Help bleeding upstairs radiators

[Subby]

Hi gang,

I was called to a job this evening to fix a leak. I was then asked to look at the heating. The problem was upstairs rads (all 3) not heating up.

I checked and the bottom of the rads were hot and the tops cold.

I opened the valves to first rad, and bled all the air out of it. I came to the second rad, and only managed to get a little bit of air out before there was no pressure left to push any more air out, same story with third rad, it hissed for a second, then stopped, top of rad still cold.

I turned the heating off and tried again, no joy.

The system is a baxi bermuda back boiler downstairs with a hot water cylinder downstairs, a pump upstairs above the boiler(which was working). Unfortunately, I was unable to access the loft to check the cistern.

I left my radiatior key with the occupant and showed her how to bleed the rads, and asked her to try bleeding them again tomorrow.

Any pointers to what the problem may be will be appreciated for when I (most likely) have to return to the property.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AWheating]

could be faulty ballvalve, blockage in feed or sludged up pipework,valves or rads. If you take the nipple out poke some wire into the nipple hole to open it up and sit down and read your nuts mag it will fill up eventually. Or get up the loft check the tank, and pipework for possilbe blockages. run a magnet around the feed and vent connections etc....

 

[Simon F]

you need to check the loft tank before anything else.
if that's not dry then are the feed and vent clogged up or is there a tap been fitted?

 

[Subby]

Thanks for the replies guys, just learned some new tricks, I like the one with a magnet, that's new on me!
Yeah, I should have gone to the loft but didn't have my ladders with me doh!
Simon, could you explain what you mean by "is there a tap been fitted?" or am I being stupid lol

 

[JCplumb]

Simon, could you explain what you mean by "is there a tap been fitted?" or am I being stupid lol

Is there a gate valve on the f/e pipework that may be stopping the water going to or from the f/e tank.

Another point to check is were the necessary zone valves open if these 3 rads were in there own zone?

 

[Dannypipe]

Classic blocked cold feed or jammed ballvalve.

I'm gonna bet a round in the arms on it being the ballvalve.

 

[Subby]

Place your bets... I will reply to this thread once I get called back to the job and get into the loft (armed with the help from you lot)

 

[Nimit]

Been back to the job yet?

I have the same problem, at a customers house I went to today,with the upstairs rads only hot at the bottom and cold at the top. I tried bleeding the radiators and every once in a while a hiss of air would come out. I tried sucking the air out with a wet vac which got the whole rad hot but then the top half went cold again after a while. I guess it was only pulling the hot water from the other rads.

I shall check the F & E tank tomorrow now and see what happens.