We have a 4 bedroom house built in 1950 with an oil fired Thorn 90/120 boiler connected to a one-pipe system with 8 rads downstairs and 8 rads upstairs all fed from pipework in the first floor. We have thankfully had very few boiler problems over the past 24 years, but the boiler stopped last week and on investigating I discovered that the F&E tank in the loft was empty as the ballcock had stuck in the up position. This was easily rectified and the tank refilled itself and the boiler restarted and runs providing hot water but no heat to the radiators.
I have tried bleeding a number of the rads, and this enables some heat to rise in that rad temporarily, but doesn't effect the other rads.
The curious thing is that for many years the heating system used to have priority when the boiler started, and only once the rads were all warm would the bath water get hot. However recently the water gets hot first, with the result that the boiler shuts down before the rads can heat up.
Are these two observations connected, and what can I do to remedy the problems?
I have tried bleeding a number of the rads, and this enables some heat to rise in that rad temporarily, but doesn't effect the other rads.
The curious thing is that for many years the heating system used to have priority when the boiler started, and only once the rads were all warm would the bath water get hot. However recently the water gets hot first, with the result that the boiler shuts down before the rads can heat up.
Are these two observations connected, and what can I do to remedy the problems?
