Central Heating

[DerbyBorn]

A mate has heating problems. He had a powerflush 2 years ago which didn't fix it. He had a contract with Scottish Power and all they can do is offer to fit a new pump despite his pump being onto 2 years old. The say he needs a powerflush - surely not!

The problem is - how can he find someone to diagnose and fix the problem. It is not a traditional plumbers (pipe strangler) job. It is not a boiler problem. It could be balancing or control.

Who has the diagnosis skill and commitment to find and fix the problem without just replacing things and doing money making jobs?

[Martin Pentreath]

Maybe tell us what the problem is?

[Andy Burns]

So what are the problems ... not all rads getting hot, or overall not providing enough heat? Something else?

If he turns all but one rad off, one at a time, are they each capable of getting hot individually?

[tabbypurr]

that's kinda what we're here for

NT

[DerbyBorn]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I have not been to see it for myself. It seems that some downtairs radiators do not heat up. I have talked him through balancing and checking his TRVs are not stuck. He claims his DHW gets really hot - I have suggested he sets the cylinder stat to a lower setting - he tries to control things with his timer. I even wonder if there is a wiring issue. Some parts are not very accessible and I don't want to go round as I might attract a ping-fuckit. It just seems that many plumbers are really pipe fitters or new part fitters and don't spend time understanding a system and doing a proper diagnosis.

[Andy Burns]

Heating engineer vs plumber?

[Andrew Gabriel]

If you said what town it is, someone here might know a heating engineer in the area capable of diagnosing a system fault.

[alan_m]

Air lock in pipes feeding radiators? Turn off all radiators except one that's not getting hot and perhaps turn the pump to the highest speed for a short period.

[Muddymike]

The bathroom radiator in the cottage we rented a couple of weeks ago was cold despite the pipes to and from being hot. I luckily the bleed screw was slotted so I didn't need a key to bleed it. Once bled of more air than I ever bled from one rad in the past it worked perfectly.

I told the owner what I had done when they called in later in the week. The response "Bled ??? sorry I don't know what that is" !!!

Mike

[Martin Brown]

OK. This sounds very familiar.

There is a 3 way valve that has got stuck so that the hot water tank is always being heated and one of the house zones is never heated.

I'd trace back the hot water coil feed and find the offending valve.

It may just have seized up completely or the motor burnt out - my parent's has stalagmites underneath it! It could be that the control signals are not reaching it but mechanical failure is more likely.

The superheated hot water is a bit of a give away.

[alan_m]

Is there also an immersion heater that may have been left on?

A recent observation with my own heating system where a tank of water can be heated by both the boiler and a immersion heater. Water heated by the immersion heater is too hot [1] even through the immersion thermostat is set to 60C. 2 digital thermometers with wired sensors were placed with one sensor at the top of the tank and the other half way down. Both in contact with the copper tank and both under the fairly thick insulating jacket.

When heating the water by the boiler top of tank = 59C, mid tank = 58C

When heating the tank by immersion heater top of tank = 74C, mid tank = 57C

I assume from this that the temperature sensor for the immersion heater is actually in the end of the long probe that fits into the immersion fitting and monitoring the temperature mid tank.

[1] The immersion gets switched on about once every 3 months to give a quick boost to the heating of the water so its not too much of a problem.

[DerbyBorn]

I thought we all carried radiator keys on our keyrings! Perhaps it is only for when we have daughters in rented university accomodation!

[DerbyBorn]

Derby

[tabbypurr]

Send him to uk.d-i-y

NT

[Bob Eager]

And of course the little forked keys for those 'special' light switches ...

[Murmansk]

If you post a message in the Central Heating and Boilers section of the Forum on ultimatehandyman.co.uk they may be able to help and will probably be able to suggest a suitable person in your area

[ARW]

But which brand?

[Bob Eager]

The ones that work where I work!

[ARW]

As you can imagine I have a variety of emergency lighting key switches and fire alarm call point key switches. I cannot fit them all onto one key ring!

I was nearly stuffed the other day at work when I needed a Legrand emergency light key switch that I do not not have. I have now ordered one.

So I just turned off the lighting circuit MCB. Talk about whinging.

A dozen office workers having no light other than from that supplied by the sun coming in through their windows for a few minutes whilst I swapped their faulty emergency exit light.

Normally at such places you have

1. A bloke that will offer to find you the office owned emergency light key switch (he then disappears and only returns after power is back on to tell you the key switch is not where it used to be and he needs to report this to management)

1. Some bloke telling you how you how to wire up the new emergency light.

2. Some woman that works in management that looks like your Mother asking if you are OK on those steps. And then says after you have swapped the light fitting "I've told him before where the key switch is, I put it there and he is not looking properly for it"

1. Some woman offering to make me a cup of tea but is prepared to hold the steps for me (not needed as it is only about 2.4m) whilst I change the fitting and the kettle boils. She then gives me a cup of coffee.

[charles]

I have an MK key for a keyswitch on mine, but then I deal with electricery.