Gas central heating not starting

[Neil Jones]

I have a gas central heating system. The main boiler system consists of two tanks one on top of the other. The top one beng hot water and actually open at the top. I don't know how old it is because it was here when I moved in.

The system has not been used at all for some months. I don't use it to heat hot water as I do this independently when I need it.

Switching on the system tonight I find that the pump activates but the bottom tank does not heat up. I think there is no gas flame ignition. The pump also seems noisier than it should. but that is difficult to judge.

Before I call somone out to look at it can anyone diagnose what may be the problem and what if anything I can do?

[Codswallop]

Is the gas supply turned on? Is the pilot light lit? What make and model of boiler?

[Neil Jones]

The gas supply to the house is working. It operates the cooker OK. I cannot see how it enters the boiler so cannot check anything to do with it. It has not been touched since it last worked. There is no visible pilot light on this system. It is switched on and off with a standard electrical switch next to the timing mechanism on the side of the cupboard in which the tanks sit. The only name on the bare copper tanks is Fortic I can see no model number.

[Owain]

The Fortic is a combination hot-and-cold storage tank and the cold is at the *top*. That's not a boiler.

I presume you have a gas boiler elsewhere in the house - perhaps a Baxi back boiler behind the gas fire in the lounge? - in which case the bottom front 'skirt' of the fire should flip off and reveal some boiler gubbins below. You should be able to see a boiler pilot light, and the boiler fire up when the timeswitch is turned on.

If you haven't got a pilot light, the instructions are usually on the inside of the flip-off skirt.

If you have a pilot light but the boiler does not fire, then a valve might be stuck.

If you have a pilot light and the boiler fires for about 30 s, turns off, and makes boiling noises, the pump's broken.

Owain

[marcusb3495]

lille tip form a heating engineer...

dont turn your heating off for moths on end and expect its going to work

always turn it on cool for a few mins at lease once a month

by sounds of it ,,,,it could be anything--from simplw likw pilot out to air lock to blocked cold feed

Neil J>

[Graham]

This "gas boiler" sounds like an indirect combanation cylinder, possibly with an electric immersion heater. Are you saying that there isn't some other water-heating device in your property?

[Neil Jones]

Hot water isn't a problem I Have other sources no problem. I stopped heating the water with this system some time ago. It is very inefficient and also the cupboard is in the bedroom and it is warm enough in summer without haveing a hot water tamk in there at night.

[marcusb3495]

god this is frustrating

for god sake what you are looking at is the cylinder---a fortic tank i hope you call me so i can charge you for being so silly .......

Owa> >>>I have a gas central heating system. The main boiler system consists of > >>>two

[Qatar Airlines Passanger]

You need to find your boiler you are confusing it with the water tanks. It will be a box shaped thing connected by pipes to the water tanks. Then you need to find any indentifying marks on it. You need to see if there is a pilot light, this is usually visable but you might have to take off a cover.

[Codswallop]

This gas boiler that heats water for the radiators must be somewhere. It will have a gas and electricity supply, and water pipes connected. It will also have a flue that exits either up a chimney or through a vent in a wall or roof. Are you saying that this gas boiler is in a cupboard in a bedroom, or does this cupboard only contain the Fortic hot water cylinder, in which case the gas boiler is elsewhere, say behind a gas fire? If it's behind a gas fire there are usually two copper pipes running up the side of the chimney breast through the ceiling for supply and return of hot water to the hot water cylinder and radiators. The boiler was probably serviced at some stage (I hope) so a plumber must have seen it.

[Neil Jones]

I realised these were tanks. But I asumed that something was heating the water directly. After all all a boiler is is a tank you heat with special bits around it of course. There is space around where I cannot see things especially in a void under the cupboard. I presume pipes are doing things there. There is certainly access for a vent

Thats it. I've never used the gas fire except to check that it worked when I moved in. I have been using it today to get some heat going.

Spot on.

I am not a gas engineer so I wouldn't have attempted to fiddle with the gas fire. I didn't notice that the skirt came off. And the pipes going upstairs around this oddly renovated old house were very well camouflaged.

Well it fires for about a minute or two and goes off. So a guess it is the pump. The pump runs but it is making more noise than usual.

Unless anyone can suggest anything else could be causing it I will need to get somone in to fix the pump.