Central Heating Question

donutheadhomer

Hi all,
Silly question about heating.
I've moved house recently and looking in the hotpress I see all these taps.
I've attached a picture, can anyone tell me what the 2 red taps are for and what position they should be in?
I would like hot water in the taps and hot radiators and I'm wondering does these taps have something to do with it.
At the moment I have the left tap fully open and the right tap closed but all I'm getting is hot rads.
This was how it was when I moved in

AckwelFoley

Its hard to see because i cant see the connections to the cylinder but i would suggest that the top valve covered in white paint is the hot water valve, if there is no water comming from the hot water tap turn it on.

The other 2 valves could be for isolating the flow from the heat source to the cylnder for the rads, these should be of course turned anti clockwise.

last but not least..

Finally, find out who the painter was and punch him in the face.

JamesM

The one with the white paint is for filling the system - it should be open, because you can see the pressure reducing valve after it. The others are probably the flow and return from the boiler to the culinder, but it is hard to see them properly.
Jim

donutheadhomer

thanks guys does anyone have thissystem and know what to do?

JamesM

EurasianBadger wrote: »

thanks guys does anyone have thissystem and know what to do?

Only re-read your first post now. All three valves should be open. With the right tap closed you have closed off the flow from the boiler to the cylinder - open it !
Jim.

JamesM

Can you get a better shot of the pipes behind the cylinder.
Jim.

donutheadhomer

JamesM wrote: »

Can you get a better shot of the pipes behind the cylinder.
Jim.

if i open all 3 vavvles thenth downstairs rads are hot but the upstairs ones are luke warm

AckwelFoley

EurasianBadger wrote: »

if i open all 3 vavvles thenth downstairs rads are hot but the upstairs ones are luke warm

Thats simply because the boiler is trying to heat all the rads in the house.. try turning off some of the rads in some of the rooms you dont need to be heating

Pete67

Or get someone out to balance the system. If the boiler is sized correctly it should be able to heat all the rads together, and have enough spare capacity for water heating.

JamesM

Pete67 wrote: »

Or get someone out to balance the system. If the boiler is sized correctly it should be able to heat all the rads together, and have enough spare capacity for water heating.

Also, if you start closing down the right hand one, you will still probably get enough heat into the water, and start pushing the heat out to the upstairs rads.
Jim.

Edit: For a start close the right one completely and see if the upstairs rads heat OK. Then open it enough to get the pipe into the cylinder good and hot.

donutheadhomer

closed the right one and rads all good, but cold water in cylinder. i open the right as bit and warm water in tank but big drop in upstairs rads again. any ideas?thanks guys

PlumbNHeat

Hi there .Try closing the Tap again, then open it one half turn if the cylinder is still cold after 30 mins open it another half .Also have a look at at your water
circulating pump it might be on too low a setting.Hope this helps

donutheadhomer

what does a circulating pump look like and where would it be? Gas boiler in kitchen, cylander in HP. Pump dunno where???
I feel like such an idiot in all this. remember all those years in college and not learning one practial thing

PlumbNHeat

Its usually beside the boiler connected to the pipework with a electrical cable to it or if its a system boiler it will be in the boiler itself.
Whats the make an model of boiler, I can then tell ya then if its inside the boiler

donutheadhomer

PlumbNHeat wrote: »

Its usually beside the boiler connected to the pipework with a electrical cable to it or if its a system boiler it will be in the boiler itself.
Whats the make an model of boiler, I can then tell ya then if its inside the boiler

I got a mynute 16e gas boiler. I tried half turns and full turns and even tun and a half but omnly ever luke warm water in taps and big drop in upstairs rads. I've now closed the right red tap alltigether to keep the rads hot allover.

PlumbNHeat

I,m 99% sure Mynute E is a system boiler .
If you take of the bottom cover The pump is on the bottom lefthand side(its probably a wine red colour ) you will see one of the copper pipes going into the pump,At the side of the pump there is the pump speed switch turn it to a higher setting.

donutheadhomer

PlumbNHeat wrote: »

I,m 99% sure Mynute E is a system boiler .
If you take of the bottom cover The pump is on the bottom lefthand side(its probably a wine red colour ) you will see one of the copper pipes going into the pump,At the side of the pump there is the pump speed switch turn it to a higher setting.

At work now but will do when I get home, thanks for all the sound advise, I'm lost.....Colin

caspermccormack

May need to balance the downstairs rads, if you turn them half way between fully open and closed, switch on the heating and see if it improves.

donutheadhomer

none of this seems to be working,. maybe there is an issue with the boiler. Also, there is no control/switch on the pump to increse/decrease the power. I've taken off the boiler cover to look. The water pressure is just under 1bar and consistant