No heating downstairs

[moosie]

We had a worcester bosch greenstar 12ri (not combi) installed in February and have had no end of problems ranging from leaking to joints to the condensing pipe exiting at an upwards angle so condensate was flowing back into the boiler! The latest (radiators only coming on when heating was on) was diagnosed as a faulty diverter valvle. We have just had the new one fitted and now all the upstairs radiators work but none of the downstairs. The pipes coming down the wall from upstairs are stone cold. I'm afraid I have lost all faith in the installer who seems to take 3 or 4 visits to diagnose. Somebody else suggested the flow and return may have been mixed up. Before I call him back again - has anyone any idea what the problem might be this time? Its a small terrace house with three radiators upstairs and only two downstairs.

Cheers

 

[Softus]

The latest (radiators only coming on when heating was on)

I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to write this.

We have just had the new one fitted and now all the upstairs radiators work but none of the downstairs. The pipes coming down the wall from upstairs are stone cold.

What happens if you shut off all the upstairs radiators?

Somebody else suggested the flow and return may have been mixed up.

If you fire up the boiler after letting it cool down, which pipe gets hot first?

has anyone any idea what the problem might be this time?

Pump? Unlikely in such a new boiler, but how old is the rest of the system?

 

[Rob]

As Softus said turn all your rads off upstairs. If he drained the system to replace the whole motorised valve then its probably just air locked.

Just one point though do this with the hot water turned off on programmer (i.e heating only) otherwise wont have the same effect.

 

[moosie]

Thanks for that. I have a very old system by the sound of it. There is no control on the programmer to allow me to turn the hot water off and keep the heating on. Would changing the switch over on the diverter have the same effect?

 

[Softus]

What happens if you shut off all the upstairs radiators?

If you fire up the boiler after letting it cool down, which pipe gets hot first?

 

[malkie]

What boiler was in before. If you had a back boiler then id be pretty sure a anti gravity valve is in there somewere and may be even if it wasnt a back boiler these old valves are causing a few proplems lately more so when the sytem is drained and refilled the valve stays closed have you got a gate valve on the h/water circs by cylinder if so close it and turn upstairs rads off and see if it pushes heat down just a couple of ideas

 

[Softus]

What happens if you shut off all the upstairs radiators?

 

[moosie]

Turned off the upstairs radiators and I get no heating upstairs or down. Turned them back on and still no heat downstairs. The pump is definately running. The cylinder is in the bathroom. Its seems like the pipe coming out of the top of the cylinder leading to a kind of three way junction on the diverter valve seems to be first. The part going into the diverter is hot and the pipe coming from diverter to pump is hot, but the pipe going from diverter to under the floorboards is cold.

Old boiler not a back boiler. There is a gate valve about a foot up from the cylinder on a pipe leading to under the floorboards. Not tried it yet. but will give it a go.

Thanks

 

[Softus]

Turned off the upstairs radiators and I get no heating upstairs or down.

In that case one or more of the following is true:

1. A distribution pipe is blocked.
2. Your installation has another zone valve that isn't opening.
3. All the downstairs rads are shut off.
4. All the downstairs rads are blocked.

Turned them back on and still no heat downstairs.

As per above.

The pump is definately running. The cylinder is in the bathroom. Its seems like the pipe coming out of the top of the cylinder leading to a kind of three way junction on the diverter valve seems to be first.

WHAT?! The top of the cylinder?!

The part going into the diverter is hot and the pipe coming from diverter to pump is hot, but the pipe going from diverter to under the floorboards is cold.

If that pipe is cold, then how come the upstairs rads are getting hot? Or do you mean it's cold before you turn the upstairs rads back on again?

Old boiler not a back boiler. There is a gate valve about a foot up from the cylinder on a pipe leading to under the floorboards. Not tried it yet. but will give it a go.

What does all of that mean?

 

[moosie]

Thank you for those ideas. I can count out point 3 and possibly points 1 and 4 as the system has been power flushed. Will check out point 2.

Cheers

 

[Softus]

You're assuming that there can't be a blockage on the grounds that the system has been powerflushed. That's a very unwise approach.

Are you also assuming that the rad valves are all open, or have you actually checked?

 

[moosie]

I HAVE ACTUALLY CHECKED

 

[Agile]

Is this a genuine installer with a name, address and CORGI registration?

Did he notify the installation to CORGI who then sent you a blue Certificate?

If he is registered and did not notify CORGI then tell him unless he sorts out all the short comings then you will report him!

If he is not registered then you may have little recourse if you dont know who he is! I really dont know why people do that. If he is third world with a first name and mobile number then you only have yourself to blame. Otherwise you might get somewhere if you can find out who he is.

If you had taken reasonable care and were in our local area, then I would offer to inspect and give you free verbal advice on your options. I dont like to see anyone being ripped off.

Tony Glazier

 

[Softus]

OK, so the remaining possibilities are:

1. A distribution pipe is blocked.
2. Your installation has another zone valve that isn't opening.
4. All the downstairs rads are blocked.

While we're waiting for the facts to emerge about those, could you also provide some celestial enlightenment on the following point:

The pump is definately running. The cylinder is in the bathroom. Its seems like the pipe coming out of the top of the cylinder leading to a kind of three way junction on the diverter valve seems to be first.

WHAT?! The top of the cylinder?!

And also this one:

The part going into the diverter is hot and the pipe coming from diverter to pump is hot, but the pipe going from diverter to under the floorboards is cold.

If that pipe is cold, then how come the upstairs rads are getting hot? Or do you mean it's cold before you turn the upstairs rads back on again?