnie]

hello...i have a stelrad ideal gas boiler with a horstman timer....

i've not used the heating during the summer...now i turned the heating on at the timer an altered the thermastat and....nothing...

there is no air in the system at any radiator and the water is clean....its just the boiler does not react when heating is switched on although it is fine when water switched on...

strangely the radiator in the bathroom gets slightly warm when the water is on...cant explain this one..

any info great appreciated.

thanks

tony

 

[kevplumb]

check the pump

 

[cheesesarnie]

sorry...not too clued up with this sort of this....where in the house would i expect to find the pump normally?...and what can i do when i find it to tell if there is a problem with it?

thanks

 

[chrishutt]

where in the house would i expect to find the pump normally?

Near the boiler, or near the hot water cylinder. About the size of a grapefruit with brass valves at each end, probably coloured red or blue. Place the blade of a large screwdriver against the pump and your ear against the handle and listen - you should hear the pump running.

If pump is humming, check this

 

[kevplumb]

pump

 

[MANDATE]

Hi Tony I'm afraid you need to know a bit more about the type of system you have installed. When you say the boiler does not react I'm thinking you may have a fully pumped system incorporating a 3 port valve.
With the pump operating water is pushed through this valve to either 'hot water' or 'central heating' or with the valve in mid position each side gets an equal share until one of the stats is satisfied, at which point the valve moves to the 'not yet satisfied' side.
It is more likely 'hot water' gets satisfied sooner than 'central heating' as the heat loss from the radiators is greater.
At this point the valve should move to ' central heating' and still supply electric to the boiler/pump.
These valves do have problems. (1)The valve spindles are sometimes stiffish and need easing (2) Sometimes it's the motor within the valve head that needs replacing. (3) Sometimes one of the microswitches within the valve head fails, so no electric to the boiler/pump.
If you have a 3 port valve, try having both hot water and heating on at the same time and when you experience the problem run some hot water off which will bring the valve back to mid position and if the heating then functions ok until 'hot water ' is satisfied you will have proved the valve is the problem. I had this problem and the cause was a failed microswitch.
A replacement valve head was about £38.
The question is 'do you have a 3 port valve in your system'?


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tony Regarding the bathroom radiator, don't be misled with it. many bathroom rads are on the hot water side and even if it isn't it could still get warm. Two of my upstairs radiators get slightly warm when the heating is off, mine is not a fully pumped system but hot water in the boiler manages to rise through the vertical pipe to rads directly above but of course it can't circulate without the pump running.

MOD

please use the edit button

 

[cheesesarnie]

all....thanks for your kind help and advice....

last night/this morning i left the heating turned on at the controller (radiators cold)....until approx 8am the whole lot just kicked into action and the radiators fired up.....almost as though something was stuck and then unstuck!!?...

I'll monitor the situation and get back on here if any more probs...

again, thanks alot