Radiators not warming- advice needed

independence_2

Need some advice please
Gas boiler 10 years old Powermax- house 10 years old.
Radiators are cold apart from one in the bathroom that is heating up. Hot water is hot from the taps
Had engineer from local firm out-Pump is working fine he says but there is a blockage in the system at the return pipe work back into the boiler. He cannot get at it he says and recommends a new boiler. Also says the system needs flushing as the water in the radiators is dirty. He cannot fit a new bolier and the people he recommended cannot do a new boiler installation for two months.
One neighbour had a similar problem and a flush cured it and another neighbour with the same problem had to have some pipes replaced which solved the problem.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

DGJsaver

Could it not be as simple as bleeding the radiators ?

And your bloke you had out seems a bit too keen to get you to buy a new boiler:beer:

Premier_2

How could a replacement boiler rectify a blockage in the return pipe?

Perhaps ask the neighbour who resolved his similar issue who he used to have the system flushed and contact them for advice?

DGJsaver

Premier wrote: »

How could a replacement boiler rectify a blockage in the return pipe?

Thats what i thought

seems strange , this bloke, doesnt work for british gas does he

notbritishgas

You have not said if you have a combi boiler or a conventional system with a storage cylinder for hot water. If a conventional one then the blocked pipe back to the boiler theory does not hold water:rotfl: because the hot water normally uses the same pipe back to the boiler as the heating.
It could be an airlock in the heating system. Try turning off every radiator except one then putting the heating on and see if that radiator gets hot, repeat the exercise with the other radiators.

Theo_Cupier

Try bleeding the radiators which don't heat up.
If it is a blockage then it could be fixed by simply draining out the system and carefully refilling it, about 2 hours work.
It could still be the pump - you sometimes can't tell how effective it's being until you take the old one out and put a brand new, fully working one in there. Replacement shouldn't take more than an hour or so of labour, pump won't cost more than £50 or so.
Power flushing is expensive and you need to make sure the job is done properly. I'd consider it a bit of a "last resort" (prior to replacing anything major) since it can be destructive to old components - like radiators. By "properly" you need to make sure that the engineer flushes each radiator individually - ie closes off all the other radiators and flushes a circuit of just 1 radiator at a time. If you flush all the radiators in a loop, you run the risk of just pushing the blockage (or sludge) around the system and never getting it out.

I also don't understand the diagnosis that the boiler is at fault - if you had no heating or hot water, it might be a better diagnosis. Also, a blockage in the return pipe to the boiler would probably result in a fault in the boiler because of poor water flow. You've not mentioned experiencing this.

ALIBOBSY

We had 2 radiators working and none of the others, but the boiler was on and pipes were hot. We got advice from a DIY forum that worked, we had individual thermostat controls on each raditor and they needed taking off and the pin inside cleaning plus bleeding each radiator. Sorted.
ali x

independence_2

Thanks for all the advice
It is a conventional boiler
Have bled some of the radiators downstairs but not all
I agree with Premier and DGJ as to how it would solve the blockage in a return pipe. No he doesn't work for British Gas:D

I am still waiting for another guy I spoke to to get back to me but alas I think that is a vain hope. He , by the way doesn't think I need a new boiler and said he thought the first guy had it all wrong. I've spoke to my neighbour and he will ask his mate who solved his to help if this second guy doesn't get back.
Thanks again

peachyprice

You have to bleed all the rads, in order, starting with the first in the circuit.

independence_2

I did a trial today
turning off all and then turning them on one by one and ended up with two lovely and hot ones upstairs but no more. Anyway my neighbour has contacted his friend who is going to call on Monday. As everyone seems to be saying there is not much wrong with the boiler if I can get two lovely hot ones, yes? Suggests a blockage of some sort?
So fingers crossed

Thanks