Most upstairs radiators not heating up?

Waterlily24

Hi

Our oil boiler is just over two years old and we have a problem with some of the upstairs radiators not heating up.

All the downstairs ones do and it's lucky that we have a chalet bungalow and our bedroom is downstairs. The upstairs doesn't get used much apart from my craftroom.

There are three rooms and a bathroom up there and the bathroom radiator does get hot but the other three don't.

Any suggestions what to do please.

My hubby has bled all the radiators several times and one of his mates suggested turning all the downstairs radiators off to see if that made any difference, it didn't lol.

The boiler is a Worcester Greenstar Heatslave 25/32.

Cardew

The first step I suggest would be to balance the CH system if possible. See:

http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/DIY/how-balance-radiators

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUWbxccVDpc

Waterlily24

Thank you for the reply, we don't have a thermometer but have tried everything else and they still don't work.

wrightk

just a quick question... is your plumbing done properly? Im not sure if oil systems are the same as multi fuel but we had exactly the same problem as you with our stove. tried everything. turned out the pipes from the pump to feed upstairs were the 15mm ones instead of 22mm which meant that only one rad was hot and there wasnt enough circulation to get to the other rads

edit; as i understand your meant to have 22mm pipes going upstairs until the point when they join onto the rads when they convert to the standard 15mm

Waterlily24

Hi wrightK

I presume so but I'm no expert lol, we got the certificate when it was all done and it has worked before. Looks like we'll have to get someone in to check which we really didn't want to do as money is tight.

Browntoa

Was it only the boiler that was replaced using old rads etc from before ?

Possibly sludge in system or failed/stuck rad valves

Sharp taps with a hammer or something on the valves sides may free them

wrightk

Waterlily24 wrote: »

Hi wrightK

I presume so but I'm no expert lol, we got the certificate when it was all done and it has worked before. Looks like we'll have to get someone in to check which we really didn't want to do as money is tight.

the fact that it has worked before seems to suggest something has happened to stop them working, rather than it being incorrectly plumbed in. follow browntoa's advice, good luck i hope you sort it soon

Waterlily24

Browntoa wrote: »

Was it only the boiler that was replaced using old rads etc from before ?

Possibly sludge in system or failed/stuck rad valves

Sharp taps with a hammer or something on the valves sides may free them

Hi Browntoa

It was a complete new system. We did quite a big extension which included taking the whole roof off, it's really like a new house with old walls. lol

darren_clarke

sounds like a pump problem can you hear the pump start up

malc_b

Maybe you have an airlock. I'd suggest turning on the central heating and turn the hot water off and then turn off all but one radiator. If that rad heats up then turn on the next then turn off that one. Do that for all radiators so the pump is running full bore through just one radiator for each radiator in turn and see if they all get warm individually. This should also shift any air lock. And if not you could also try turning the pump speed to 3 to force the air out.

After that you'll need to bleed the radiators again. And it is a good idea only to bleed radiators with the pump off. If the CH is done right the pump should increase the pressure but done wrong an you can have negative pressure when the pump is on so bleeding lets in air rather than letting it out.

Waterlily24

darren_clarke wrote: »

sounds like a pump problem can you hear the pump start up

Hi yes, we can hear the pump.

Thanks for the reply.