Central heating radiators going cold downstairs when hot water put on.. Help!!

mikeluxy

Ill have a search for the balancing valve....at the moment the tank is covered in an insuslating jacket which is hiding many of the connections....would a balancing valve normally be at the top or the bottom of the tank...?

gas4you

I fit all mine on the indirect return pipe, that is near the bottom of the cylinder. Usually this will just be a standard gate valve.

mikeluxy

There is a valve which comes from the expansion tank that joins onto the pipe which then goes into the system pump and there is also a valve just above the tank which I assume controls water going into the hot water tank from the main water tank in the loft ...but I cant find any others as yet....

mikeluxy

Sorry but there seems to be no other valves on the system (certainly within the vicinity of the tank in the airing cupboard)

1984ReturnsForReal_2

mikeluxy wrote: »

Sorry but there seems to be no other valves on the system (certainly within the vicinity of the tank in the airing cupboard)

You should have 2 red wheel valves or 2 stop c ocks



Anyways, each time I read this I cant help but think someone has either played with the locksheilds (unbalancing the system) or it was never set up properly in the first place.

Failing that it can only be a semi-blocked/blocked pipe downstairs.

Everything else you have confirmed as working..

closed

gate valves are easy to break if tightened too much, so be careful if you close any.

keystone

Have you got a small magnet?

If so go to where your hot water cylinder is located. You should find on the flow pipe from the boiler in this order a 22mm vent pipe which ends up over the F&E tank, a 15mm feed pipe from the bottom of the F&E tank and then the pump. You may also have an air separator.

I'd be interested to know if the magnet sticks to the pipe where the 15mm feed pipe joins the pipe from the boiler.

Cheers.

mikeluxy

Hi There...I can see the place you are talking about on my system but alas no magnetic attraction there...I suspect you are maybe suspecting a build of of gunge at that point which would attract a magnet....?

mikey72

mikeluxy wrote: »

Hi There

I have removed the heads of the TRV's and still no joy....and the problem is that the rooms downstairs are not getting to any temperature at all (just staying cold)..as mentioned the rads downstairs will only get hot if the hot water is turned off..im wondering if its a blockage in the rads and maybe with the hot water AND the rads turned on there is not enough "Oooomph" or power to push the hot water through the system.......?

Have you checked the pin is actually free to move. Try pressing it down with a flat screwdiver or similar, and it should depress, then spring back up when you let go. If it doesn't, or it's stiff, put wd40 on it and try again.

mikeluxy

Many Thanks M8....I have also done this and all the pin valves move freely....the mystery deepens!!!