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Heat on, but not working.

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  • 28-07-2009 6:59pm
    #1
    pdm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi all,

    This has happen before, heat hasn't been on for couple of months and now it is not working.
    I turn the gas heat on and it does not circulate to the rads.
    I know it is related to the pump under the stairs as I had to call back the guy who serviced the boiler last year as a similar problem developed after the service. He just did a 2 second job to the pump and all was fine.
    Is this something i can do myself?
    any advice would be great
    Thanks


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    #2
    Stratocaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭Stratocaster


    pdm wrote: »
    Hi all,

    This has happen before, heat hasn't been on for couple of months and now it is not working.
    I turn the gas heat on and it does not circulate to the rads.
    I know it is related to the pump under the stairs as I had to call back the guy who serviced the boiler last year as a similar problem developed after the service. He just did a 2 second job to the pump and all was fine.
    Is this something i can do myself?
    any advice would be great
    Thanks


    Hard to tell what it is, a 2 second job sounds like changing a fuse to me.
    When you say you turn it on, does the boiler lock out after a min or two?


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    #3
    pdm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭pdm


    Thanks for your help Stratocaster,

    yes it goes back to just the pilot again after a couple of minutes, I think it may be pressure related, i forgot to mention that i bled a couple of radiators before turning the heat on,


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    #4
    Stratocaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭Stratocaster


    pdm wrote: »
    Thanks for your help Stratocaster,

    yes it goes back to just the pilot again after a couple of minutes, I think it may be pressure related, i forgot to mention that i bled a couple of radiators before turning the heat on,

    How new is the gas boiler? Most new gas boilers require at least 1bar of pressure to come on, maybe its nothing to do with the pump, when you vented the rads you could have lowered the pressure below 1bar. See if there is a pressure gauge on the boiler or system pipework and make sure there's a least 1bar, if its lower than a bar you will have to top it up by the fill valve, fill valve could be under the stairs, maybe the service person filled it up in those 2 seconds.


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    #5
    pdm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭pdm


    starting to sound like a two hour job now!

    Close to the bolier there is a red knob thats has "3 bars" written on it.
    On the pump there is a Screw, with arrows showing how to turn it, it could be a valve, I really don't know enough about it. I remember the service man going in there with a screwdriver, I always assumed he just turned it to add pressure.

    Could be time to call him again!
    Thanks again


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    #6
    aujopimur
    Registered Users Posts: 3,953 ✭✭✭aujopimur


    Sounds like a stuck pump,switch off electric remove the large screw from the centre of the pump insert a screwdriver into the opening and engage in the slot on the shaft, turn it back & forward a few times to free the pump.


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    #7
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    aujopimur wrote: »
    Sounds like a stuck pump,switch off electric remove the large screw from the centre of the pump insert a screwdriver into the opening and engage in the slot on the shaft, turn it back & forward a few times to free the pump.


    That was my feeling, can he not just turn the speed up on the pump and see if this works first, Its the black circular dial, turn it up to 3 then back down to where it was.


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    #8
    Stratocaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭Stratocaster


    pdm wrote: »
    starting to sound like a two hour job now!

    Close to the bolier there is a red knob thats has "3 bars" written on it.
    On the pump there is a Screw, with arrows showing how to turn it, it could be a valve, I really don't know enough about it. I remember the service man going in there with a screwdriver, I always assumed he just turned it to add pressure.

    Could be time to call him again!
    Thanks again

    Sounds like you have enough pressure, what your talking about there is the circulation pump, the arrow is showing the direction of circulation. The screw is the bleed screw to bleed out any air in the pump. You could try to open it a little to see if any air comes out, might just need to open the screw anti clockwise a little. Sounds strange having a slight bit of air is causing no circulation, the pump should still be able to circulate, even though it could have some air in it. As someones mentioned above, could have a stuck impeller. Maybe its best to ring him.

    Forgot to mention, that pressure looks a bit high if its set at 3bar, you safety on the boiler will probably open at 3.5.


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    #9
    pdm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭pdm


    Thanks everyone,

    I'll try freeing the pump so, the dial is already at 3 so doing it that way is not an option I guess. when I loosened the screw a little last nightand no air came out.


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    #10
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    pdm wrote: »
    Thanks everyone,

    I'll try freeing the pump so, the dial is already at 3 so doing it that way is not an option I guess. when I loosened the screw a little last nightand no air came out.

    Your pump should not be set on its highest rateing. This is not my rec but the manufactures. Try seeing if when you get it working you can leave it on 2


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    #11
    joeduggan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 344 ✭✭joeduggan


    Stratocaster wrote: »
    Hard to tell what it is, a 2 second job sounds like changing a fuse to me.
    When you say you turn it on, does the boiler lock out after a min or two?
    if its a pressurised system , he might have just re ,pressurised it to one bar when cold. ive come across boilers that havent worked just because they werent pressurised, and thats a two second job aswell.


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    #12
    joeduggan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 344 ✭✭joeduggan


    Stratocaster wrote: »
    Sounds like you have enough pressure, what your talking about there is the circulation pump, the arrow is showing the direction of circulation. The screw is the bleed screw to bleed out any air in the pump. You could try to open it a little to see if any air comes out, might just need to open the screw anti clockwise a little. Sounds strange having a slight bit of air is causing no circulation, the pump should still be able to circulate, even though it could have some air in it. As someones mentioned above, could have a stuck impeller. Maybe its best to ring him.

    Forgot to mention, that pressure looks a bit high if its set at 3bar, you safety on the boiler will probably open at 3.5.
    i most new boilers there is a automatic air vent behind the front cover of it. sometimes you have to open them aswell as bleed the pump.


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    #13
    WIZE
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,597 ✭✭✭WIZE


    Have u tried bleeding the Rads


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    #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    pdm wrote: »
    starting to sound like a two hour job now!

    Close to the boiler there is a red knob thats has "3 bars" written on it.
    On the pump there is a Screw, with arrows showing how to turn it, it could be a valve, I really don't know enough about it. I remember the service man going in there with a screwdriver, I always assumed he just turned it to add pressure.

    Could be time to call him again!
    Thanks again

    The red indicator tends not to be a indicator of system pressure, but normally indicates blow-off point, the pressure indicator tends to be black, bleed from the highest point if you have lots of water/pressure it would identify if you have water in the system, if it's sluggish then you may need repressurising, also if you do have 3 bar in the system and remove pump screw fully you may have to wait for the pressure to ease before it will go back on, put a screw driver to the screw point, put your ear to the top and turn the pump speed up and down, you should be able to hear the change in speed, Gary.


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    #15
    pdm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭pdm


    Thanks Lads for all the advice,

    No luck, but I really don't know enough about this stuff.
    Turn the pump back to 2, also noticed water is hot when I try boiler for a while, didn't think it would be.

    anyhow thanks again.


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    #16
    Stratocaster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭Stratocaster


    pdm wrote: »
    Thanks Lads for all the advice,

    No luck, but I really don't know enough about this stuff.
    Turn the pump back to 2, also noticed water is hot when I try boiler for a while, didn't think it would be.

    anyhow thanks again.

    Sounds like you have a simple gas boiler with external pump, vent, safety and expansion vessel. Those type of boilers tend to work off any system pressure so might not be a pressure related problem, sounds like its all down to the circulating pump. Might be a blown motor, best call a plumber out as its hard to determine the actual cause with out physically seeing the system.


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