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No-one can work out why our heating isn't working!

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Snow Queen

Snow Queen

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I am currently huddled by a fan heater. Our heating hasn't worked properly for over 3 weeks despite visits by 2 plumbers, a lot of beard-stroking and twiddling of valves.
The T37HW-3 Zone Programmer seems to be working fine. The boiler fires up enthusiastically when the timer clicks in, and there the problem starts.
The hot water DID heat up- this seems to have fizzled out in the past 2 days and we have to use the immersion heater. The upstairs radiators heat up, but the downstairs don't, UNLESS you turn off the upstairs radiators AND the hot water. Then you get adequate heat in one or two radiators, always in the same sequence. If the heating is boosted to stay on for about 4 hours, three and a half radiators will warm up eventually.
The Blokes have tried out unblocking radiator valves; have suggested the system needs flushing out (apparently can't be done till the summer?) Other than that, theres been a lot of shrugging.
It seems to me that somehow there's not enough pressure shoving the heat round the system. Could it be a pump? I have NO IDEA how any odd this works but I am sick of freezing and listening to said Blokes talking rubbish. I would LOVE to be able to tell plumber no 3 (coming on Friday) what the problem is!
 
You say you have an immersion heater, so I'm guessing you are on an open vented old style system.
If upstairs works and downstairs doesn't then the first thing most plumbers would look at is the pump.
Your hot water cylinder will be upstairs so will get heat, but without the pump working it will take a lot longer than usual because the boiler will only be running in short bursts due to overheating as the pump isn't dispersing the heat.
All downstairs valves aren't going to block at the same time.
A system clean doesn't have to be done in the summer, whoever told you that was either lying or doesn't have a clue.
Where did you get your 'plumbers' from?
 
JCplumb said:
You say you have an immersion heater, so I'm guessing you are on an open vented old style system.
If upstairs works and downstairs doesn't then the first thing most plumbers would look at is the pump.
Your hot water cylinder will be upstairs so will get heat, but without the pump working it will take a lot longer than usual because the boiler will only be running in short bursts due to overheating as the pump isn't dispersing the heat.
All downstairs valves aren't going to block at the same time.
A system clean doesn't have to be done in the summer, whoever told you that was either lying or doesn't have a clue.
Where did you get your 'plumbers' from?
Click to expand...

I would say don't have a clue :D
 
Thank you. Thats exactly what I thought but my partner was adamant that it couldn't be that because it was a new pump i.e 5 years old. So I'm going to push the pump theory with the plumber.
 
Put your location on here as someone decent maybe be local
 
quality said:
Put your location on here as someone decent maybe be local
Click to expand...
Pump check first in my book. No reason it cannot be tested either, don't go down the road of "we'll try that and see if it works".
I hear this a lot, procession of 'Plumbers' who can't find out what's wrong with something. What is going on?
Do they not learn the job anymore?
 
Looks like a Pump problem, OP states it was replaced 5 years ago ! But what Brand of pump ? and is it the correct size for the property ?
 
Has any work been done recently? Apart from trying to sort out why heating isn't working?
 
Are the guys you’ve got in actually plumbers
 
Riley said:
Are the guys you’ve got in actually plumbers
Click to expand...

It wouldn't surprise me if they were fully qualified these days to be honest.
I went to a job not that long ago and the customer said I was the fifth!!!!
Ridiculous!
It was something that any Engineer worth his / her salt would have diagnosed within 5 min too. That is the largest procession of Plumbers I have heard of but it is by no means the only time I've heard it.
They even left tools!!!

The mind boggles.
 
I’ve lost plenty of grips and screwdrivers over the years. Doesn’t mean anything to do with levelnof Workmanship.
 
Harvest Fields said:
I’ve lost plenty of grips and screwdrivers over the years. Doesn’t mean anything to do with levelnof Workmanship.
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No, I lose gear myself, it drives me crackers.

I needed a part and the customer laughed and said "that's what they all say, I won't see you again".

I offered to leave my tools to prove I would return and she opened the kitchen draw to show me a pile of Plumbers tools.
"They did that too", she said.

There were pump pliers, adjustable spanners, amongst other things. All decent stuff too.

I don't understand why that's all?

I am by no means saying it's their fault, it must come down to the training/learning process. Not just the colleges either, who they learn with or from makes the biggest difference to these types of occurrences.
 
Last edited:
Last Plumber said:
It wouldn't surprise me if they were fully qualified these days to be honest.
I went to a job not that long ago and the customer said I was the fifth!!!!
Ridiculous!
It was something that any Engineer worth his / her salt would have diagnosed within 5 min too. That is the largest procession of Plumbers I have heard of but it is by no means the only time I've heard it.
They even left tools!!!

The mind boggles.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with what your saying I come across the same , simplest of jobs and they cant do it even basic plumbing tasks seem to be beyond them, and they seem to charge stupid amounts of money, and leave the problem worse than it was, God help this trade in 20 years, not that I'm bothered ! be long gone by then fixing the boilers down below
 
The thing is it’s the simple things I’m seeing wrong more and more often. I don’t claim to never make mistakes But at least I’m human and know what I’ve done wrong and fix it. Usually it’s something really daft on a Friday afternoon:D
 
If upstairs rads get hot but downstairs rads dont, pump is literally first thing id be looking at. I would be pulling out the old trusted flathead screwdriver within minutes. My guess is they are 'plastic' plumbers and dont really have a clue. Saying that your system could be sludged leading to the failed 5 year old pump.
 
It could still be a goosed pump because of sludge but the problem as said above will likely be the pump in terms of no corculation
 
Snow Queen said:
Thank you. Thats exactly what I thought but my partner was adamant that it couldn't be that because it was a new pump i.e 5 years old. So I'm going to push the pump theory with the plumber.
Click to expand...

Is it possible for you to put a photo on of the Pump ??
 
It sounds like a flow problem, as in the heat isn't getting pushed around the system. And i'd agree with everyone else and say the pump is probably the first place to look. I just wanted to add that it's possible for the pump to still be spinning making you think it's working, but on its way out and only pushing at half the power it should be, hence only heating half the system up (Y)
 
Hm. I realise this photo isn't exactly helpful. Our latest plumber has installed this yesterday- It's a Grundfos Type UPS 2 15-50/60 230V. Whatever any of that means. he's coming back on Tuesday and is working on the "try everything and see what works" principle. Which is going to turn out expensive I think. He's also flushed Sentinel X4oo in somewhere. And done lots of twiddling and frowning. They are now beard-stroking over the controller. Meanwhile I sit there (wrapped in blankets) saying nothing. Thank you for the facial hair jokes- I was about to make a joke about waxing, but thought it might steer this post in a dodgy direction.

IMG_5562.JPG
 
So it's still not working i take it? It might be worth having a look at the smaller tank in your loft to make sure there's water in it
 
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