Radiator on - even though radiators turned off at the boiler

[aires69uk]

[We have a Glow-worm Flexicom 24CX combi boiler.]

I have a situation whereby all radiators were coming on in this hot weather, despite the overall temperature of the house being well above the minimum set on the thermostat. So I turned the thermostatic valve on the kitchen radiator off and I also turned the thermostat off - just moved the setting to the 'Power Off' position. However the bathroom radiator kept coming on - while not too hot to touch it was never the less hot. So I went to the boiler and made sure I left the water on but actually turned the radiator setting off. (When you turn the temperature down far enough on the boiler it actually goes to 'Off').

However I got up this morning and touched the bathroom radiator and it is on!

Two things:

1/ While all radiators in the house have thermostatic valves on, the bathroom radiator does not have one at all. One of the pipes is slightly dented and the guy didn't want to risk fitting one.

2/ We had a kitchen extension built about two years ago and ever since a radiator was fitted in the kitchen (we didn't have one in the kitchen previously), and and the kitchen sink and the boiler were re-sited in the kitchen, and a radiator was replaced in the lounge - whenever you turn the hot water tap on the radiators make a sound like the heating is coming on.
I expect it is rare that anyones heating system is 100% silent and you get to know the noise the radiators make when the heating is coming on, and that is the noise the radiators make when we have been running the hot water - the bathroom radiator in particular I must point out. (By the way we have a ground floor bathroom that is the other side of the wall to the kitchen).

Now is it possible that somehow something is plumbed in incorrectly, or is there some sort of overflow situation going on that's built into a heating system, whereby any excess/surplus hot water is re-routed into the heating system? Because otherwise I am at a loss to know what is going on and why the bathroom radiator is coming on - can anyone help?

 

[aires69uk]

Just checked the two radiators in the bedroom and they are warm to the touch - not hot, just slightly warm.

 

[TheHandyAndy]

Probably a motorised valve stuck...

Can you find something that looks like this?

Untitled

• TheHandyAndy
• 19 Jul 2013
• 1

 

[lizard1975]

When you open a hot tap, does the central heating pipes from the boiler also get warm?

 

[aires69uk]

I'll come back to you guys in 7 days time as I fly to Italy at 6am tomorrow morning - I will definitely come back to you both and thank you for replying.

 

[aires69uk]

Sorry for the delay in replying guys.

The pipes leading to the boiler drop into the boiler from the top and the boiler has a flue to the rear. We chose the boiler we have so it would be as neat and tidy in the kitchen as possible. My brother came around for a BBQ on the BH weekend just gone, and he had a quick look at it. He's a civil engineer and has come across a boiler or two in his time. He also suggested it was a stuck valve but that the valve was probably located somewhere within the actual boiler itself - is this possible? (When we run the hot water tap it 'sounds' like the heating is coming on).

Here is the manual........

http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/stepone/data/downloads_sd/b6/00/00/flexicom-cx-instn.pdf

Do I need to call out a Glow Worm engineer or can you guys give me some advise that would enable me to call out any P&H engineer?

 

[45yearsagasman]

It will be the 3 way valve inside your boiler and any competent boiler repair man should be able to fix it. I'm not sure if Gloworm do a fixed price repair, but if thy do, that might be a better option, if you can't find a good independant.

 

[gigz]

Feel the heating flow pipe (furthest left as you look at boiler) get someone to turn the hot tap on, the flow pipe should'nt get hotter, if it does its the three way valve as suggested.