urgent advice needed, heating/water problem

bilibala

I would like some advice before I call out the gas engineer.
I have a traditional heating system boiler approx. 22yrs old. For the past 2 weeks whenever I turn the hot water on the radiators upstairs warm up too. Then I noticed the radiators were getting hotter than usual. Before this problem started leaving the hot water on for an hour 15mins was sufficient to have a shower, now I have to leave the hot water on for 2hrs!!
Tonight the problem got worse, the radiators downstairs came on too, the water was on for 3hrs and
the water was just warm. Any ideas what the problem is.

There's this square block thing on one of the pipes next to the storage tank. Can someone tell me what this thing is? There are 3 settings H,M,W, it is on H at the moment, what does this mean?

liitleblackcat

You need a plumber or a central heating engineer. Sounds like one of the motorised valves has gone kaput. They are fairly easy to replace but our old system (about the same age as yours) used to do all sorts of things like that until we had it all replaced last year. We used to have to turn up the central heating thermostat to get any hot water and vice versa. Turned out it was a grommet in one of the motorised valves which had come loose after the engineer had spent most of a day scratching his head.

adaze

liitleblackcat wrote: »

Sounds like one of the motorised valves has gone kaput.

I'd agree.

burnsguitarman

Try tapping on the valve, it could be sludge and a knock may start it going again.
Also try turning off your radiators and 'force' the water into heating up your water. These are only suggesions I don't know if they will work!

bilibala

hi! thanks for the replies

when you say valve do you mean the valves on each radiator?
turned down the thermostat on each radiator but they still get very hot.

espresso

bilibala wrote: »

hi! thanks for the replies

when you say valve do you mean the valves on each radiator?
turned down the thermostat on each radiator but they still get very hot.

No, not on the radiators. Do you have a motorised valve similar to the one pictured here.

burnsguitarman

As espresso says: I meant the motorised valve, try turning the other side of the radiator off not the thermostatic valve. It shouldn't get hot at all then!

bilibala

espresso wrote: »

No, not on the radiators. Do you have a motorised valve similar to the one pictured here.

ah! ok, i think I know what you are talking about. I found something looking like that on one of the pipes next to the storage tank in the airing cupboard, is that it. ( please bear with me I'm a woman, general diy I'm ok but not central heating/plumbing). it's set on H does that mean heating gets priority when both W&H is on?