Hi Folks
I have recently purchased a house with a 20 year old CH &HW system. The boiler is a ThornEMI (not certain of model although I can find out) and from what I have read on here, it appears to be a Primatic system (single header tank located above the Cylinder in the bathroom). Now, I have 10 rads with 4 hot and the rest barely lukewarm.
I've traced the hot pipe coming from the boiler into the first rad and traced the outlet from this rad to the next rad and its hot. The outlet from the second rad is also hot and it appears that the pipe then returns to the boiler. However, the other rads appear to be on a second section from the boiler and tracing this pipe to the first rad from the boiler is hot (it also goes to a second rad via the inlet pipe which is also hot). However, the outlet for the first rad is barely lukewarm and this feeds to all the other "lukewarm" rads. I've meddled (yes, not professionally I'm afraid) with balancing but it has made no difference (no, I didn't use thermometers which is wrong for an amateur). Another issue is that some of the valves leak so I intend to kill 2 birds with a single stone and replace them with TRV's(I think you pro's call them that).
I've:-
a) Checked the single header tank which appears to contain and refill (when using hot water) with water.
b) Blead each rad in turn (thus finding that some valves leak badly) which has not resolved the problem
c) Attempted to balance the system albeit rather DIY'shly. Again, not solved the problem.
Questions?
1) How can I drain this kind of system and is it easy to refill (in order to replace the leaky valves and maybe flush each radiator incase any contains gunge).
2) I think that (from reading info. on this forum) that I cannot add rust prevention fluid to this kind of system, correct? If so, what prevents the rads from corroding? (I guess the answer is nothing, right?).
3) What would probably be the cause of the initial problem of some rads hot, some cold? Cold are downstairs and up if that helps.
Any help whatsoever from the experts will be greatly appreciated.
Regards
AH
I have recently purchased a house with a 20 year old CH &HW system. The boiler is a ThornEMI (not certain of model although I can find out) and from what I have read on here, it appears to be a Primatic system (single header tank located above the Cylinder in the bathroom). Now, I have 10 rads with 4 hot and the rest barely lukewarm.
I've traced the hot pipe coming from the boiler into the first rad and traced the outlet from this rad to the next rad and its hot. The outlet from the second rad is also hot and it appears that the pipe then returns to the boiler. However, the other rads appear to be on a second section from the boiler and tracing this pipe to the first rad from the boiler is hot (it also goes to a second rad via the inlet pipe which is also hot). However, the outlet for the first rad is barely lukewarm and this feeds to all the other "lukewarm" rads. I've meddled (yes, not professionally I'm afraid) with balancing but it has made no difference (no, I didn't use thermometers which is wrong for an amateur). Another issue is that some of the valves leak so I intend to kill 2 birds with a single stone and replace them with TRV's(I think you pro's call them that).
I've:-
a) Checked the single header tank which appears to contain and refill (when using hot water) with water.
b) Blead each rad in turn (thus finding that some valves leak badly) which has not resolved the problem
c) Attempted to balance the system albeit rather DIY'shly. Again, not solved the problem.
Questions?
1) How can I drain this kind of system and is it easy to refill (in order to replace the leaky valves and maybe flush each radiator incase any contains gunge).
2) I think that (from reading info. on this forum) that I cannot add rust prevention fluid to this kind of system, correct? If so, what prevents the rads from corroding? (I guess the answer is nothing, right?).
3) What would probably be the cause of the initial problem of some rads hot, some cold? Cold are downstairs and up if that helps.
Any help whatsoever from the experts will be greatly appreciated.
Regards
AH