Problems with heating

Mack_1111

Hey,

I'm living in an old Georgian build in Dublin City, 4 floors; a basement, ground floor + 2. The problem is that the radiators don't get that hot regardless of the setting on the boiler! Does anybody have any ideas on what the problem could be?

The boiler is located in the basement but the radiators don't seem to get progressively cooler as you go up levels.

Thanks.

heinbloed

The boiler's thermostat might be faulty.
Meassure the flow temperature coming from the boiler and compare this to the thermostat setting on the boiler. And compare this meassurement with the flow temperature getting into the radiator(s).
It should be about the same temperature, take 1 or 2 degrees Celsius for 'lost on the way', DeltaT 2Kelvin.

The boiler is located in the basement but the radiators don't seem to get progressively cooler as you go up levels.

Perfect, you have a well balanced flow. Now meassure the return temperature at the radiator's outlets and compare the meassurements with each other . If they match from floor to floor(level) - super. 1 or 2 Kelvin discrepancy (1-2 degrees Celsius) are permitted.

Mack_1111

heinbloed wrote: »

The boiler's thermostat might be faulty.
Meassure the flow temperature coming from the boiler and compare this to the thermostat setting on the boiler. And compare this meassurement with the flow temperature getting into the radiator(s).
It should be about the same temperature, take 1 or 2 degrees Celsius for 'lost on the way', DeltaT 2Kelvin.



Perfect, you have a well balanced flow. Now meassure the return temperature at the radiator's outlets and compare the meassurements with each other . If they match from floor to floor(level) - super. 1 or 2 Kelvin discrepancy (1-2 degrees Celsius) are permitted.

Hi, thanks for the reply & sorry if these Q's seem a bit silly but can the flow temperature be taken with a standard thermometer or is a more specialist device required.

Is there set points where I should measure the flow and/or how would I recognize them.

heinbloed

The temperature has to be meassured with a thermometer at the outlet (flow) of the boiler. As close as possible to the boiler.
And this meassurement has to be compared with the number seen on the boiler's thermostat.

If these numbers match the boiler's thermostat is o.k.

What is a "standard thermometer" ?

Any thermometer suitable to be held onto the pipe would do. Wrap an insulant (a dry towel for example) over the thermometer and the pipe, this will eliminate cooling air flows and allows for a more or less correct reading of the pipe's temperature.

DGOBS

What boiler do you have (make/model)

Sparkpea

chemical flush could also help, probably has never been done before