Heating not working upstairs

godtabh · 17-11-2011 09:47PM #1

Tried turning the heating on for the first time this year upstairs but it doesn't appear to be working.

When the heating is turned on the boiler doesn't start up for upstairs only. Down stairs and war come on fine. It is a gas boiler serviced on Sept 11.

The pressure on the boiler is .2 bar. It is a closed system so I don't believe that it needs to be bled. I tried increasing the pressure in the radiator system by opening the feed in the hot press upstairs but nothing has changed. All the radiators are turned off upstairs.

The three channel programmer we have controlles the hot water, upstairs and downstairs heating. When the downstairs heating is turned on the pump light comes on. Not the same for the upstairs.

Anything else I should be doing?

Carlow52 · 17-11-2011 09:56PM

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Heating not working upstairs

All the radiators are turned off upstairs.

There is a motorised valve or 2 somewhere in the system that is probably stuck/ not working, when the valve closes it powers the pump, in most cases.

there is a manual override lever on the MV which should allow u open the valve and close the elec circuit

godtabh · 17-11-2011 09:59PM

Carlow52 wrote: »

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Heating not working upstairs

There is a motorised valve or 2 somewhere in the system that is probably stuck/ not working, when the vale closes it powers the pump, in most cases.

there is a manual override lever on the MV which should allow u open the vavle and close the elec circuit

We have tried turning the heating on to no effect. Some have turned it off and tried increasing the pressure in the system by opening the feed.

Sorry I'm lost!

First of all should I open up all the radiators Ie turn them on upstairs?

What do you mean by your second part?

DoneDL · 17-11-2011 10:21PM

Don`t touch the rads, your problem is most likely that the two port valve (google for pic`s) is broken. You can set it to manual and see if the boiler fires and the rad`s upstairs heat.

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 10:35PM

godtabh wrote: »

Tried turning the heating on for the first time this year upstairs but it doesn't appear to be working.

godtabh wrote: »

All the radiators are turned off upstairs.

This is slightly confusing.

You mention 0.2bar which is too low. You'll need more pressure in the system. Are you sure you are using the correct filling loop?

A dodgey motorised valve does sound like reasonable diagnosis. Can you locate the valve and use the override lever?

godtabh · 17-11-2011 10:35PM

DoneDL wrote: »

Don`t touch the rads, your problem is most likely that the two port valve (google for pic`s) is broken. You can set it to manual and see if the boiler fires and the rad`s upstairs heat.

The two port valve looks like what I thought was the pump. Would it have an electricity supply?

DoneDL · 17-11-2011 10:37PM

Yes but it`s still ok to move the lever also if the boiler fires it will stay on until you take the valve off the manual setting.

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 10:39PM

godtabh wrote: »

Would it have an electricity supply?

It'll be supplied from the thermostat. If the room temperature is below the stat setting then it will supply the valve with power which will, in turn, fire up the boiler.

Switch your hot water and downstairs stats to zero. Turn your upstairs stat to max and see if the boiler fires up. If its doesn't then you have a problem with either the upstairs stat or the two port motorized valve.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 10:56PM

Switch is open. Heating down stairs is off. Hot water is off and still nothing. Must be the thermostat up stairs.

House is only 2 years old. I doubt we have ever touched the termostat. Are the expensive to fix?

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:02PM

A thermostat is cheap to replace. You'll buy a good one for a lot less than €50.

What you need to figure out is whether or not the stat is passing electricity to the motorized valve.

If you used the valve's override and still have no heat upstairs then I'd be inclined to suspect that your problem is with system pressure - the 0.2 bar which should be around 1.0 bar when the system is cold.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:12PM

The system pressure hasn't changed since I've been trying to fix it.

The override has been used and I can fell heat moving above the two port valve but it doesn't reach upstairs.

How would I increase pressure?

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:16PM

godtabh wrote: »

I tried increasing the pressure in the radiator system by opening the feed in the hot press upstairs but nothing has changed.

As you tried above.

Are you sure you're opening the correct feed?

DoneDL · 17-11-2011 11:18PM

Try turning the rad`s on if the heat is moving upwards.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:19PM

crosstownk wrote: »

As you tried above.

Are you sure you're opening the correct feed?

Not 100% sure. The pipe that I opened is half the size of the other pipes in the hot press. These other pipes feed into a pump which I assume is for the showers. All the valves are numbered but of course we weren't given any numbering system.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:20PM

DoneDL wrote: »

Try turning the rad`s on if the heat is moving upwards.

Have done that but nothing happening

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:22PM

Is the boiler firing up with the upstairs valve overridden?

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:27PM

crosstownk wrote: »

Is the boiler firing up with the upstairs valve overridden?

No.

Poped in to the neighbours and checked their numbering system. I was playing with the wrong feed. I have opened it so hopefully that will result in a pressure build up and might fire it then

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:29PM

If the boiler is not attempting to fire it might be an electrical problem

Get the standing (cold) pressure up to 1.0 bar and go again. Hopefully that will see you right.

The pressure should build within seconds but will only go as high as mains pressure. Don't let it get too high or else your blow off valve will start dumping the excess.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:32PM

crosstownk wrote: »

If the boiler is not attempting to fire it might be an electrical problem

Get the standing (cold) pressure up to 1.0 bar and go again. Hopefully that will see you right.

The pressure should build within seconds but will only go as high as mains pressure. Don't let it get too high or else your blow off valve will start dumping the excess.

Assuming I've opened the correct valve nothing has still happened.

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:34PM

What does the pressure gauge indicate? Has it risen?

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:35PM

About .3 bar with all rads upstairs open

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:36PM

Open the filler again. Get it up to a min of 1.0 bar.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:38PM

crosstownk wrote: »

Open the filler again. Get it up to a min of 1.0 bar.

It's fully open .... I think

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:41PM

Is the pressure gauge rising?

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:42PM

crosstownk wrote: »

Is the pressure gauge rising?

No

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:43PM

Then you either have

A. The wrong valve

or

B. Insufficient mains water pressure.

I suspect A.

Carlow52 · 17-11-2011 11:47PM

time for a few pics as we are mixing isolation and filler valves with motororised valve and its possible that the wrong valve will get shut here

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:47PM

Unfortunately it's guess work on my part.

Will the rads been on upstairs now affect it?

crosstownk · 17-11-2011 11:49PM

Keep the downstairs and HW stats at zero.

Post any pics you can.

godtabh · 17-11-2011 11:58PM

Can't seem to log onto my pc to send photos. Will do,tomorrow in work

godtabh · 18-11-2011 08:26AM

Turnd the shoewer on this morning the pressure went up to 2 bar from .2 bar but boiler still isn't firing for the upstairs heating

Heating not working upstairs

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