sludge, 15mm pipes, 15 rads and balancing problem

[shaunyab]

Hi I would welcome anymore suggestions as I am about to blow my top.

Got a s plan hybrid system it looks as though the only 22 mm is from the flow and return. there are 3 15mm drops each feeding at least 3 rads tothe ground floor.
The problem is that the rads to the ground floor are not getting warm.

So far I have dosed the system with SM-4 which had little effect. Did not want to power flush as the system is very old and the valves are shall we say alittle leaky and some of the rads are corroding at the bottom.

Tried to balance the system the only way I could get the downstairs bedroom rad warm was to lock off the 3 hall rads, then leaving the upstairs rads luke warm.

So changed the leaking rad valves, took off the rads and flushed them through.

Locked off all the rads except the furthest one, after an hour the rads was still not warm. (before doing this bled rads and air from cylinder)
The situation is exactly the same, tried pulling the water through, as it only gets within 1 foot of the tee. there is not blockage in the tee as I have checked it.

Any suggestions?

 

[gas4you]

If you've got 15 rads all coming off mainly 15mm pipe work sounds like a headache for you from the start. 15mm will only carry around 4-4.5Kw heat efficiently at best.

before you start check the expansion tank for sludge etc and see where the cold feed is taken off. I have had this same problem and when I checked the cold feed was off the 'floor' of the exp tank, refilling system constantly with c***.

Have you checked pump is circulating ok? is 2 port valve opening ok?

Sounds like a re-design and start again job to me

 

[shaunyab]

Yes I ahve taken all the sludge out of the expansion tank, as it was pretty grim and I changed the pump from a 15-50 to a 15-60

 

[gas4you]

have you proof that it has ever worked properly or are you being caught out by customer Still think you need to quote for re-install with proper sized pipe work

 

[shaunyab]

the tenants say that the downstairs has never been warm, before I put in the sm-4 I did manage to get the 2 large downstairs rads hot but they soon faded.
The landlord of course says that when he lived there it worked....but the again he would!!

 

[gas4you]

now we find its a landlord you are certainly on to a lose lose situation here. They never want to spend money

 

[shaunyab]

tell me about it!!!!!
something tells me that the surprise he will get from the bill will make the ink from his biro dry out!