Radiators only work on one floor?

donnaessex

Hi experts! We have lived in our house for 4 years and have never had what you could call a warm home.

The last three years however, only the upstairs heating has been working, we use electric heaters downstairs. We had the system flushed 18 months ago. I have a newborn baby, so since September, I have been on a mission to get it fixed and have been researching.

When the upstairs rads are turned off, the downstairs get warm, but only just and they take about 90 mins to get as hot as they will get. I have spent weeks trying to balance the system, turning knobs an eighth of a turn this way and that, but have never had all the rads working at the same time. If all rads are on, the upstairs is toasty and warm (as it always is) but the downstairs aren't on at all.

I am thinking that the pump isn't sufficient to get round the whole house? We bought an empty house, so didn't ever get to speak with the previous owners but I know the boiler is 8 years old now, a Potterton Suprima (not a combi), so there is no pressure guage I can check. I cant work out the exact mapping system for the radiators either, ie which is first and last in the circuit.

I am far more "handy" than my husband - he's leaving this little project to me!!! Anyone got any advice?

macman

3 years? What you have paid out in the extra cost of electric heating downstairs over 3 years would have (many times over) paid for a plumber or RGI to sort out the problem. Heating by electricity is about 300-350% more expensive than gas.
What did the plumber who flushed the system say about the problem?
If it heats up upstairs then it's unlikely to be a pump problem. Do you have zone valves on the system?There is no pressure to check, as it's not a pressurised circuit.
Presumably you have bled all the rads and checked that you have water flowing into the header tank in the loft if you depress the ballc*ck (i.e. sure that there is sufficient water in the circuit)?
What CH temp setting have you set on the boiler? What controls do you have (room 'stat/programmer, TRV's)?

donnaessex

We did it ourselves after a plumber told us it might need a flush. We bought the gear from B&Q, left it for a month and then flushed it.

macman

And the other questions? How large is the property? A conventional CH install won't have separate upstairs and downstairs circuits.

donnaessex

You edited after I replied.

Its a normal three bed semi, the boiler is in the loft. Where would I find the ballc*ck? You obviously know your stuff! I have no idea how to check the temp on the boiler - you have to take the casing off to get to it. All that is easily accessible to me is a power button and a reset button? I am probably wrong about that.

I don't know what a zone valve is. They have TRV's on each rad.

I have bled all the rads yes, there is no air in them.

Controls - just one thermostat in the living room.

Thanks for your help!

macman

Which model Suprima? There are dozens. Not familiar with the controls but is there not maybe a flip -down panel allowing access to the other controls? It seems that you have never regulated the temp of the CH circuit if you aren't aware of that control.
Header tank will be in the loft, it's like a small cold water tank. It should have water in it, that's what tops up your CH circuit. TRV's but no room 'stat?
Zone valves allow you to control different 'zones' independently, but very unlikely in a 3 b/r semi. When was the boiler last serviced?
Did you actually remove the rads when flushing, or did you just use a flushing chemical?

a&akay

donnaessex wrote: »

Hi experts! We have lived in our house for 4 years and have never had what you could call a warm home.

The last three years however, only the upstairs heating has been working, we use electric heaters downstairs. We had the system flushed 18 months ago. I have a newborn baby, so since September, I have been on a mission to get it fixed and have been researching.

When the upstairs rads are turned off, the downstairs get warm, but only just and they take about 90 mins to get as hot as they will get. I have spent weeks trying to balance the system, turning knobs an eighth of a turn this way and that, but have never had all the rads working at the same time. If all rads are on, the upstairs is toasty and warm (as it always is) but the downstairs aren't on at all.

I am thinking that the pump isn't sufficient to get round the whole house? We bought an empty house, so didn't ever get to speak with the previous owners but I know the boiler is 8 years old now, a Potterton Suprima (not a combi), so there is no pressure guage I can check. I cant work out the exact mapping system for the radiators either, ie which is first and last in the circuit.

I am far more "handy" than my husband - he's leaving this little project to me!!! Anyone got any advice?

Good for you, well done on trying to sort this. My take on a conventional system, which I've been used to and that you seem to be describing, is that all CH pipework needs to rise to a vent point or at best be horizontal, eg if if notched into floor joists. These vent points will be either be in your radiators, the vent to your (small) feed and expansion tank or possibly in your boiler. Any trapped air, or gassing off from corrosion due to lack of inhibitor, may block the CH hot water flow.

Leave the nearest radiator to the boiler on the the ground floor on its normal setting. Set all other radiator TRVs to * frost setting, or the non-lockshield (balancing), if no trvs fitted, to off. Set the pump speed to maximum, normally III. After a few minutes, open the next nearest radiator to the bolier valve to either on or a high trv setting eg 5. Close the nearest radiator setting to * or off. This way the power from the pump will be dedicated to overcoming any air/gas blockage in the isolated pipework in the next section. Repeat throughout the ground floor and vent your radiators. If solved, you may need to dose your system with more inhibitor, you can do this via an upstairs radiator vent with the CH off. Re-set the trvs to what you need and open any non lockshield valves.

plumb1_2

donnaessex wrote: »

I am far more "handy" than my husband - he's leaving this little project to me!!! Anyone got any advice?

Get a good plumber or heating engineer to sort it out for you. leaving B&Q cleaner in for a month ain't gonna do any good.

donnaessex

Sorry for going quiet on you all - investigating a bit more following your advice. Be back soon!

southcoastrgi

this could be interesting