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Common System
Problems:
My boiler is noisy:
Scale and sludge inside, restricted water
flow, pockets of steam or even trapped air can cause a noisy
boiler. In every case you'll need to call out an heating
engineer to find the cause and repair the boiler.
The top section of my radiator is cold:
This probably means the radiator needs
�bleeding'. To bleed your radiator:
- Find the bleed valve, this is usually on one side
near the top.
- Place a cloth underneath the bleed valve.
- Use a radiator key to gently release the valve and
listen for the hiss of air.
- Switch the heat back on.
The bottom section is cold or all
radiators are cold or luke-warm:
This probably means rust or sludge is
obstructing the radiator. To clean this you will need to
remove the radiator:
- Turn off the heat.
- Protect the floor with cloths and have a spanner or
pliers, a wrench and a few bowls ready.
- Close the valves at each end of the radiator and
remove the plastic shield from the �lockshield valve',
closing it with the spanner or pliers.
- Open the bleed valve near the top of the radiator to
allow water to escape. If water keeps running the other
valves are not closed properly.
- Use the bowls to catch any water and undo the nuts
holding the radiator to the valves on each end. You�ll
need to do this slowly.
- Ask someone to help lift the radiator from its
brackets.
- Drain any remaining water into the bowl.
- With the radiator upright, carry it outside.
- Stand the radiator on its end, flush out the sludge
with a hosepipe before bringing it back in.
- Checking the brackets are secure, place the radiator
back on the wall and reconnect the nuts.
- Open the valves to fill the radiator, then open the
bleed valve to allow air to escape and reset the
lockshield valve.
Only the upstairs radiators are cold:
This may well mean the cistern in your
loft has run dry, because of a jammed or obstructed ball
valve. To fix the cistern:
- Clear any obstruction or worn parts
- Check there is enough water to make the ball float
when the system is cold.
Only downstairs radiators are cold:
It is likely that the pump is broken.
You�ll need to call out an heating engineer.
Radiators are cooler in one area of the
house:
This suggests the system is unbalanced. To
balance it, you need a pair of radiator thermometers and
then:
- Turn off the heat, allowing the system to cool
- Turn on the valves at each end of every radiator,
remove the lockshield valve�s plastic cover and turn it
using pliers
- Turn the heating back on, checking the order in
which the radiators heat up
- Starting with the first radiator, place a
thermometer on the pipe at both ends
- Turn off the lockshield valve and gradually turn it
back on until there�s almost no difference between the
two thermometers
- Repeat on the second radiator and every radiator in
turn; when you've finished you'll have a balanced
system.
Radiators are warm upstairs when the
heating is off, and the hot water is on:
If you have a gravity-fed system, the
check valve is broken. You will need to call out an
heating engineer.
There�s no heating or hot water:
These checks may help you fix the problem:
- Check your power supply is working and a fuse hasn't
blown
- Check the gas hasn't been turned off or you have
enough oil in your tank
- Check your thermostats and control switches are
turned on
- Check the pump is running
- Check the pilot light is lit, your boiler manual
will tell you how to relight it
If none of this works, you'll need to call
a heating engineer
There�s a sound of gurgling water:
This probably means there's air in the
system and the radiator needs �bleeding'.
I can hear humming:
The pump usually causes these noises.
These steps should solve the problem:
- Lower the setting on the pump
- Fit the pump on the brackets that absorb its
vibrations
- Check the pipes are the right size, to do this you
may need to get in an NGH heating engineer
I can hear knocks and creaking:
As pipes expand and contract they rub
against joists and walls causing strange noises. To prevent
these sounds:
- Find out where the noise is coming from
- Establish where the pipes are rubbing or don't have
enough space
- Widen the space around the pipe carefully using a
saw or chisel. Too much space might weaken the pipe
- You could use fiberglass insulation to cover the
pipes
In some cases noise can come from
unsupported pipes - so secure pipes with a lot of free
movement using pipe clips
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