Brand new pump and Activator, £750 spent, still no downstairs heating!

davinalou

Hi

Hopefully someone can help. I just paid £750 to have a new pump fitted and a new activator as well as a new radiator in the front room. It cost so much because they spent hours today trying to find a blockage that they thought was stopping the radiators from working downstairs. They said that they'd tried everything else and it must be that. However, from reading forums it seems that the sypmtoms I have - really hot rads upstairs freezing cold downstairs - is more commonly caused by a dodgy pump - but mine is brand new. They have reccommended a power flush but said it could cost up to £700!

Does this sound likely? And if so where's the best deal for a power flush?

Please help - Christmas gifts to buy and most of my cash already gone!

Davinalou x

keystone

Please describe your system. What boiler? What configuration? Tanks in loft? etc etc. I have a very real suspicion about what is causing this but need to know answers to be a little more precise.

Thanks

Cheers

Aquatronixjenny

£750 for a pump and Actuator!!! I'm afraid to say that you have been seriously ripped off, and if what they have done hasn't solved the problem then you should not be paying full rate anyway, if anything. It does sound like you need a powerflush. How many radiators do you have? Our rate is £25 per radiator (all inclusive) which is a the average rate for our area (Surrey/Hants) border. £700 seems to be the fixed quote that British Gas are giving people regardless of how many rads they have, it's not them by any chance is it?

Aquatronixjenny

If there is a separate pump and actuator then it sounds like an open vent system.

keystone

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

It does sound like you need a powerflush.

Not convinced.

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

If there is a separate pump and actuator then it sounds like an open vent system.

I agree but I really rather want OP to confirm it.

Cheers

davinalou

Hi

It's an ideal classic ff250, it's downstairs, upstairs is a water tank with the pump and a silver box (I'm assuming this is the actuator) with something else in the loft (another tank? Not sure). It's not a combi boiler.

I'm so sorry I don't know whether it's an open valve system or what - I am totally clueless!

£25 a radiator doesn't sound as bad as £700 - we have 9 radiators.

Davinalou xx

karl-123

sounds like you got robbed to me,
your fault................... for not doing research first,
you can get a brand new honeywell ( 3 port mid position valve ) and a grundfoss 15-60 pump,
all brand new off e-bay for about £ 80 for both
mate, if you can change a tyre on a car you can do that job,
with a little help from your new friends.........put it down to inexperience....bye karl......

davinalou

The pump, radiator and inhibitor cost £260 and the Actuator cost £70. It is the time that has cost the most money- 2 engineers today for 4 hours cost £240.00. I haven't paid the remaining £380.00 and will not pay until it is sorted - whether it's by a flush or by something else. If I just pay them then I have no way to recall them if it turns out the problem is something they should have fixed rather than a blockage. I'm not that daft!

I can change a car tyre but this is beyond my knowledge I'm afraid.

Davina

djohn2002uk

karl-123 wrote: »

sounds like you got robbed to me,
your fault................... for not doing research first,
you can get a brand new honeywell ( 3 port mid position valve ) and a grundfoss 15-60 pump,
all brand new off e-bay for about £ 80 for both
mate, if you can change a tyre on a car you can do that job,
with a little help from your new friends.........put it down to inexperience....bye karl......

Just the sort of post that the OP doesn't need. You obviously hadn't read the original post properly. You don't seem to have a clue what the problem is but just like belittling people. Your type make no contribution to this forum that's worth anything.
Just noticed he's been here one month. Seems a month too long to me.

Aquatronixjenny

davinalou wrote: »

The pump, radiator and inhibitor cost £260 and the Actuator cost £70. It is the time that has cost the most money- 2 engineers today for 4 hours cost £240.00. I haven't paid the remaining £380.00 and will not pay until it is sorted - whether it's by a flush or by something else. If I just pay them then I have no way to recall them if it turns out the problem is something they should have fixed rather than a blockage. I'm not that daft!

I can change a car tyre but this is beyond my knowledge I'm afraid.

Davina

Pump should be £50-70 ish, inhibitor £10, that leaves a very expensive radiator. Most radiators are available for between £30 - £100 depending on size.
If the pump and actuator have been changed and you're still having a problem then yes, in my professional opinion then I would say your system needs a flush. You can either do a chemical flush (pop down screwfix and buy some system cleaner, put it in your (smaller) tank in the attic after drawing down the system a bit, and let it circulate for a couple of weeks and then drain down and refill, putting inhibitor in. If this doesn't sort it then find a local company who will come round and powerflush the system with a guarantee (if the flush doesn't work, you don't pay).

karl-123

your system may be blocked with sludge due to lack of maintenance,
for what you paid you should have got a full new " mid position valve replaced "
rather than just an actuator/motor head