Rads upstairs not heating well

skerry

Hi folks, hoping for some advice. Just about to move into our new home and got heating oil last week. House is heated by an oil boiler which is in an Aga range in the kitchen.

I haven't really got my head around the heating system yet but I turned the heat on a few times and the rads downstairs seem to work OK, most are warm enough, some a lot warmer.

Upstairs is a different story, rads in most of the rooms do nothing and one is slightly warm in one room so its pretty cold upstairs.

As far as I know its a 3 zone system, downstairs, upstairs and water. I noticed there is a motorised valve in the hotpress, but the motor part has been taken off so I guess I need to get that fixed (see pics below).

Could anyone tell me if this valve could be the source of the problem as I'm not sure what its for?

I haven't bled the rads yet and have opened the valves all the way on them.

Need to get it sorted as I have a 18 month old and can't have the upstairs that cold in winter with her there.

Wearb

Do you get a good flow of water from bleed valve on upstairs rads?

skerry

Wearb wrote: »

Do you get a good flow of water from bleed valve on upstairs rads?

Haven't tried to bleed the rads yet. Have to get a rad removed in the kitchen to fit new kitchen and I think the system has to be drained for that. Once the system is refilled would that negate the need to bleed the rads?

Wearb

They will need to be bled after the drain down.

For now you need to know if there is sufficient water in them.

skerry

Wearb wrote: »

They will need to be bled after the drain down.

For now you need to know if there is sufficient water in them.

So if there's poor flow of water from bleed valve does this mean they need topping up once bled?

There's a pressure dial in the hotpress, is there a standard pressure the system needs to be topped up to?

Any ideas on what that motorised valve in pic does?

shaunr68

As above, bleed the rads. The air in the system will obviously end up in the highest part of the house. In my old house the radiator would feel warm at the bottom and stone cold at the top, indicating just how much air was in it before bleeding.

Wearb

skerry wrote: »

So if there's poor flow of water from bleed valve does this mean they need topping up once bled?

There's a pressure dial in the hotpress, is there a standard pressure the system needs to be topped up to?

Any ideas on what that motorised valve in pic does?

If there isn't any flow they need topping up.

About .5 to 1 bar.

The valve part is turned on, but I can't tell what circuit it controls.

skerry

Wearb wrote: »

If there isn't any flow they need topping up.

About .5 to 1 bar.

The valve part is turned on, but I can't tell what circuit it controls.

Thanks, I'll bleed the rads and top up and see where that gets me. Will pick up rad key tomorrow and give it a lash, never had to do it in my current house.

Would a picture of the tank and circuits help identify what the valve controls?

Dev84

Check the small water tank in the attic. I had the same issue and turns out the ball cock was shagged.

Wearb

You should be able to follow the pipe yourself to see where it goes, if not a few pics might help.

Expert Plumber

We need to know if it’s an open vent or closed heating system you have. You need to get an electrician to make safe those dangerous electrics. How a mod missed that I will never know.

agusta

skerry wrote: »

Hi folks, hoping for some advice. Just about to move into our new home and got heating oil last week. House is heated by an oil boiler which is in an Aga range in the kitchen.

I haven't really got my head around the heating system yet but I turned the heat on a few times and the rads downstairs seem to work OK, most are warm enough, some a lot warmer.

Upstairs is a different story, rads in most of the rooms do nothing and one is slightly warm in one room so its pretty cold upstairs.

As far as I know its a 3 zone system, downstairs, upstairs and water. I noticed there is a motorised valve in the hotpress, but the motor part has been taken off so I guess I need to get that fixed (see pics below).

Could anyone tell me if this valve could be the source of the problem as I'm not sure what its for?

I haven't bled the rads yet and have opened the valves all the way on them.

Need to get it sorted as I have a 18 month old and can't have the upstairs that cold in winter with her there.

The motorised valve in picture was possibly taken off due to it being defective. The wiring connectors have to be addressed in picture 2 as its dangerous.
In picture 1, the valve on the pipe is in the closed position.Turn the valve with you hand anticlockwise to the open position. it is written on the valve if you look closely enough

When this is done..
1/when you turn on the downstairs zone the upstairs will heat as well
2/when you turn on the hot water zone the upstairs will heat with this

this will buy you abit of time until you get the motorised valve fixed

BorneTobyWilde

Turn thermostat up a notch

skerry

agusta wrote: »

The motorised valve in picture was possibly taken off due to it being defective. The wiring connectors have to be addressed in picture 2 as its dangerous.
In picture 1, the valve on the pipe is in the closed position.Turn the valve with you hand anticlockwise to the open position. it is written on the valve if you look closely enough

Thanks, I seen the 'open' on the valve but figured seeing as the valve was in line with it that it was in the open position already. Will turn it once rads are bled and see if I can tell what its doing.

Hoping to get an electrician in during the week to do a few jobs so will get the wiring connector addressed.

agusta

skerry wrote: »

Thanks, I seen the 'open' on the valve but figured seeing as the valve was in line with it that it was in the open position already. Will turn it once rads are bled and see if I can tell what its doing.

Hoping to get an electrician in during the week to do a few jobs so will get the wiring connector addressed.

For me the valve is in the closed position.The valve doesnt move very much at all.
Simple test
Turn on the hot water zone, turn valve in picture 1 anticlockwise. the pipe should get hot on both sides of the valve in picture 1. you may not have to bleed the radiators

skerry

Wearb wrote: »

You should be able to follow the pipe yourself to see where it goes, if not a few pics might help.

Cheers, I'll try get a few more pics tomorrow and see if that helps.

System is more complex than I'm used to. There's a temp dial by the main boiler power switch downstairs, a temp dial on the range, a room stat in the kitchen (digital), another simple dial stat upstairs outside the hotpress and one on the tank for hot water.

No clue really what I should be setting each to so I'm guessing a bit of tinkering around with it once rads are bled and pressure is topped up.

I'm thinking it shouldn't matter too much what the temp dial by the power switch and the one on the range are set to if the room stats are set to switch boiler off once it reaches the temp set on them.

Expert Plumber

agusta wrote: »

The motorised valve in picture was possibly taken off due to it being defective. The wiring connectors have to be addressed in picture 2 as its dangerous.
In picture 1, the valve on the pipe is in the closed position.Turn the valve with you hand anticlockwise to the open position. it is written on the valve if you look closely enough

When this is done..
1/when you turn on the downstairs zone the upstairs will heat as well
2/when you turn on the hot water zone the upstairs will heat with this

this will buy you abit of time until you get the motorised valve fixed.but you should get the wires that are going to the wire connectors made safe before you move in

Has the eye patch reduced visibility?