weird boiler - any idea which thing i should try to twiddle?

[danski]

They look exactly like the valves for releasing the pressure on my boiler - and I'm definitely using the right ones. (Told by an boiler engineer who came to the property and it's also in the manual). But that's a combi boiler. So I'm not sure it's a general thing.

Ah, yeah, the type might be general but their position is what’s key here

 

[Riklet]

Nearest one is the red one, but I think that’s probably not for turning ?
Bollocks I think I may have to ask for help from someone who actually knows this stuff. It’s ok, it’s not freezing in here just some rads not doing their thing properly.

It's more likely to be an issue with balancing the hot water flow than a boiler issue.

On the radiators you can adjust the valve with a cap - the lockshield valve. This will help if some radiators are not getting fully hot, it depends how your pipes etc are layed out but if some radiators are getting properly hot and others not then adjust that.

You turn it right to reduce hot water flow and eventually turn off the radiator. If you do it to a radiator that is balanced and working properly make sure you write down how many turns you did so you can put it back to the same position. You may want to reduce flow on the too hot radiators and increase it on the not hot enough ones. The aim is to have all of them at the same temperature coming in and about 15 degrees less coming out.

 

[existentialist]

You should be able to feel it vibrate/ whir if you’re quiet. Put your finger on the centre shiny screwcap thingy.

I recall being shown the thing where you put a screwdriver on the pump casing, and your ear to the other end of the screwdriver, which enables you to hear the pump whirring even if the ambient noise levels are too high to hear it properly.

 

[StoneRoad]

I recall being shown the thing where you put a screwdriver on the pump casing, and your ear to the other end of the screwdriver, which enables you to hear the pump whirring even if the ambient noise levels are too high to hear it properly.

Screwdriver blade on the shiny cap, t'other end on your temple, just in front of your ear.
At least, that's how I do it - it is also quite a good method of hearing how good a m/bike engine's bearings are behaving.

 

[danski]

I recall being shown the thing where you put a screwdriver on the pump casing, and your ear to the other end of the screwdriver, which enables you to hear the pump whirring even if the ambient noise levels are too high to hear it properly.

Yeah, was gonna suggest. Seen my dad do it loads over the years on various things.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Not a plumber, but I think ...

Open Little black thumbscrew and then big black thumbscrew.

Whilst watching the pressure & Keep hand on the big one.

Close big one first, then little when you've got up to pressure.

I was about to post that.

The two taps on the inlet pipe should be opened, watch the pressure go up, when it gets a bit out of the red area, turn off the taps.

No idea why there are two taps, but the pic shows exactly our boiler setup.

 

[StoneRoad]

Two taps so you can isolate the flexible pipe - they are not immune to failure ...

 

[Lurdan]

Two taps so you can isolate the flexible pipe - they are not immune to failure ...

I've seen set-ups where the flexible connector has been removed to stop people playing with it.

That photo looks like some of the older systems on the estate I used to work on. As Sasaferrato says turn the two valves off when the system is repressurised. Don't leave them open and don't overpressurise. About 2 on the dial should be fine. If the system loses pressure again quickly you've got a small leak somewhere.

​

 

[bimble]

I’m resuming plumbing efforts in the morning, will catch up on thread then. Kitchen rad is still cold which was The thing I was trying to fix : (

 

[keybored]

God I wish I still had two knobs. Where I live now you have to insert this stupid plastic key (see below) into a receptacle at the exact alignment, then turn it around 30° to make a bridge in the filling loop. Only then can you can repressurise. It's like in the movies when they have to insert a special key and turn it to arm the nukes. That's great but on a domestic boiler it's the stupidest idea ever (it's fuelled by gas btw, not uranium).

 

[8ball]

I’m resuming plumbing efforts in the morning, will catch up on thread then. Kitchen rad is still cold which was The thing I was trying to fix : (

Cheers - thread was way better value than an escape room.

 

[AverageJoe]

God I wish I still had two knobs.

Childish giggle

 

[Epona]

Childish giggle

Thank you, glad someone got there before me

 

[bimble]

It's more likely to be an issue with balancing the hot water flow than a boiler issue.

On the radiators you can adjust the valve with a cap - the lockshield valve. This will help if some radiators are not getting fully hot, it depends how your pipes etc are layed out but if some radiators are getting properly hot and others not then adjust that.

You turn it right to reduce hot water flow and eventually turn off the radiator. If you do it to a radiator that is balanced and working properly make sure you write down how many turns you did so you can put it back to the same position. You may want to reduce flow on the too hot radiators and increase it on the not hot enough ones. The aim is to have all of them at the same temperature coming in and about 15 degrees less coming out.

I've re-read this several times now, and turned valves to the right and left and still baffled. It's the kicthen rad that is the real issue that room is fecking cold anyway and rad is not heating up, is tepid on top and cool on bottom.

Thing is the pipe that leads to it & the valve and all that is scalding burn-yr-fingers hot so there must be something going on where pipe joins rad i just don't get what it could be.
In case you can advise further - its like this (everything on left of yellow line is boiling everything on right is not.







Maybe its the valve is faulty or damaged?
Removing top bit shows this inside, so i can't see how that can do anything whichever way you screw it as theres no spindly bit ? Mystifying.

 

[Johnny Doe]

Not a plumber, but I think ...

Open Little black thumbscrew and then big black thumbscrew.

Whilst watching the pressure & Keep hand on the big one.

Close big one first, then little when you've got up to pressure.

This.

But your pressure shouldn't just drop so you might have a leak somewhere. Have you turned on a radiator you don't usually? (That said, if you've topped it up by the above and don't have any issues any time soon, I wouldn't worry too much)

 

[platinumsage]

If I didn’t have the internet I’d take the top off of hot radiator valve and see if I could spot the difference, and then try and make it so the cold radiator valve was the same as the working radiator valve.

 

[Storm Fox]

What's at the other end of the radiator? Do you have a hand turned valve or anything?
Google brings up this:

Which looks similar to the thing in the picture

 

[danski]

Depending on type of valve, it might just need a light donk with a hammer.

 

[Sprocket.]

Having read through the thread it seems all above regarding topping up the system is good advice.

From your photo of the actual cold radiator I cannot make out what is inside the valve with the top removed. Is it a thermostatic valve head?
If you only have one cold rad and all the rest are getting reasonably hot it suggests either a blockage or an airlock in the cold radiator, but I have on occasion had these symptoms and the cause is purely the amount of cold water in the radiator. Especially where it is the furthest from your boiler and the system hasn’t run for a while.

A quick check is to close off all other radiators on the same floor and just leave the cold one with the valves open, you should get enough flow to force the slug of cold water out and it should get warm but it may take a while.
If not this it suggests a blockage on either the feed or return end.

 

[Riklet]

Sorry my post isnt so clear. Can you post a photo of the lockshield valve on the other end of the radiator please bimble?

That looks like the thermostatic rad valve you have posted. I suspect the radiator is not getting full flow, which means this valve is not the issue. Just screw that back on and turn the rad up to max.

The other valve which is harder to adjust is the one you want. You want to let that hot water you can feel into the radiator. The aim is for all your radiators to receive the same amount/tenperature hot water. This is called balancing the system. You can hopefully do this yourself without needing a heating engineer but yes it does require some faffing.



This is how it looks on my radiator.

You might find this video helpful:

 

[equationgirl]

Please forgive my stupid question bimble, but does it does have sufficient oil in it? When was the last delivery?

 

[bimble]

Please forgive my stupid question bimble, but does it does have sufficient oil in it? When was the last delivery?

This is not a stupid question ! It’s not that though, I did check. It’s improved now but still kitchen radiator is not doing what it should. Someone’s coming on Friday to have a look & hopefully to teach me about my boiler and all it’s knobs.

 

[WouldBe]

This is not a stupid question ! It’s not that though, I did check. It’s improved now but still kitchen radiator is not doing what it should. Someone’s coming on Friday to have a look & hopefully to teach me about my boiler and all it’s knobs.

Now you have repressurised the system have you tried bleeding the kitchen radiator again?

 

[bimble]

Thank you people! Will look at it all again in the morning, been out and too tired to do my plumber impression anymore today .

 

[platinumsage]

This is not a stupid question ! It’s not that though, I did check. It’s improved now but still kitchen radiator is not doing what it should. Someone’s coming on Friday to have a look & hopefully to teach me about my boiler and all it’s knobs.

Definitely worth having someone to talk you through it. I know my system now far better than any plumber does when they arrive, so I can talk them through what goes where and what I've already checked. Saves money in the long term.

 

[Riklet]

How's it going today bimble? Just get some pliers or an adjustable spanner and turn the valve like in the picture i've posted left/anti-clockwise to open it up and allow more hot water flow into the radiator. See if that makes any difference.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I've seen set-ups where the flexible connector has been removed to stop people playing with it.

That photo looks like some of the older systems on the estate I used to work on. As Sasaferrato says turn the two valves off when the system is repressurised. Don't leave them open and don't overpressurise. About 2 on the dial should be fine. If the system loses pressure again quickly you've got a small leak somewhere

I've always got to refill after bleeding the radiators.

 

[bimble]

How's it going today bimble? Just get some pliers or an adjustable spanner and turn the valve like in the picture i've posted left/anti-clockwise to open it up and allow more hot water flow into the radiator. See if that makes any difference.

I'm thinking to wait till mr plumber comes at 9ish tomorrow, he's the same man who installed the radiator that is being bad (there was no rad in the kitchen here when i moved in) so i'd like to be able to say i did not do anything to it, i have not pretended to be a plumber its just like this.

 

[bimble]

I've seen set-ups where the flexible connector has been removed to stop people playing with it.

That photo looks like some of the older systems on the estate I used to work on. As Sasaferrato says turn the two valves off when the system is repressurised. Don't leave them open and don't overpressurise. About 2 on the dial should be fine. If the system loses pressure again quickly you've got a small leak somewhere.

​

Ah, just read this. pressure moved up to one on the dial and then i turned the knobs off. I'm awaiting professional help tbh, mainly so i can understand the whole setup.

 

[Riklet]

I'm thinking to wait till mr plumber comes at 9ish tomorrow, he's the same man who installed the radiator that is being bad (there was no rad in the kitchen here when i moved in) so i'd like to be able to say i did not do anything to it, i have not pretended to be a plumber its just like this.

ok awesome, report back with what yer man says though! hope it isnt too expensive!