G
greenhorn
I have a Potterton Netaheat 50 which heats 5 rads downstairs and 4 upstairs (incuding a bypass rad in the bathroom). It is an open vented, fully pumped system fitted with a combined feed and vent.
During the summer, many of the rads were removed for redecorating and the valves fully opened on each end. When the heating was needed a month or so back, I noticed that only the downstairs rads were working.
I had the boiler serviced and the engineer said that the upstairs was not working due to a blockage in the system which needed power-flushing. I did not book him in but consulted Google.
I found several forums where people had similar probs to mine and one excellent answer which advised them not to proceed with a power-flush until they had ensured the system was “balanced” – especially if rads had been removed for decorating!
I tested the system by shutting off the downstairs rads and surprise, surprise, the upstairs ones all worked! - proving that the engineer was a liar (despite being Corgi registered - or so he claimed!) out to fleece me for a few hundred quid (he had also said that if the power-flush did not solve the problem, then he would need to replace the pump as well).
Unfortunately, I cannot balance the system as recommended (I have no radiator thermostats to start with) and the boiler only seems to work for 3 minutes before cutting off for about 10.
I stated by shutting down all the rads and only having the downstairs ones open a quarter of a turn, but the boiler only runs for a few minutes before shutting down for about 10 – and this was taking all day. I assumed that this was because no water was getting through to the rads. I then tried doing things in reverse by starting with all the rads fully open and then seeing how much I can close them without losing too much heat. I decided I should try shutting down the bypass rad (as that seems to be the only one getting hot), but that shuts down the system and I have to press the reset button under the boiler.
Even with all of the rad valves fully open the boiler only runs for about 3 mins before shutting down for 10 and I seem to be getting nowhere. It is a freezing cold day (temp should get up to about 4 degrees outside). My room stat reads 9 degrees and is calling for heat.
CAN ANYBODY HELP ME PLEASE?
During the summer, many of the rads were removed for redecorating and the valves fully opened on each end. When the heating was needed a month or so back, I noticed that only the downstairs rads were working.
I had the boiler serviced and the engineer said that the upstairs was not working due to a blockage in the system which needed power-flushing. I did not book him in but consulted Google.
I found several forums where people had similar probs to mine and one excellent answer which advised them not to proceed with a power-flush until they had ensured the system was “balanced” – especially if rads had been removed for decorating!
I tested the system by shutting off the downstairs rads and surprise, surprise, the upstairs ones all worked! - proving that the engineer was a liar (despite being Corgi registered - or so he claimed!) out to fleece me for a few hundred quid (he had also said that if the power-flush did not solve the problem, then he would need to replace the pump as well).
Unfortunately, I cannot balance the system as recommended (I have no radiator thermostats to start with) and the boiler only seems to work for 3 minutes before cutting off for about 10.
I stated by shutting down all the rads and only having the downstairs ones open a quarter of a turn, but the boiler only runs for a few minutes before shutting down for about 10 – and this was taking all day. I assumed that this was because no water was getting through to the rads. I then tried doing things in reverse by starting with all the rads fully open and then seeing how much I can close them without losing too much heat. I decided I should try shutting down the bypass rad (as that seems to be the only one getting hot), but that shuts down the system and I have to press the reset button under the boiler.
Even with all of the rad valves fully open the boiler only runs for about 3 mins before shutting down for 10 and I seem to be getting nowhere. It is a freezing cold day (temp should get up to about 4 degrees outside). My room stat reads 9 degrees and is calling for heat.
CAN ANYBODY HELP ME PLEASE?
