Not sure whether to pressurise central heating or not...

[brooky_agb]

I've moved into a new house with 21 radiators. I have literally spent days trying to balance up the radiators... I have used Fernox F5 to clean it all out... I've flushed it twice.

I think I'm getting somewhere balancing the rads turning the lock valves millimeters at a time but then next time the heating comes on half of them don't work again.

What are the down side of pressurising the system? Will this solve my troubles? Is this a good plan or a bad idea?

What happens when the pressure gets low as I'm sure it must do or does it sustain itself?

 

[kevplumb]

putting the system under pressure will not solve anything

 

[brooky_agb]

That actually makes sense. Godamnit... I don't think I will ever get this system balanced.... its blooming difficult.

A plumber came over and showed me how to do it but said I should do it myself as it will be expensive to have a plumber there for a day to balance it up.

 

[bellairaphon]

21 rads big system then. what boiler do you have kw rating??

 

[kevindgas]

sounds like the pump isn't man enough, what pump has the system got?

 

[brooky_agb]

Hello, I'm disappointed to wake up today with one radiator!! One measly radiator and its not even that hot.

We have a WSP ESE 125 three speed pump which is on full. It definitely works... and a Boulter Camray 3 which is quite a big oil boiler.

 

[bengasman]

A plumber came over and showed me how to do it but said I should do it myself as it will be expensive to have a plumber there for a day to balance it up.

Unless you want the system tuned 100%, 2 or 3 hours should be enough to get all the rads working more or less the same.

 

[kevplumb]

fair sized system

might be worth fitting a second pump