# Query where radiators stopped working



## Green (29 Oct 2010)

In the last two days certain downstairs radiators in our heating system (oil) stopped working. Others rads around the house and upstairs continue to work. Would anyone have any idea what the problem is and how might I go about fixing it. I did try and bleed the non working radiators but water only came out. Is it an airlock and how would I find out where it is located? Thanks


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## W200 (29 Oct 2010)

Could be the water circulating pump. check that it is running for a start


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## Green (29 Oct 2010)

W200 said:


> Could be the water circulating pump. check that it is running for a start



excuse my ignorance but how would I do that? thanks


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## W200 (29 Oct 2010)

HI.
If you know where the pump is ( it should be very close to the boiler mounted on the pipe gowing into the bottom of the boiler ) When the boiler is running for a while put your hand on the pump ( CAREFUL IT COULD BE VERY HOT ) and it should be making a vibtating motion and a soft whirring sound . ie like a small electric motor.
                                                    w200


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## Green (29 Oct 2010)

Thanks I'll check that


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## pudds (29 Oct 2010)

W200 said:


> Could be the water circulating pump. check that it is running for a start



OP says upstairs rads are heating ok so it's hardly the pump.


@OP don't want to insult you but have you made sure that the rads that arn't heating are actually turned on at the radiator valves. Even if they are..... try turning them *full on* and see if they heat up.


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## allthedoyles (29 Oct 2010)

We have back-boiler and the upstairs rads always heat up without pump , as heat rises .

Yobr ,remember when checking to see if your rads are actually turned on , it is :
Lefty = loosy .............righty =  tighty


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## pudds (29 Oct 2010)

allthedoyles said:


> We have back-boiler and the upstairs rads always heat up without pump , as heat rises .
> 
> Yobr ,remember when checking to see if your rads are actually turned on , it is :
> Lefty = loosy .............righty =  tighty



I think a back boiler system is a bit different. I think if the pump on my oil c.h. packed up I doubt I would get any heat in any radiator at all...least of all upstairs. 

But I'm open to correction.


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## W200 (29 Oct 2010)

If the boiler is firing and the pump is not operating correctly then the ONLY place you are likely to get heat is upstairs.
                   w200


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## Green (29 Oct 2010)

W200 said:


> HI.
> If you know where the pump is ( it should be very close to the boiler mounted on the pipe gowing into the bottom of the boiler ) When the boiler is running for a while put your hand on the pump ( CAREFUL IT COULD BE VERY HOT ) and it should be making a vibtating motion and a soft whirring sound . ie like a small electric motor.
> w200



I checked and only have on/off switch and clock inside so presume I should check outside for this pump?



pudds said:


> OP says upstairs rads are heating ok so it's hardly the pump.
> 
> Some of the downstairs rads are heating up but not in kitchen, dining and living room...
> 
> @OP don't want to insult you but have you made sure that the rads that arn't heating are actually turned on at the radiator valves. Even if they are..... try turning them *full on* and see if they heat up.



No insult at all...thanks for your help I will try that...again...would it help if I turned all rads off and on again?



allthedoyles said:


> We have back-boiler and the upstairs rads always heat up without pump , as heat rises .
> 
> Yobr ,remember when checking to see if your rads are actually turned on , it is :
> Lefty = loosy .............righty =  tighty



So is that left to turn on and right to turn off?



W200 said:


> If the boiler is firing and the pump is not operating correctly then the ONLY place you are likely to get heat is upstairs.
> w200



Some rads working downstairs too...


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## pudds (29 Oct 2010)

W200 said:


> If the boiler is firing and the pump is *not operating correctly *then the ONLY place you are likely to get heat is upstairs.
> w200



In my above post I was referring to the pump packing up *completely* however  if it was partially working  I take your point about heat rises and the upstairs rads would benefit first.


Anyway OP says only  *some* of the downstairs rads are not heating up......
so think I would be looking elsewhere for the problem rather than the pump.


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## pudds (29 Oct 2010)

> *OP*  would it help if I turned all rads off and on again?



To narrow down the problem I'd split the upstairs and downstairs.

1. Turn off *all* rads *upstairs*,  to do this is the same as turning off your  kitchen tap.     Clockwise is .....off.

2. Turn on *full* (anti clockwise) all downstairs rads.

and let us know the result.  (I'm no expert by the way)


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## W200 (29 Oct 2010)

Some boilers are wired so that the boiler will *not* fire if the pump is *not* 
running but this is not always the case.
Im no expert either by the way.


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## Catering141 (30 Oct 2010)

Have you bled the radiators?

If it's not air it could be dirt in the rads.

There is also a switch in the hot press that turns the pressure off and with our system we have to turn this so that the system is making a loud high pitched noise and then bleed the rads (turn the switch and bleed a rad individually, and turn back off switch until you are ready for next one ifkwim) you will need two people to do this. The pressure on this gauge should be at 1-1.5. This is our system now yours might be different.


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## W200 (8 Nov 2010)

Hi.
Did you ever track down the source of your problem ?. Just curious.
                                             w200


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## Green (8 Nov 2010)

yep...balancing between rads and hot press was wrong


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## RAINDODGER (27 Nov 2010)

have a problem like yours in a bungalow some rads  work and some dont this system has not been used for around six months tried bleeding the rads but just got water anyone with any ideas why this happens


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