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Original poster

Boiler working but central heating not

36 replies

elliejjtiny · 02/12/2023 20:16

We went to put the heating on for the first time yesterday and it's not working. Boiler seems warm and the hot water is fine but nothing is happening with the heating. We had brand new radiators put in throughout the house in March this year and apart from testing them when they were installed we haven't used them. Normally when the heating is on we can feel the heat from the pipes when we touch the wall in certain places but it's cold there as well. Is there a simple fix for this or do we have to call someone out?

OP posts:
Lougle · 02/12/2023 20:17

Have you bled the radiators?

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 02/12/2023 20:18

Just thought I would add that it's currently 11 degrees in our living room according to the thermostat so I'm wondering if the pipes have frozen. Although that would affect the hot water too.

OP posts:
Original poster
elliejjtiny · 02/12/2023 20:20

No, I'm completely hopeless when it comes to diy. Honestly my 10 year old with a moderate learning disability is better than me, he fixes all sorts with the help of a you tube video.

OP posts:
Lougle · 02/12/2023 20:32

You need a radiator key. Take a bowl and put it under the end of the radiator at the top. Use the key on the little brass square bit - turn it a quarter turn and listen for air. If there's air, let it out until a bit of water comes out. You need to do this for each radiator.

Lougle · 02/12/2023 20:34

Also, look at the bottom of your radiators. Do they have a thermostatic control valve (they are quite big things that have numbers on them and a frost symbol)? If they do, make sure they are turned up.

Mehmeh22 · 02/12/2023 20:34

Common problems would be condensing pipe has frozen or the pressure is low. Is there am error code on the boiler? Is the thermostat on or turned up? Go with the most obvious first.

What type of boiler do you have? If not a combi boiler, my husband helped my friend who had hot water but not heating....there might be a lever somewhere (not near boiler...maybe water tank) that can switch it from water to heating. But if it doesn't flick between them, you will need someone to fix it.

AllyBugs · 02/12/2023 20:35

If you have a hot water tank it may be the diverter valve. When this happened to us in a rental you could manually override the diverter which sorted us out until it could be replaced.

biter · 02/12/2023 20:40

It might also be a thermostat issue. When ours broke the heating didn't come on because the thermostat didn't ever send the signal that it should.

We also had frozen external pipe that comes from boiler that needed defrosting.

Or if it's a pressure system if the pressure is too low it can stop the water circulating

Cheepcheepcheep · 02/12/2023 20:42

We had this last year and it was the thermostat not talking to the boiler. Sorry to say we had to get British Gas out to fix…

user1471530109 · 02/12/2023 20:47

I doubt it's the condenser pipe if you've got hot water.
When mine froze it was -14! And the boiler made a horrible boiling noise before shitting off completely.

I think pp is right. Check all thermostats on radiators are up. Plus check the boiler settings. I can turn the hot water and radiators up and down (the temp I mean). When they fitted the rads, they may have turned the temp down (for some daft reason).

Keepingittogetherstepbystep · 02/12/2023 20:47

Can you share a picture of your boiler?

addictedtotheflats · 02/12/2023 20:58

Is it the water pressure in the boiler? Our heating wouldnt come on once and the pressure had dropped. Turned the valve, filled it up to 2 mbar and it worked again.

BrimfulOfMash · 02/12/2023 21:03

Check the water pressure in the boiler, it may need topping up

Check whether the boiler is in Summer Mode, with the pump turned off

BrimfulOfMash · 02/12/2023 21:04

Also, check the Flow Temperature setting on the boiler

Rocknrollstar · 02/12/2023 21:46

We have had this and it was a valve that had got stuck. It was positioned next to the hot water tank.

NotEvenThought · 02/12/2023 22:17

AllyBugs · 02/12/2023 20:35

If you have a hot water tank it may be the diverter valve. When this happened to us in a rental you could manually override the diverter which sorted us out until it could be replaced.

My bets on the divertor valve. You may be able to switch it manually. Google it.

4naansjeremy · 02/12/2023 22:20

Please post a picture of your boiler. If you have hot water I’m 90% certain I can advise you to get heat as well.

AutumnFroglets · 02/12/2023 22:24

Agree with pp. My first thought was you haven't changed it from hot water only to hot water and heat.

Which boiler is it?

maximist · 02/12/2023 22:29

Another bet for the diverter valve here. Mine in my old house used to seize up every few years (possibly linked to the hard water there), and wiggling it would get the heating working till I cousins a plumber to sort it.

stitchinguru · 02/12/2023 22:32

Yep - sounds like the diverter valve.
i have quite a few problems with mine but it can be fixed with a fiddle around

HerMammy · 02/12/2023 23:34

How have you managed until now without heat??

Mehmeh22 · 02/12/2023 23:39

@HerMammy not very helpful to comment on that eh? Lol

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 03/12/2023 08:00

Not sure what happened but boiler is now showing an F1 fault and now there is no not water either.

OP posts:
Original poster
elliejjtiny · 03/12/2023 08:04

No hot water that should say

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 03/12/2023 08:06

Google what an f1 fault is on your boiler type.
Im wondering if a pipe has frozen outside.