DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

The central heating in my small two-up two-down terraced house is not working properly.

A back boiler is installed in the fireplace with a radiant heater in front.

My question to the forum is about the location of the pump.

Would it be normal practice to fit the pump in the chimney recess immediately alongside the back boiler or would this be an unusual?

The following information will give a sense of the CH arrangement and the problem.

The flow and return from the boiler rise vertically and feed two radiators on the first floor.

The pipe work then drops down to feed two radiators down stairs.

All four radiators are full of water. In other words they have been well and truly purged of any 'gas'.

The radiator pipework 15mm copper. The flow and return pipework from the back boiler is larger and appears to be iron.

While I can get the upstairs' radiators piping hot the feed to the down stairs radiator remains cold.

I've tried closing the two upstairs radiators off completely and opening the valves on all the downstair radiators fully but the pipes don't get warm.

The boiler runs for a little while then cuts out and stays cut out for a long time or until you open the upstairs radiators again.

The system has worked ok in the past.

The control is a simple 24 hour timeswitch.

Your advice and suggestions about whether it is normal practice to fit the pump in the chimney recess immediately alongside the back boiler or is such a location be considered unusual?

Any help or guidance will be much appreciated so I'll be able to discuss the matter with the plumber.

Many thanks

Nimrod

Sounds like the pump is the problem. Room stat turned up ?

Is there a false section in the side of the chimney breast ? tapping the wall will indicate if it's a wood or plaster panel. The pump could be behind here.

Bottom of airing cupboard ? any loose floorboard in airing cupboard ?

quite often the pumps if not located as mentioned above in a false section near chimney breast, then may well be under a floor board in the room directly above the back boiler.

Htg Engineer.

Thank you first for taking the time to share your expertise borne of experience. Much appreciated.

I feel a tapping session coming-on.

Again many thanks for your help.

Best wishes
Nimrod

waynetheplumber,

Thank you also for taking the time to consider and comment upon my predicament. The pump has to be somewhere but I would never have though about looking in the upstairs room.

Again thanks for your help.

Best wishes

Nimrod