Issues with 22mm piping??

[Ben Miners]

Hi. I was wondering if someone could give me a second opinion on something if possible please. So recently we had 3 new radiators fitted on our lounge ( High BTU, 4 column ). Previously the piping in this room was 15mm and 15mm through the rest of the house. The plumber suggested we upgrade the piping in this room to 22mm due to the size and BTU output of the new rads. Since he installed the new 22mm piping he has said he is struggling to get them to work properly and now we need to upgrade another room to 22mm which is linked to the boiler. The rest of the house would stay on 15mm.

The problem we have is that he now wants to upgrade another room to 22mm which will involve ripping up the floor and digging a trench for the new piping and consequently quite a bit of disruption and extra money.

What I am trying to understand is would the system simply not work on 15mm and is it vital to upgrade to 22mm? Is there not a way to have one room on 22mm and the rest on 15mm, or does it not work that way? I think we feel if we had know from the start that the 22mm would have caused extra work we would have stayed on 15mm and picked rads with a lower BTU.

I am sure the plumber is being honest but it just seems like a small job has now become a bigger one.

thanks

Ben

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Maybe a long shot but some column rads have there flow and return labelled as they won't work if piped up wrong also Has he tried balancing the system

 

[Ben Miners]

Thanks for this. He has tried to balance the system but said he could not get it to work. We did have a previous pressure upstairs in the house which has now been resolved, could this have affected things previously?

 

[Ben Miners]

also would it simply not work without repiping the new room that feeds to the boiler??

 

[Ben Miners]

sorry meant to say we did have a previous pressure issue upstairs in the house as there was problem with the second stop tap, this has now been resolved, so I had hoped this might help resolve the issue he was having??

 

[Ben Miners]

could I try turning on the rads to see if I can get them to work now, or do I need to fill the system up? Not sure how to do that.

 

[gmartine]

If your plumber can't explain to your satisfaction why changing another room to 22mm will make any difference to the lounge then I would not proceed. First things first...

Boiler make and model, we assume you have 22mm on flow and return and ideally he connected the revised lounge pipework directly to this?
What are the combined outputs of your newly installed radiators?

Pictures would help please, tbh no offence but he sounds like a DIYer if he's left you in the doodoo.

 

[Scott_D]

Usually you would have 22mm from the boiler then 15mm coming off to one or two radiators
Some picture would help us understand what you are trying to describe

 

[Ben Miners]

The lounge pipework is not directly connected to the boiler, this is what he is planning to do when he digs up the second room. I was thinking he should have known this when he started the job, hence why we are confused by the situation.

The boiler is a brand new worcester boiler, not sure of the exact model. I think the rad outputs are 4500 BTU each, so 3 in total. I can send some pics if this helps

thanks again

Ben

 

[Scott_D]

Without lifting boards its sometimes impossible to say
Could it be a one pipe / single pipe system?

 

[Ben Miners]

here are the pics, let me know if you need anything else. thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Do they work at all ?

 

[Ben Miners]

well currently they are turned off, but can I just open the taps to see if they work or is there something else I have do first? Sorry I don't know much about plumbing but didn't want to try them incase you have to balance the system first?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yes just open one rad up and go from there

 

[Ben Miners]

ok so just open 1 up at a time??

 

[ShaunCorbs]

ok so just open 1 up at a time??

Yes

 

[Ben Miners]

I presume it takes a few mins to fill first?

 

[Scott_D]

Can you check ther instructions to see if they have a flow direction?

 

[Ben Miners]

Unfortunately I don't have the instructions but I am guessing I could check with the manufacturer

 

[Scott_D]

Look it up online if you know the make/model
The work looks tidy

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I presume it takes a few mins to fill first?

They should be already full as the plumbers tested it

 

[SimonG]

Your guys a pudding. What was wrong with getting them brackets a couple of sections in to hide them a bit.

 

[Ben Miners]

so far the rads have been on for 5-10 mins and still not heating up, so does this mean we will have to have the new 2mm fitted in the next room?

 

[Ben Miners]

sorry meant to say new 22mm

 

[Scott_D]

Other rads in the house working?

 

[Ben Miners]

yes all the other rads work fine

 

[Scott_D]

Pipes to the new rads getting hot?

 

[Ben Miners]

one of the pipes is hot but the others don't seem to be

 

[Ben Miners]

one rad has been on for about 20 mins and still not heated up yet

 

[ShaunCorbs]

both valves open?

 

[Ben Miners]

only one valve open as the plumber said i only need to open 1 on each rad??

 

[ShaunCorbs]

only one valve open as the plumber said i only need to open 1 on each rad??

open both

 

[Ben Miners]

ok I have opened both on all rads but still nothing yet

 

[jtsplumbing]

I recon you have either a blockage or air lock, 3 rads with an output of 4500 btu's each 15mm should cope with it. things you need to try first to see if water is going through when you turn on one of the new rads does any of the pipes start to get hot ?? did the old rads work B4 and what was the output on those were they single or double panel rads

 

[Ben Miners]

so just to clarify the 3 rads are currently on 22mm, previously were standard rads on 15mm. not sure of the previous rads but but were standard size etc.

one of the rads started to get hot when the water flowed in but then seems to cool down again.

the old rads worked fine which were single column

thanks again for your helps