Radiators problems

[glasuni03]

Hi Guys, These last few weeks I am experiencing some annoying issues with our new GCH system. Recently had new Worcester Bosh Greenstar Ri fitted (not combi boiler but conventional) and have issues!!! The system has a significant amount of air in it and I need to bleed every day and you would honestly not believe how much air comes out. It takes approximately 15 second to bleed the rads upstairs as these are the ones with the problems. The air splurts out in bubbles. They all have brand new danfoss RAS TRV's (the ones that can be fitted on either the flow or return. When the central heating turns on you hear the rads filling with water almost instantaneously and then they start to tick which has never happened in the past. There are no problems with the rads downstairs which is also confusing!

Now we have just turned on the hot water only to run a bath and you can here the water entering into the upstairs rads only which I am not sure should be happening??

Point worth mentioning too is that we had the system powerflushed a few weeks after the new boiler was installed to allow Sentinel X800 to work. The powerflush took best part of 6 hours to complete. When they went to refill the system they said that the cold feed was blocked?? surely after a powerflush there should be no blocks??

Is there any professionals on this forum tonight that could share their wisdom to help resolve all of the above points. We though by buying a new boiler and TRV's we would have a better system but sadly it has caused a lot of issues.

Thanks

 

[45yearsagasman]

If you have a blocked cold feed it should have been rectified during the flush.
A powerflush will not remove that type of blockage, it has to be done manually. Usually by cutting out the affected pipework and clearing or replacing the pipe. With a blocked feed, air will constantly be drawn in to the system. This needs to be remedied as it will do harm to your system. The company who did the flush should be called back. If possible, post a pic of the pipework around the cold feed and vent connections.

 

[glasuni03]

Thanks for your feedback I will contact the company first thing tomorrow morning.

When you say "it will do harm to my system"...what like?

Also do you have any feedback on why my radiators were filling with water when only hot water to the cylinder was required?

Thanks

 

[Agile]

I always find these kind of postings odd!

Surely if they identified a blocked cold feed ( which does seem likely ) then why did they apparently not fix it?

Tony

 

[glasuni03]

Hi Tony, I have absolutely no idea? But I will be asking this in the morning. When they went to fill it and it wouldn't fill he used an old hose pipe to blow through which obviously cleared the block.

This whole replacing old GCH system has turned into a nightmare really!!

As I have mentioed the rads fill with water too when only hot water on and it is driving us mad.

Cheers

 

[Agile]

Using a hosepipe is a bodge way to fill a system when the vcold feed is blocked!¬

It will not fix the blockage. Thats involes cutting pipes!

Sounds like a right lazy cowboy!

Tony

 

[45yearsagasman]

"it will do harm to my system"...what like?

Oxygenated water will accelerate corrosion in your system. Get it sorted asap. Make sure fresh inhibitor is added.

 

[glasuni03]

I've just sent the gas company an email to advise that I would like this looked into and will also call them too in the morning as I dont want problems with burst rads.

Any idea why the rads take in water when only hot water is on? Excuse me if I am been silly but I assumed that the rads would only fill with water when the central heating timer came on?

Thanks guys

 

[Terry lambert]

Do you mean your rads vet hot when your when hot water only is on?

Could be a faulty three port if that's what you have, or a wiring problem or reverse circulation ( piping problem)

Just read your main post, they obviously have to come back, it all sounds a bit strange.

 

[dcawkwell]

Vented systems have no place in a modern heating system.
Go sealed no messing about like this.

 

[glasuni03]

Hi Terry - The rads dont go hot but you can hear water entering the rads which is strange to me.

Unfortunately I cant afford to buy a new boiler as I just spent several thousand with the installation of the new Worcerster Bosch!

I hate this new system but hind sight is a great thing!!

 

[Agile]

Your problem is just a blocked feed pipe. Something the installers should have sorted out at installation.

I would have done it at no extra cost if I was the installer.

Some others would want to make more money out of it. My view is that its easy for me to do while there and I had not spotted it during my survey.

Tony Glazier

 

[glasuni03]

Hi Guys, update - I had the gas company out today and to be fair they could not have been any more supportive

They clarified that I did not have a blocked pipe but rather an air lock so there are no remedies required. This was my mistake.

When they looked at the rads upstairs to see the air problem with the rads this went away when both the hot water AND GCH were on at the same time. It made me look silly but I asked them to look at just GCH being on itself as this was when I first noticed the problem and the rads upstairs DID fill up with air. The answer from the engineer was that there is still air in the system from the last time it was drained approximately 10 days ago and to see how it is at the end of the week.

I am still confused why the rads filled up with air when just the GCH was on? Any ideas that I can discuss with the engineer at the end of the week? The GCH pump is upstairs in a cupboard next to the bedrooms.

Thanks