All pipework replaced - still little to no heating downstairs

[knightime]

Hi,

Yesterday we had all the pipework for our central heating replaced, as we were having an issue with the rads downstairs not working (after a recent rad replacement and power flush).

When the guys left yesterday all the rads were working - we had full heat in all rads - boiling hot! We had the central heating on till around 10.30pm before shutting the system off.

However this morning, when the central came on, only the hallway rad was on, and it was barely hot. The rads for the dining room and the lounge were stone cold.

I dialed back the lockshields for the rads upstairs, as they were left fully on, and am confident they're nicely balanced as there's good heat coming out of them. The flow pipes into the rads upstairs are roasting hot.

The flow to the rad in the hallway is hot, not roasting, but hot. I've checked the pins on the TRVs on the two rads in the other rooms and they're pushing down/popping up ok i.e. not stuck. The lockshields on the rads downstairs are also fully open.

I checked the main flow pipe from the boiler to the heating downstairs - the pipe is boiling hot. But the return is cool to touch - not stone cold but not warm either.

I'm trying to get hold of the plumber but he's not answering, so will try again later.

In the meantime does anyone have any suggestions as to why, with new pipework, and with the rads working fine yesterday, they've suddenly stopped?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[knightime]

Ahhhh, so it's possible for the flow to affect the return directly on the boiler side i.e both pipes hot, if the flow has nowhere to go?

 

[Tonycane]

Normally overheats first but it will get warm. I bet the boiler modulates down then goes off because it's sensing the return temprature

 

[knightime]

That's the thing Tony - it doesn't - and it doesn't make any noise/shut off/show error codes - it just chugs away like everything's fine! And that return pipe directly connected is as hot as the flow pipe, but that doesn't reflect on the flow/return upstairs. Sorry to keep repeating myself but it's proper confusing me at the mo lol!

 

[Tonycane]

Jesus, if I was local I would pop in just to see this ball ache!

 

[knightime]

Lmao - wish you were too buddy!!!

 

[knightime]

The answer is there somewhere - will keep you posted once it's all sorted (soon I bleedin' 'ope!)

 

[Howsie]

I have Howsie - this is the 2nd plumber I'm on!

Yikes! Where abouts are you based?

 

[knightime]

I'm in Worthing Howsie!

 

[mfgs]

I am down in Worthing for a couple of days next week. If you haven't got it sorted and you want another opinion I could stop by and take a look for you.

 

[Masood]

What I can't understand is why it worked for one day (the day the original plumbers left), but why the next day it failed!

If a lump of sludge or other debris was dislodged during the work they did, it may not have worked itself into a position where it could block the circulation until some hours later...

 

[knightime]

Fantastic mfgs - will keep you posted - thanks!

 

[knightime]

Thanks Masood - could be right there!

 

[Howsie]

I have Howsie - this is the 2nd plumber I'm on!

Same applies. Get a new one and lock them in until it's fixed.

 

[knightime]

I hear ya! This is the same plumber who replaced the pump and removed the trap - he's a really nice guy and open to suggestions, but seems to be stumped with this problem. If he's not able to rectify it tomorrow I'm gonna let mfgs take a look at it!

 

[Tonycane]

Sorted?

 

[knightime]

Re: All pipework replaced - still little to no heating downstairs ****FIXED****

***UPDATE - CENTRAL HEATING NOW WORKING!!!***

And...here's the culprit! It seems this bypass pipe was part of the original installation many moons ago, which explains a couple of things - a) why the heating took so long to get to downstairs prior to any work being done (lived with it for 16 years!) and, b) why the heating worked on day 1 after new pipework, but started failing the day afterwards!

The plumber said that the water wanted to travel the least distance it could, and as this 'loop' was directly above the boiler (under the bath and missed by the plumbers who put in the new pipework as they said they could access under the bath), it was pushing 85% flow through the bypass pipe, but only 15% to try and heat the whole house. This explains why the flow and return pipes connected directly to the boiler were roasting hot, but the return pipe that was cut and connected in front of the bathroom sink was cold. It also explains why the boiler was shooting up in temperature immediately the central heating was turned on.

So there you have it - we now have heating to the house that's better than it ever was, all thanks to this forum, my nosiness and a plumber who was willing to go that extra mile to help us out :hurray:!

Thank you guys so much for all your helpful advice and patience with this post - we got there in the end!!!

Warmest regards, Brian

 

[Tonycane]

Can't see the pic, glad it's been sorted. Seems obvious now

 

[rpm]

:hurray: :21: arty: arty: arty:

 

[oz-plumber]

Thanks for sticking with us over your issue and keeping us informed.

It's just woeful that the bypass valve was put in such a location.

Happy you got it sorted.

Even happier that you found a Plumber that was willing to work with you to try and resolve the problem.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Post no 58 3 weeks ago, lol
Glad it's sorted and keep hold of you're new plumber, he's worth his weight in gold

 

[Howsie]

Don't use this plumber or the other plumber again. Woeful.

 

[mfgs]

Glad you got it sorted, but it really shouldn't have taken this long to figure out.

 

[knightime]

Guys, you're all absolutely right - it should never have taken this long to rectify. The first plumbers kinda just wanted to get 'in and out' as quickly as possible, whereas the last plumber was open to all suggestions you posted on this thread, as well as humour my curiosity and look deeper into the problem. Defo a keeper :lol:! Thanks again!!!

 

[knightime]

Look for a manual bypass valve that maybe fully open
If there is one it should be near boiler/airing cupboard

jonny - we found it, and indeed it was the culprit! But it was underneath the bath and not in 'plain site'!

 

[Howsie]

Guys, you're all absolutely right - it should never have taken this long to rectify. The first plumbers kinda just wanted to get 'in and out' as quickly as possible, whereas the last plumber was open to all suggestions you posted on this thread, as well as humour my curiosity and look deeper into the problem. Defo a keeper :lol:! Thanks again!!!

How long did it take the last plumber to find it?