CENTRAL HEATING QUESTION

[stuorr]

hi
we have issues in that every so often despite us setting the central heating to come on and the dial suggesting this is the case our radiators dont get hot.
We have thermostats on every radiator,on the wall in the hallway and also one on our oht water tank.
The only solution i have found to this issue is if i turn up the thermostat on our hot water tank- however this is now very hot and so we need a lot of cold water running to be able to use it.
It seems to me we have too many thermostats and this confuses things. in the long term as we ony jsut moved in we will be getting a combi boiler and im hoping this will resolve it but does anyone have any ideas to resolve this in the short term?

 

[stem]

The radiator thermostats are there to sense the air temperature. If the house is warm, they are working by switching off, maintaining comfort levels and saving energy.

You don't state in your post, but if the rooms, not the radiators (hot water cylinder etc.,) aren't warm then you have a problem.

If you do have a problem it could well be the piping system not the boiler, and if so changing the boiler won't make any difference.

 

[jackthom]

Hi, this business of the central heating only working when the hot water is being heated crops up here every day.

I would see if you have a motorised valve like the one below. If so have a look/listen to see what it does when someone else operates the room thermostat.

It may be sticking as it moves it's lever across so it doesn't get far enough to fire up the boiler.

Untitled

• jackthom
• 19 Dec 2008
• 18

 

[stuorr]

hi,its both the rooms and the radiators that are cold. The odd thing is it doenst happen everytime but you obviously notice it on days like today when its cold outside.

where would i find this valve as it doesnt look familliar

 

[jackthom]

If there is one it probably won't be far from the boiler. It allows the hot water from the boiler to go to either the Radiators, the Hot Water Tank or to both of them together.

 

[bengasman]

Is the valve on the hallway rad the same as on the other rads?

 

[stuorr]

i cannot find a valve looking like that anywhere near the boiler.
the valve on the hallway radiator is different to all the other ones yes.

 

[kevplumb]

try the cupboard where the cylinder is

 

[stuorr]

hi i think i found the valve.its got arrows for hot water and heating.at the minute its facing to hot water,but everything is on including the heating

 

[bhm1712]

in that case there is your fault

 

[stuorr]

ok so should this be facing the other way?.our digial timer is set to have both hot water and heating on currently

 

[stem]

ok so should this be facing the other way?.our digial timer is set to have both hot water and heating on currently

I think what bhm1712 is saying that the valve is faulty, not that it's in the wrong way around. If it used to work how can it be the wrong way around? unless you've moved it.

 

[Ronald0]

ok ... our digial timer is set to have both hot water and heating on currently

But is there demand from the room stat?

Turn it up high and feel the pipe on the heating side of the motorised valve. Is it hot?

 

[kevplumb]

ok so should this be facing the other way?.our digial timer is set to have both hot water and heating on currently

it should be mid position