Problem with communal central heating system

[jacqueline]

Hello everyone! I'm a new member to this forum but the posts seemed very helpful and I was hoping to see if anyone could give me any information about my problem since I am completely clueless about plumbing.
I live in flats with a communal central heating system and a new boiler was recently installed however since that time and during the whole christmas period I have got no heating from the radiators in my flat. The radiators used to work perfectly before then but the management agency in my building is being a complete nightmare and keep telling me the problem is with my own radiators and they will not be able to do anything. I have asked other people in the building and they have had no heating too although some others say that they are okay. I have had problems with my radiators leaking before and the agency said this is due to the fact that the radiators have been moved too far away from the risers that serve them. Although once I changed the old radiators I had no problems with the heating up and till the new boiler was installed but they claim that my problem is ultimately the result again of the radiators being too far away from the risers that serve them even though they also mention that there has been an underground leak affecting some of the flats in my side of the building but they still argue that even fixing that will not solve my problem. No one has actually checked my radiators and I have also bled them to see if there is a bubble but only cold water comes out. I'm so sorry for the long post but I just wanted to know if there was an actual way to check that the problem is due to my radiators being too far away from their risers (though I am also unsure about what this actually means) and also shouldn't that mean that the radiators which are in their original untouched position be working? Sorry again for the long post and I would be grateful for any help!!!

 

[lame plumber]

if they worked before the boiler was changed they should work now, tell the agency to pull their fingers out and stop giving you bs

 

[spanner]

Must be doing a Boris on major savings here!
How many floors levels there???
Are the occupants above or below have the same issues with no central heating??
Are you getting hot water??

 

[jacqueline]

Thank you so much for the replies! This management agency has been a nightmare from the beginning! I have hot water in the house but the radiators in my flat do not work. There are 7 floors in the building and my flat is on the second floor and from the people I do know experiencing problems the flats on the 4th and 5th directly above mine have problems as well as my neighbour. I think I need to find out who else are having more issues but the management agency are making it so hard to find out.

 

[Neil K]

Where are you if you dont mind me asking?

 

[spanner]

Greenwich Woolwich Arsenal????

 

[SimonG]

Tell the management agency that if they don't sort it pdq then you will get Pimlico plumbers in to fix and send them a bill.

 

[snowhead]

You need to do a leaflet drop to EVERY flat asking;

If the Heating / Hot water works,
AND if it works a good as it did before the boiler change.

Collect the results and hand them to the Agent, whether the heating is working or not.

Once they see everyone is involved they may wake up.

 

[stevetheplumber]

do you have a heat exchanger unit in the flat? if yes are the pipes hot coming in?

 

[Neil K]

As above. If all other flats are having issues its a block problem. If it's just you then there's a problem in your flat.

 

[jacqueline]

Thank you everyone for the replies! Yes I think I need to find out the number of flats who are experiencing issues. I spoke to another lady on my floor who said her heating was fine though it was not as hot as it usually is. But from what I have managed to learn from google having a radiator that is far from a riser should mean that there is some heating only perhaps that it is more mild in temperature or am I wrong? The management agency keeps telling me that is the problem however when I had the radiators changed and looked at last year none of the plumbers saw that this was an issue so I am just so confused. Thank you again for the replies though!
Oh and I live near Kilburn and don't have a heat exchanger unit in the flat.

 

[SimonG]

Have you bled your radiators?

 

[Neil K]

Find out how many other people are experiencing problems, if it's just you and you want me to come and have a look pm me.