Radiator problems

[Dazzi220]

Hi I know nothing about heating systems

We've just started renting a house and it has a 2 year old combi boiler.

The heating was fine, so I turned down all the rads from 5 (full) to 4. I noticed that at this setting only 1 rad stays hot (bathroom upstairs) another one downstairs is hot but not as hot as the bathroom and the rest are hot at the top and cold (luke warm) at the bottom, except for one of the upstairs rads which is barly luke warm.

However if I turn them all upto 5 again they all go hot again but the bathroom rad stays the same - hot and I think some of them maybe slightly hotter than others, I can't really tell but either way when set to 5 they house warms up lol

Like I said I know nothing and have read about sludge etc but the system is fairly new and when I tried to bleed each radiator water came out straight away. On the right hand side of each radiator is the large dial to turn them up or down (0-5) and on the left is a white cap unveiling a valve?? I hav'nt touched this at all on any rad, I dar'nt and would'nt know which way to turn it lol

I'd really appreciate some advice or guidence on how to sort this out before I goto the landlord, one thing that maybe worth mentioning is I do remember him saying the pressure needs sorting out on the combi, i dunno if that would affect my rads? or how to do it.

Thanx in advance

 

[Burnerman]

The valves under the white caps are called 'lockshields' and there's a good chance that they are they are fully open - they are used to balance the system when it is fully commissioned. The other valves on the rads are TRV's or thermostatic radiator valves, and its these that you adjust to maintain your desired room temperature. So, you have bled the rads, and water came out straight away - fine, but if you let water out of the system then you have to replenish the water in the combi boiler by adding more - and I guess your system is down on pressure. Why not get Mr. Landlord to sort it? You don't wan't to be accused of fiddling with the system.

 

[Dazzi220]

Thanx I thinks its best to let him sort it although he ain't too great at DIY lol

Are the lockshields supposed to be fully open? is its anti clockwise to close them?

 

[D_Hailsham]

Thanx I thinks its best to let him sort it although he ain't too great at DIY lol

Then he should call in someone who knows what they are doing.

Are the lockshields supposed to be fully open? is its anti clockwise to close them?

Each lockshield has to be adjusted to make sure the water is flowing through the radiator at the correct rate - it's called "balancing". If all LS valves are left full open, the rads nearest the pump will hog the water, so those further away will not get enough. In very general terms, the rad nearest the rad needs to be open about a quarter turn and the one furthest away open about one and a half turns. To do the job properly you need thermometers to measure the temperature of the two pipes connected to the radiator. Detailed instructions in Balancing Procedure. But a quick and easy way is to feel the two pipes and note the difference. Provided, it is consistent for all rads, the system is reasonably well balanced. You should do this with all thermostatic valves fully open.

LS valves turn the same way as a tap - clockwise to close, anticlockwise to open.

 

[Dazzi220]

thanx for all your help, the landlord can't come till next week and I got impatiant! I was looking at the boiler and saw the pressure gauge and a pipe coming from it, the pipe was in a loop with 2 screws, I quickly figured out that by opening them the pressure would go up...so I did, the pressure now reads about 1 1/2 bar and all the radiators are hot so its fixed lol