Central Heating has MAJOR issues!

Gothicism

Hey ppl.,
Just wondering if anybody can help me, (btw) this may be a long winded question.

I've just switched from oil to Solid fuel stove for both CH and HW, I have a Glendine Stove by Hambro and am just under the max KW capacity, My hose is 3 bed semi, 2 storey, Have 2 x 5' rads, 3 x 4' rads and 2 x 2' rads (all single). I've run 1" pipe from rear of stove for appox. 12' then switch to 3/4" to the cylinder which is some dist. from the stove (2 Rooms). Flow goes up wall and across floor to HP where it splits and goes to rads up and down and to the Cyl., as does the Return. The System is indirect and open. I have a pipe STAT on the Flow by the Stove and a Heat Merchants Pump w/3 settings on the return by the stove. After much trouble and a call to an electrical pal, the Stat and pump are linked correctly (wiring wise anyhow).

Here's the problem, Stove is heating the HT in the cylinder, and the first rad on the system upstairs by the HP. All other rads are cold both up and down stairs. BTW when the pump was wired wrong got some knocking in pipes and vibration, Fixed wiring from stat to pump and pump worked, all rads hot for about 2 hrs or so all was well. Then pump not seeming to come on and a hissing sound from stove back returned along with tapping/knocking noise. (This was the case when I had the wiring wrong).

Have bled the rads and the drain valve by the stove, got some air from rads, none from valve. Have opened valve screw on pump a little and got water trickle. (BTW the drain valve is on the Return below the pump).

Any suggestions or help on this matter would greatly appreciated as this almost has to be a DIY job as funds are almost non-existant!

Thanks for any help or ideas you can offer.

Outkast_IRE

Is there a balancing valve on the pipes connected to the hot water cylinder coil , if there is check its positon is it fully open / fully closed ? In most sytems leaving it open 1/3 or a 1/4 of the way is enough.

Also when the system is running have you checked the expansion tank in the attic to make sure that its not getting hot or pumping over etc?

oikster

You should not have any valves between your stove and your cylinder,a gravity system works best and safest unhindered. Many of the pipework components of your original OIL system will not be compatible with solid fuel.

Gothicism

Hi guys,
Thanks for the replies, there is no balancing valve on the cylinder, and only a drain valve by the stove for the entire system.
The expansion tank in the attic is 1/4 - 1/3 full the whole time.
All the pipework has been redone from the oil system to how it worked when there was a solid fuel range in years before.
Any other thoughts?

oikster

Pump not coming on is either back to your electrics,position and setting of your pipe stat or pump stuck. Also the flow and return from the stove to the cylinder would have been much better in 28mm(1") pipe

Gothicism

Hi oikster,
I've attached a pic of my pump and stat set up, the stat has a temp range of 40 - 80 degrees.
Am about to check my electrics again to see if a wire came loose, am pretty confident in the wiring set-up as system worked smoothly for about 2 hrs with the pump coming on no prob and all rads hot.
Was curious if the rads need balancing would this have this effect or could it be debris in the system.

I know it would be better if the pipework was all inch but had no option but to switch to 3/4" as the house is old and there is not enough room between the floor and ceiling without weakening the joists too much.
Thanks

oikster

The best advice I can offer you Gothicism is to find yourself a plumber to come and check over your system. Solid fuel stoves are a great job but care in installation is paramount.

Gothicism

Thanks, think I'll have to do that on Tuesday. Am going to drain system tomorrow to see if the pump is blocked.

heinbloed

The OP wrote:

BTW when the pump was wired wrong got some knocking in pipes and vibration,....

This indicates that the system was run in a non-designed modus.

Get a heating engineer in, funds might be available via the social system. Talk to a social worker. And leave this heating system alone, you're risking your health and life.

oikster

Change of heart there Heinbloed. Can these solid fuel thingys be dangerous .

Billy Bunting

heinbloed wrote: »

funds might be available via the social system. Talk to a social worker. And leave this heating system alone, you're risking your health and life.

Did you ever think of social work yourself Heinboloc and sticking to that ?

deandean

Op, water like many things takes the path of least resistance. In your case that path may be the loop from stove to hw cylinder and back again. Sounds to me like your sysstem needs to be balanced, starting with a zone valve to shut out the hw cylinder when it is up to temperature. But you do need to be very careful to have system design right, i have walked through a hole in a wall where a back boiler exploded in a house!

aujopimur

deandean wrote: »

Op, water like many things takes the path of least resistance. In your case that path may be the loop from stove to hw cylinder and back again. Sounds to me like your sysstem needs to be balanced, starting with a zone valve to shut out the hw cylinder when it is up to temperature. But you do need to be very careful to have system design right, i have walked through a hole in a wall where a back boiler exploded in a house!

Zone valve on gravity = BOOM. I also note the lack of a safety valve.

Gothicism

Okay guys thanks for the input.
Guess I'm just buggin' over the fact that it seemed to work fine for a period and worked fine when there was a range in before.
BTW there is a safety valve in the HP.
Thanks again ppl.

Gothicism

Hey guys,
Went over my entire system again from top to bottom, tried everything twice, and discovered that the wiring instructions for the Salus Ct100 thermostat I wired to the pump has incorrect wiring instructions (on their instructions they instruct that [C] and [1] make on temp rise) but its actually [C] and [2] that make, after changing this the system seems to be working fine with the pump on setting 3.
Just have some balancing to do on the downstairs rads.
Thanks again for all the input guys.