Radiator Problem- Hot Downstairs Cold Upstairs

[sauron98]

Hi everyone

Could anyone please help me.

Im in a 2 apartment house. I believe that each apartments radiator heating systems are independant...though using the same boiler and pump.

The downstairs apartment radiators are working fine

Upstairs....2 radiators come on for about 5 mins then cool down....the rest are stone cold.

We dont have a visible hot water tank....i think its set within the boiler unit itself.

The boiler is a US Gibraltar make....pretty old by all accounts

We just had to have the thermostat control rewired to boiler.

Everything else is working fine......boiler...pump on...downstairs heating..

Ive tried to include as much as i know

CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP!!!.......

I bled the upstairs radiators...they are weird!....theres a little chamber at side of each radiator with a cycle inner tube style valve...2 of the radiators released some air.....

Cheers
Dan

 

[kevplumb]

would think the little chamber is either aav or expansion vessel this is mostly a uk site but we will try and help
need more info

 

[sauron98]

Thanks a lot Kevplumb!

that would make sense definately.....(whats an aav?)

There is no other tap or valve on the radiators from which to bleed...thats it....dont even have a tap to switch them off!

is there any other info you want?

thanks again
Dan

 

[kevplumb]

aav automatic air vent

 

[kevplumb]

is there a pressure guage on the boiler and whats the reading ?

 

[sauron98]

Thanks Kev

We have 3 guages:

Pressure (4 out of 50)
Altitude ( 8 0f 150 )
Water Temp (almost 200f)

hope this helps
cheers
Dan

 

[kevplumb]

pressure i would think will need to be at least 14 psi

 

[kevplumb]

try turning the downstairs off

 

[sauron98]

Thanks for that kev

I have to find out how to turn downstairs off......

So the boiler pressure is important?......I thought the pump dealt with this?

excuse my ignorance
cheers
Dan

 

[kevplumb]

the pump is called a circulator cos thats what it does there should be someway of topping up the pressure
should be a valve somewhere to close off