No-one can work out why our heating isn't working!

[Snow Queen]

I am currently huddled by a fan heater. Our heating hasn't worked properly for over 3 weeks despite visits by 2 plumbers, a lot of beard-stroking and twiddling of valves.
The T37HW-3 Zone Programmer seems to be working fine. The boiler fires up enthusiastically when the timer clicks in, and there the problem starts.
The hot water DID heat up- this seems to have fizzled out in the past 2 days and we have to use the immersion heater. The upstairs radiators heat up, but the downstairs don't, UNLESS you turn off the upstairs radiators AND the hot water. Then you get adequate heat in one or two radiators, always in the same sequence. If the heating is boosted to stay on for about 4 hours, three and a half radiators will warm up eventually.
The Blokes have tried out unblocking radiator valves; have suggested the system needs flushing out (apparently can't be done till the summer?) Other than that, theres been a lot of shrugging.
It seems to me that somehow there's not enough pressure shoving the heat round the system. Could it be a pump? I have NO IDEA how any odd this works but I am sick of freezing and listening to said Blokes talking rubbish. I would LOVE to be able to tell plumber no 3 (coming on Friday) what the problem is!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Pump I would say

 

[JCplumb]

You say you have an immersion heater, so I'm guessing you are on an open vented old style system.
If upstairs works and downstairs doesn't then the first thing most plumbers would look at is the pump.
Your hot water cylinder will be upstairs so will get heat, but without the pump working it will take a lot longer than usual because the boiler will only be running in short bursts due to overheating as the pump isn't dispersing the heat.
All downstairs valves aren't going to block at the same time.
A system clean doesn't have to be done in the summer, whoever told you that was either lying or doesn't have a clue.
Where did you get your 'plumbers' from?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You say you have an immersion heater, so I'm guessing you are on an open vented old style system.
If upstairs works and downstairs doesn't then the first thing most plumbers would look at is the pump.
Your hot water cylinder will be upstairs so will get heat, but without the pump working it will take a lot longer than usual because the boiler will only be running in short bursts due to overheating as the pump isn't dispersing the heat.
All downstairs valves aren't going to block at the same time.
A system clean doesn't have to be done in the summer, whoever told you that was either lying or doesn't have a clue.
Where did you get your 'plumbers' from?

I would say don't have a clue

 

[Snow Queen]

Thank you. Thats exactly what I thought but my partner was adamant that it couldn't be that because it was a new pump i.e 5 years old. So I'm going to push the pump theory with the plumber.

 

[Snow Queen]

Pump I would say

Thank you. My thought as well.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Thank you. My thought as well.

I’m another one that says to check the pump then replace.

 

[Gasmk1]

pump

 

[quality]

Put your location on here as someone decent maybe be local

 

[Last Plumber]

Put your location on here as someone decent maybe be local

Pump check first in my book. No reason it cannot be tested either, don't go down the road of "we'll try that and see if it works".
I hear this a lot, procession of 'Plumbers' who can't find out what's wrong with something. What is going on?
Do they not learn the job anymore?

 

[townfanjon]

Moral of the story, never trust a plumber with a beard especially if he strokes it , the bald ones are the best.

+ another one for the pump

 

[Harvest Fields]

Moral of the story, never trust a plumber with a beard especially if he strokes it , the bald ones are the best.

+ another one for the pump

Nothing wrong with a beard mate.

 

[townfanjon]

Nothing wrong with a beard mate.

Yer but do you stroke it ?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yer but do you stroke it ?

now steady on town weres this convo going dont forget it needs to be pg rated

 

[Harvest Fields]

Yer but do you stroke it ?

Not the beard mate

 

[jtsplumbing]

Looks like a Pump problem, OP states it was replaced 5 years ago ! But what Brand of pump ? and is it the correct size for the property ?

 

[Harvest Fields]

Looks like a Pump problem, OP states it was replaced 5 years ago ! But what Brand of pump ? and is it the correct size for the property ?

And is there muck in the system.?

 

[Ted808]

Has any work been done recently? Apart from trying to sort out why heating isn't working?

 

[Riley]

Are the guys you’ve got in actually plumbers

 

[Harvest Fields]

Are the guys you’ve got in actually plumbers

I thought that.

 

[Last Plumber]

Are the guys you’ve got in actually plumbers

It wouldn't surprise me if they were fully qualified these days to be honest.
I went to a job not that long ago and the customer said I was the fifth!!!!
Ridiculous!
It was something that any Engineer worth his / her salt would have diagnosed within 5 min too. That is the largest procession of Plumbers I have heard of but it is by no means the only time I've heard it.
They even left tools!!!

The mind boggles.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I’ve lost plenty of grips and screwdrivers over the years. Doesn’t mean anything to do with levelnof Workmanship.

 

[Last Plumber]

I’ve lost plenty of grips and screwdrivers over the years. Doesn’t mean anything to do with levelnof Workmanship.

No, I lose gear myself, it drives me crackers.

I needed a part and the customer laughed and said "that's what they all say, I won't see you again".

I offered to leave my tools to prove I would return and she opened the kitchen draw to show me a pile of Plumbers tools.
"They did that too", she said.

There were pump pliers, adjustable spanners, amongst other things. All decent stuff too.

I don't understand why that's all?

I am by no means saying it's their fault, it must come down to the training/learning process. Not just the colleges either, who they learn with or from makes the biggest difference to these types of occurrences.

 

[Vee]

Pump. Wilo or British Gas by any chance. I will have to stop shaving.

 

[Last Plumber]

Pump. Wilo or British Gas by any chance. I will have to stop shaving.

Pump. Wilo or British Gas by any chance. I will have to stop shaving.

Have you go chin whiskers too Vee?