boiler return connected to radiator feed

[james_atkins]

Hi there,
i recently moved into a 1950s house, but have found a couple of radiators dont get hot at all.
i have located what i believe is causing the problem:
The central heating feed pipe has a "T Junction" connecting this section to the Boilers return pipes,
is this normal? the heating pipe is hot at the T but because the boiler pipe is larger then pipe to the radiators, they remain cold until the boiler is off
then the pipe after the T gets warm.

I have attached a labelled image of the pipes.
Thanks!

 

[diamondgas]

The pipe with the blank appears to be ya problem James .. If they are attached to the radiators they also need to be attached to the heating pipe labeled boiler feed! I'd guess that there's a place somewhere along the line where they use to go? I'm assuming these are the central heating flow and return pipes...! 🙂

 

[james_atkins]

The pipe with the blank appears to be ya problem James .. If they are attached to the radiators they also need to be attached to the heating pipe labeled boiler feed! I'd guess that there's a place somewhere along the line where they use to go? I'm assuming these are the central heating flow and return pipes...! 🙂

i may have written the the boiler feed and boiler return the wrong way round, but i didnt state that this is not a combi boiler, i have a hot water tank upstairs, the boilers downstairs. the pipes ive labelled going to and from the boiler then go into the airing cupboard. from there is that radiator feed, but if its meant to be feeding the radiators why is it connected to the boilers pipes?
if the problem is with the capped off t junction, should these t junctions be the other way round?
i dont know much about plumbing so have resigned to probably getting a plumber in but would like to check i cant sort it myself...
should the radiator return pipe be connected into the boilers pipe? cos from what ive seen of the system so far it isnt, only the pipe thats meant to be feeding the radiators.

 

[diamondgas]

James, I think you're going to need someone to take a look if you want the rads to work .. it seems strange that they've capped one side of the radiators but not the other .. Weird!!!

Regards your question ... I don't trullly understand your descriptions ..... However I hope this makes sense : You need to have a circuit through a radiator from your pump (flow) through the radiators to the return to the boiler. A complete curcuit! The pipes you describe and have labeled seem to be lacking that 'circuit'? Capped off! Does that seem right?

 

[gaspastemania]

like diamond says prob best to get someone in ,
may be blockage or faulty valves , could be numourous things to be honest

 

[cadiz]

When you say boiler do you mean the hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard?

 

[stevetheplumber]

no the heat source be it gas oil or solid fuel is your boiler

 

[cadiz]

Well I know that but I was asking James

 

[cadiz]

So many people I come across think the boiler is that green thing in the airing cupboard.

 

[dontknowitall]

So many people I come across think the boiler is that green thing in the airing cupboard.

It's usually Mrs Jones's old bra ...

 

[james_atkins]

James, I think you're going to need someone to take a look if you want the rads to work .. it seems strange that they've capped one side of the radiators but not the other .. Weird!!!

Regards your question ... I don't trullly understand your descriptions ..... However I hope this makes sense : You need to have a circuit through a radiator from your pump (flow) through the radiators to the return to the boiler. A complete curcuit! The pipes you describe and have labeled seem to be lacking that 'circuit'? Capped off! Does that seem right?

I have attached a very basic drawing of how i believe the central heating is plummed.
I hope it helps you understand what im trying to describe.
Basically, the 4 radiators on the right work fine. Only when that return pipe from those radiators start to get warm, do the other 2 radiators feel like they are perhaps getting lukewarm at best before the boiler shuts off as it probably thinks everywheres up to temperature. even when i completely turn off the 4 working radiators, the other 2 only get perhaps a little warmer.
I dont know if im right in thinking this, but wouldnt the system work better if the other t junction on the left of the drawing is the one connected to the boiler?

 

[cadiz]

Basic layout of gravity H/W Pumped C/H

 

[cadiz]

Have you tried shutting off the 4 rads and opening both ends of the other 2?

 

[diamondgas]

okay, its summer James so we have some time here!

Where is your central heating pump situated? Do you know if your heating system is fully pumped or gravity hw pumped heating?

If you're not sure, do some research and come back here when you know ... your diagram says you need a professional ... IMO 🙂 But hey! Plenty on this forum as and when ... :santa3:

 

[james_atkins]

okay, its summer James so we have some time here!

Where is your central heating pump situated? Do you know if your heating system is fully pumped or gravity hw pumped heating?

If you're not sure, do some research and come back here when you know ... your diagram says you need a professional ... IMO 🙂 But hey! Plenty on this forum as and when ... :santa3:

the pump is located in the airing cupboard on first floor, the boiler is downstairs in the kitchen. out of the 6 rads, 3 are downstairs and 3 are upstairs.
how can i find out if it is fully pumped?

 

[diamondgas]

the pump is located in the airing cupboard on first floor, the boiler is downstairs in the kitchen. out of the 6 rads, 3 are downstairs and 3 are upstairs.
how can i find out if it is fully pumped?

After the pump you'll see a motorised valve or two depending on design and the hot water cylinder will be supplied by the pumped water as well as the radiators!

 

[james_atkins]

After the pump you'll see a motorised valve or two depending on design and the hot water cylinder will be supplied by the pumped water as well as the radiators!

there is one of those, it automatically switches.

 

[diamondgas]

You have a fully pumped system by the sounds of it then James 🙂

Now the tricky bit .........! Your radiator Flow and return pipes need to be connected to the heating flow and return circuit, failure to do so results in heartache!! Radiators end up comming on when you don't want them too! How confident are you of tracing the correct pipes? I think that this is where you're gonna need a professional mate! imho

 

[Davinder]

I think this is the system you have.


I do agree with what others have said, and perhaps you should get someone in. (if you post what town you live in then i'm sure someone near you from the forum will be more than happy to help you)

Can you confirm that the Rads are piped in like the picture above? If not can you list the differances (or better yet take a pic).

 

[stevetheplumber]

we might be thinking to complicated here my first thought when we hear of a couple of rads not working is trvs stuck do you have trvs ?in laymans terms rad valves with numbers on

 

[diamondgas]

we might be thinking to complicated here my first thought when we hear of a couple of rads not working is trvs stuck do you have trvs ?in laymans terms rad valves with numbers on

Hi Steve, check out the op's first post pics .... There's an F or R pipe from the two rads been capped off! I'm thinking previously tee'd into the common so someone has come along and capped them to stop reverse circulation. Might be wrong but I think the op needs someone to investigate 🙂

 

[gaspastemania]

Dont be so tight and get your hand in your pocket to get a plumber to sort it !!!

 

[stevetheplumber]

Hi Steve, check out the op's first post pics .... There's an F or R pipe from the two rads been capped off! I'm thinking previously tee'd into the common so someone has come along and capped them to stop reverse circulation. Might be wrong but I think the op needs someone to investigate 🙂

i did check the op pic and he has feed and return either side of a tee first rule of fault finding listen to the customer and then forget it all and do your own obs
ive lost track of the times ive been dragged into wild goose chases by customers who already know whats wrong