Upstairs radiators won't heat!!

Wilde_37

I live in a relatively new house (3 years old) and have gas central heating.

The heating has been working great up to now. Last night all the radiators upstairs were cold. The radiators downstairs are hot and the gas boiler is running fine.

I tried bleeding every radiator in the house but there is no air in any - water comes out the moment I start to bleed them.

The water is heating fine in the house and the hot water tank is located upstairs.

Any suggestions?

Pete67

Most likely a zone control valve failed - it may need a new actuator, or a faulty room thermostat in an upstairs bedroom.

Outkast_IRE

A lot of zone control valves can be opened manually and locked in the open position in case one breaks . A likely location would be in the hot press or next to a manifold ( a sereis of pipes feeding into what looks like a brass or plastic larger pipe) up stairs. the valve itself would be on a pipe and look like a box possibly grey the has a slideable switch on bottom or top. If you can find it this switch can be moved to the open positon and locked in position usually anyway. Hope this helps

KoolKid

I had this problem after getting some work done.
Try turning off all the rads & start the boiler.
Turn on one by one waiting for each to heat up fully before turning up the next

Jack O'Neill

Check the "speed" setting of your water pump - turn it up for better flow to upstairs.

Wilde_37

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

A lot of zone control valves can be opened manually and locked in the open position in case one breaks . A likely location would be in the hot press or next to a manifold ( a sereis of pipes feeding into what looks like a brass or plastic larger pipe) up stairs. the valve itself would be on a pipe and look like a box possibly grey the has a slideable switch on bottom or top. If you can find it this switch can be moved to the open positon and locked in position usually anyway. Hope this helps

I have searched everywhere for this zone control valve and cannot find it. I have followed every single pipe from the hot press and there is nothing on any of them.

I searched the boiler area also and nothing there.

The set up I have is :

• Ideal Classic SE 15 FF boiler in the kitchen
• Expansion tank attached to the top of that
• Ideal MP53 pump is next -
• then the pipes disappear into the ceiling.
• None of the radiators have thermostats attached and there are no room thermostats either.
• There appears to be two pipes coming out of the boiler.

The hot press is upstairs and has several pipes in and out of it but all are clear. I've even gotten in behind the tank and checked there.

• I have tried turning off all radiators and then turning them on one by one.
• I have changed the speed on the pump and nothing.

Outkast_IRE

Have you tried turning off all the downstairs radiators and leave on one or all of the upstairs ones and see what happens im a plumber and i get these call outs a good bit so the advice is good

Pete67

Could someone have closed a valve in the hotpress? From what you described you don't have any motorised valves to separate the upstairs and downstairs heating, but there might be a manual valve to shut off the upstairs heating?

Wilde_37

Pete67 wrote: »

Could someone have closed a valve in the hotpress? From what you described you don't have any motorised valves to separate the upstairs and downstairs heating, but there might be a manual valve to shut off the upstairs heating?

My next stop is to call the priest in!!! You were right - the valve in the hotpress was closed. The heating was grand up to last night, then it was cold - but I live alone and have no idea how the valve got closed. So thank's to everyone for the suggestions - I actually learned a lot about my heating system along the way - but now I have to get rid of the Poltergeist !!! :):D:):D

Outkast_IRE

Would of suggested that as said simpliest answer is usually the right one that would of been my first suggestion just thought it would of been checked before posting .
Thats a lesson learned now for ya if anything water related isnt working check the valve is open:D