Help! No central heating!

sarah6916

Hello

Please could someone help? About a month ago I had a radiator fitted in my conservatory and since then the heating was working although I noticed a slight dripping noise on my conservatory roff which I didn't think anything about. However on Thursday my heating suddenly stopped working, I can still get hot water but my radiators remain freezing! I have tried turning up the thermostat but no result. However after discussing this with another parent at my sons football they suggested that perhaps the dripping had been from the overflow and that the reason that my heating may not work might be because the pressure had dropped. If that was the case all I would need to do would be to increase the amount of water in the system, bleed the rads and then the pressure would come back up. My question is, how do I do this?!? :huh: Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction please? I have booked a plumber who is coming out on Thursday but if I could solve this without having to pay the call out charge that would be great. (and to be honest a little liberating!!!!!) Also it would mean that I wouldn't have to dress the children in 14 layers!!!!

Thanks in advance and sorry if I have waffled!!

Sarah

bob_a_builder

its going to depend on the exact form of central heating you have but ....

If it is the CH header tank thats overflowing then it must have plently of water in it !! - so its unlikely to be the cause of the problem

Possibly the divertor valve / hot water cly stat is no longer working and has stuck on hot water only

But does depend on what system you've got

Party_Animal

Sarah, as Bob says ,we need to know what kind of system it is. If its a combi and the pressure's dropped you won't get heating or hot water. Can you not get the guy back who fixed the rad?

sarah6916

Thank you to both of you for your replies. I have done a little investigation and have found that I have an Apollo boiler in a cupboard upstairs and underneath that is a tank with a switchmaster valve. There is also a switchmaster thermostat on the wall downstairs. I have yet to get into the loft and will have to wait until little one goes to bed this evening to do that!

Party_Animal

Sarah, the tank under the boiler, is it a copper cylinder ( cystern)?

sarah6916

It says that it is a copper cylinder, indirect coil, 450 x 900mm

Party_Animal

Sarah, its not a combi and Bob's right if none of the rads are getting hot its probably the motorised valve that's not opening the heating circuit. A tap sometimes works but you're better getting someone to look at it.

sarah6916

Sorry about delay, huge thanks for having a think about it though. It was worth trying and i really appreciate your efforts.

Sarah

lardlikesdogs

Hi sarah not sure what system you have got but this happened to me and it turned out to be the pump that had jammed it might be worth a look in your cupboard to see if you have a grundfos pump if you do there should be a screw in the middle of the front turn off your heating let the pump cool down unscrew the the screw it comes out all the way then use a flat head screwdriver to turn the valve inside to your right it will only turn a bit then pop the screw back in and turn your heating back on , there may be a little water come out when you take the screw out this is normal, I am no plumber but this worked for me and saved me a few quid.
Thanks John.

Canucklehead

Hi

Not sure if you can get that make any more.
I don't know if you have a 3 port or two two port valves but you should be able to manually open the valve .
If the boiler is heating the hot water then it will circulate around the heating.
Might keep you warm for a few days?

Corgi Guy.

sarah6916

I just wanted to say that the Corgi chap came out yesterday and unfortunately condemned my boiler!!! :eek: It is spilling carbon monoxide and has severe damage to gas valve. I regularly have my boiler serviced so I guess you never can tell but it has made me order a carbon monoxide detector. Thanks again to everyone who tried to help.