No heat in airing cupboard

[shaggy]

Hi, we've just moved into a new property which has a sealed high pressure hot water/heating system. The airing cupboard has no water tank in it, but does have a pipe running up from the floor, with a flexivalve at the top, and a pipe T'ed off it coming back down to the floor. There is a red tap at the bottom of one pipe. When the central heating is on I would expect the airing cupboard to get hot (or at least the pipe to get hot), but although all the radiators warm up as they should there is no heat at all in this pipe. Does anyone have any ideas about what really obvious thing (yes, I've turned the tap on) I've missed?

Thanks in advance

Simon

 

[shaggy]

One more thing - I loosened the flexivalve and pressured water came out of it.....

Simon

 

[SimonJohns]

Picture?

 

[Gray0689]

Sounds like that's the fill loop for your heating

 

[dontknowitall]

Is there a red expansion vessel in there with a gauge on it?

 

[AWheating]

if its a brand new property then ask the builder to get the heating installer to explain the system and controls to you, you can then ask any questions you have.

 

[shaggy]

Thanks for all the quick replies. I'll get a picture up as soon as I can. The red expansion vessel is downstairs next to the boiler and the hot water tank, the other side of the house and a flight of stairs away! It's not a brand new property, but I believe the boiler was recently replaced - I'll see if I can find who did that. I don't believe that it's the filling loop, as that is down by the boiler as well. The flexvalve is a brass thing with a red cap that would appear to self bleed the system, and the tap at the bottom is only to stop flow in the pipe, it does not have any external fittings.

Simon

 

[Best]

Sounds like someone has brought heating pipes up into the cupboard & put an auto vent on them. These may do a radiator, if you wanted, in the cupboard. I am guessing though.

 

[shaggy]

Hi Best, from what we were told by the previous owner the pipes are designed to carry hot water and heat the cupboard as they are - there is 4 or 5 metres of copper pipe attached to the wall in what is a small cupboard, but there is no heat going through the pipes at all, even though the water that I can release from the valve seems to be under pressure - it is I think the highest point in the heating circuit, which I suppose is a natural place to have a self bleeding valve.

 

[Gray0689]

Post a picture easier to see what your looking at

 

[Best]

It does still sound like a couple pipes off the flow & return. Maybe the valve you mentioned ( not the thing that is probably an auto vent ) is not on? If that is the case, then just turn it very slightly on as no need of full flow as could upset the balancing of system a bit.

 

[Gray0689]

It does still sound like a couple pipes off the flow & return. Maybe the valve you mentioned ( not the thing that is probably an auto vent ) is not on? If that is the case, then just turn it very slightly on as no need of full flow as could upset the balancing of system a bit.

I agree but the flexi vent sounds dodgy

 

[shaggy]

Ok, here are some pictures - top, middle and bottom!

 

[shaggy]

I agree, it should be a simple couple of pipes off the flow and return, but the bottom valve is fully open and there is still no heat going through.

Simon

 

[Best]

Maybe valve is broken? Does the red head keep turning, when you turn it on? Just guessing, but it's something I would check first myself, as gate in gate valves tend to break. If that is a pipe circuit intended to heat much, I think it's poor. Would be better with tiny rad.