Heating

karlitob

Hi all

Appreciate any advice on the below.


For the past few years, at winter, the following happened when turned on Gas Boiler Central Heating

- Boiler Temp: 85C

- Hot Water Cylinder: nice and hot, no problems; thermostat set at 80C (60 in summer)

- Upstairs Rads: really nice and warm within 30 minutes; thermostat set at 20C

- Downstairs Rads: small rooms heated up very quickly, two bigger rooms esp north facing one didn’t heat up very well. Two small radiators (at least I think) abs one hidden by the sofa. We figured out that a very small exterior wall (1m wide x 2m tall wasn’t insulated by the builders - there’s a rad on this wall).


So since then we’ve had new high quality windows put in in every room and we were advised to change the temp of boiler to 65C after our last service and the engineer also balanced the radiators. He said it would blow up having it so high.

But since he did that, the shower water wasn’t really hot, upstairs wasn’t any way as warm, noise coming from the radiators (resistance to the flow) and the downstairs was no real difference - if anything it never really got warm no matter how long it went on for.

So I got a notion to ‘balance’ the radiators. And an even bigger notion to change out the hot water cylinder thermostat. So after flutering with the balancing (and with the balance on the cylinder) I had it set to 75C, good hot water from the cylinder - but no real change to upstairs and no real change to downstairs.

Any ideas - back at it with balancing? Could there be a ‘pump issue’ with the boiler.

The rads are all roasting with no cold spots?

Appreciate any advice before o go at it again. Thanks.

karlitob

karlitob wrote: »

Hi all

Appreciate any advice on the below.


For the past few years, at winter, the following happened when turned on Gas Boiler Central Heating

- Boiler Temp: 85C

- Hot Water Cylinder: nice and hot, no problems; thermostat set at 80C (60 in summer)

- Upstairs Rads: really nice and warm within 30 minutes; thermostat set at 20C

- Downstairs Rads: small rooms heated up very quickly, two bigger rooms esp north facing one didn’t heat up very well. Two small radiators (at least I think) abs one hidden by the sofa. We figured out that a very small exterior wall (1m wide x 2m tall wasn’t insulated by the builders - there’s a rad on this wall).


So since then we’ve had new high quality windows put in in every room and we were advised to change the temp of boiler to 65C after our last service and the engineer also balanced the radiators. He said it would blow up having it so high.

But since he did that, the shower water wasn’t really hot, upstairs wasn’t any way as warm, noise coming from the radiators (resistance to the flow) and the downstairs was no real difference - if anything it never really got warm no matter how long it went on for.

So I got a notion to ‘balance’ the radiators. And an even bigger notion to change out the hot water cylinder thermostat. So after flutering with the balancing (and with the balance on the cylinder) I had it set to 75C, good hot water from the cylinder - but no real change to upstairs and no real change to downstairs.

Any ideas - back at it with balancing? Could there be a ‘pump issue’ with the boiler.

The rads are all roasting with no cold spots?

Appreciate any advice before o go at it again. Thanks.

One more thing, the hot water seems much hotter when we use the immersion. But I could be imagining things! Could it indicate an issue with the settings on the boiler? Pump?

karlitob

Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

whizbang

I wouldnt trust any temperature setting to be accurate; just use the numbers as a guide for higher or lower.

How hot are the pipes from the boiler?
At 80C, touching the pipe with the palm of the hand, you are going to almost instantly burn.
At 60C you should be able to touch for only a few seconds before its gets very uncomfortable.

Immersions are usually preset to 60C; so if this feels hotter, then your boiler may not be set that high at all.

Balancing is not a science, best done by the user..