heating downstairs not working upstairs workig fine

[Hardy1]

got called out about a hour ago to a customer, hot water working and the upstairs radiators are fine, but downstairs are all cold, bled the radiators full of water all of them, what is the most likely cause?, pump seized, airlock,?, many thanks guys/girls.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

pump failed

 

[CMairiD]

My votes for circulation, unless of course it's like one of my more recent jobs where some bright spark had put a room stat in a tiny upstairs landing with a DP/DC rad.

 

[Hardy1]

lol now that is funny^, so just check for voltage across L-N terminals?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

lol now that is funny^, so just check for voltage across L-N terminals?

yes,and if a removable center screw see if the pumps spinning or can be easily stopped with a driver

 

[Hardy1]

cheers thanks guys/girls, going to have a look at it tomorow,

Gasman- if i remove the bleed screw aint i going to get really wet? lol.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

cheers thanks guys/girls, going to have a look at it tomorow,

Gasman- if i remove the bleed screw aint i going to get really wet? lol.

not if your quick,put a small tray under the pump

 

[Hardy1]

got it, quick question, if the pump wasnt working at all, am i right saying upstairs heating would not be working at all? or would that be gravity?- but then again UPstairs are working fine..getting confused now lol.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

upstairs and hot water are only working because of gravity convection

 

[Hardy1]

ahhhhhhhhhhh yessss, i got it,derrrrr lol, thanks for the info, ill sort it tomorrow.

 

[CMairiD]

Speaking of screws, another interesting poor downstairs heat job. Five year old build on microbore. History of poor heating downstairs. It's had new downstairs rads, still no better. Chems went in two weeks ago to see if it would shift and drain down/refill this week to see if there's improvement. Well, there wasn't.

Guy went upstairs to check the pump which was original from new build. Pulls it apart and finds not one, not two, but a half a dozen wood screws in the pump!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Speaking of screws, another interesting poor downstairs heat job. Five year old build on microbore. History of poor heating downstairs. It's had new downstairs rads, still no better. Chems went in two weeks ago to see if it would shift and drain down/refill this week to see if there's improvement. Well, they wasn't.

Guy went upstairs to check the pump which was original from new build. Pulls it apart and finds not one, not two, but a half a dozen wood screws in the pump!

now that is odd,had fiber glass cause havoc in a system one wrap its self around the pump impeller and burn it out the owner thought it was a good idea to use fiber glass as a tank lid

 

[mountainman]

AAARGHH!
I despair, the most common fault on older systems and the easiest to diagnose prompts a flurry of great answers and a wierd answer.
only to prompt the question 'will I get wet if I take the screw out'
Not a problem if the poster admitted to being an amateur but saying "I was called out" implies something much more than basic knowledge.
Off to a darkened room for a lie down now.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

AAARGHH!
I despair, the most common fault on older systems and the easiest to diagnose prompts a flurry of great answers and a wierd answer.
only to prompt the question 'will I get wet if I take the screw out'
Not a problem if the poster admitted to being an amateur but saying "I was called out" implies something much more than basic knowledge.
Off to a darkened room for a lie down now.

yes its the most simplest of faults,but the OP is a arms member so we have to make certain assumptions on their knowledge,the getting wet one did throw me though the op may have been a installer for ever and never seen any faults to call on there own experience

 

[SafeGasInstall]

AAARGHH!
I despair, the most common fault on older systems and the easiest to diagnose prompts a flurry of great answers and a wierd answer.
only to prompt the question 'will I get wet if I take the screw out'
Not a problem if the poster admitted to being an amateur but saying "I was called out" implies something much more than basic knowledge.
Off to a darkened room for a lie down now.

do not be so hard on him ,pls

next time you will be here for help and you would not want to see a post like your ,would you ?

 

[warrington]

It sounds like a pump, but it is worth to consider the basic maybe need balancing. Turn of the top radiators and see if the heat comes to downstairs.

 

[jhon lennon]

if its a traditional system the pump will have isolation valves either side close em and unscrew the bleed screw the pump should be seen spinning put a srewdriver to the impeller lightly to check its intact and not stopping at a small amount or resistance they can break free of the rotor

 

[villa_tom]

AAARGHH!
I despair, the most common fault on older systems and the easiest to diagnose prompts a flurry of great answers and a wierd answer.
only to prompt the question 'will I get wet if I take the screw out'
Not a problem if the poster admitted to being an amateur but saying "I was called out" implies something much more than basic knowledge.
Off to a darkened room for a lie down now.

Thats a bit harsh mate. The geezers only here for a nudge in the right direction, and he got the answers he needed. I'm sure there's some basic fact somewhere that I don't know, or anyone else for that matter. We all have different skills, abilities and although we may all have the job title of plumber/heating engineer installation and service and repair are two completely different jobs and require different skill sets and different ways of thinking.

I prefer not to mess with water carrying parts if I can help as I prefer gas works and pipe runs, therefore I am pretty cautious when it comes to water. When I work with mates of mine and I carefully cut water pipes or rip out water fittings they always rip it out of me and have a good laugh. Ive asked the question 'will water come out of here?' when touching a water part/fitting. Does that make me crap at my job? No, it's just me doing something that I'm not used to and dot particularly like doing?

If anything I think it's quite a responsible and courteous question to ask, as they say the only stupid questions are the ones tht are never asked.

 

[Hardy1]

Fair enough i understand where your coming from, but all i really do it installs and maintenance and servicing and fault finding on boilers and gas, not central heating, that is what i was taught and have been trying to get into central heating maintenance but just like anyone else its going to be slow isnt it?, i understand how they all work, what is what, all i asked was am i going to get wet, because water does come out of the bleed screw when you open it as you vent the pump to get rid of the excess air , am i not right?, ive never taken the bleed screw fully out while the pump is running cause i couldnt think of why i would besides just trying to move the pump impellor if its stuck but not while its on ,and my first assumption would be that id have water all over my face and over the place-i just wanted to confirm thats all, O and yes the job was done it was the pump , customer very pleased , thanks all.

AAARGHH!
I despair, the most common fault on older systems and the easiest to diagnose prompts a flurry of great answers and a wierd answer.
only to prompt the question 'will I get wet if I take the screw out'
Not a problem if the poster admitted to being an amateur but saying "I was called out" implies something much more than basic knowledge.
Off to a darkened room for a lie down now.

 

[WHPES]

If when you take the pump screw out and the pump is not spinning, can you set it spinning using a screwdriver in the slot behind the screw hole? If it does start up and runs, its the capacitor which you can easily replace without having to remove the pump and drain down.