Onoff

All downstairs rads finally warm to varying degrees. How to desludge then without power flushing? Won't adding a cleaner and leaving that to run around for a bit potentially cause leaks if it dislodges crud at a dodgy old joint?

I didn't shut the upstairs ones off individually per se but simply turned the upstairs room stat down so the 2-port shut figuring that would give more pressure to the downstairs system? I can borrow one of these btw:

Bled ALL downstairs rads. Nice & hot coming out of the 2-port valve in the loft. Then 11m run of 22mm copper pipe to the first and only modern rad, Rad 1. (7m horizontal, 2.5m drop to ground 1.5m horizontal to the rad. Tbh it's warm but not that warm. Rad 2 actually warmer than rad 1. Rad 2 an old rad but it does have swept tees in & out. Rad 3 warm but not that. Rad 4 to 8 stone cold. Return line up in the loft again stone cold. Maybe things are gradually getting warmer but very, very slowly. Sludge?

Back up and running...'ish... Jury's out on the two leaking 22mm ball valves. Tba. HW running. Upstairs rads roasting. Downstairs single pipe system...8 rads: Not getting hot. Downstairs stat calling for heat, 2-port seems to be operating. Only thing I can think of is I haven't yet bled rads 2 & 3 on the 8 rad run?

Thanks for the link. Saw the Cura one. Only thing is my pipework is 28mm from the boiler to the 3-port. How about this discounted one? https://www.bes.co.uk/intaklean-2-magnetic-filter-28mm-22831 I've a vertical section of pipe straight after the boiler but before the air separator and filling tee coming down from the header. Is that a reasonable place to site it?

Last night really rubbed in the heat loss in this old house. Frost outside last night. Just hoping the loft pipes will be OK. Plan is to sort the leaking ball valve, then find a suitable rad key and bleed downstairs then fire up the boiler and keep an eye on everything, re-bleeding as necessary. Re-doing the spaghetti junction of a wiring centre, though necessary, will have to wait. In terms of a system cleaner, via the header any recommendations? I've a Screwfix, Plumb Centre and a couple of independents to get it from. John The Chippy's SiL is a plumber and I can likely borrow a "Power Flush" kit. Worth doing or not? Cheers

Just bled the upstairs (4 only) modern 'ish rads. Went to do the downstairs single pipe system. 1st rad OK, modern (I fitted). Rads 2 & 3 in the playroom couldn't even get to them for tat & toys stacked high. Rad 4, old style, the radiator key too big a diameter as are all those thereafter! Tomorrow night job. Back in the loft for a quick check. Bloody ball valve leaking a bit again! The pipe comes in from the left from the last rad on the line downstairs. Then off to the right where it commons up with the upstairs return. Hoping I can close the valve and back the nut off for some magic Jet Blue Plus. Again, tommorow. Bed now after a lukewarm WASH!

Two leaks, both on existing ball valves! This longstanding one I managed to fix by backing the nut off and tightening again. Another I caused shifting pipes. Just tightened that one. Both probably just ptfe'd originally. On the 3 replacement valves no leaks so far. I only put ptfe on the 3-port along with Jet Blue Plus that with the old nuts and olives. On the two 22mm 2-ports just Jet Blue Plus, no ptfe but the nuts and olives that came with the valve. For some reason the Honeywell nuts didn't seem to want to go on easily with tape. Impressed with the Honeywell valve quality and the cabling. Power off to the boiler deliberately. I boosted upstairs and downstairs heating and the hot water. OMG the gurgling! Seems to have quietened down now. Pump running. Still hearing the odd "surge", guess air still. Haven't yet bled any rads. Presume do that before I fire the boiler up? How will I know when the boiler is "full" i.e no air? Cheers. Appreciated btw.

All 3 valves are on manual if that's what you mean? As in I've gently pushed them over and latched them. Pipes are gurgling and bubbling. Header tank still filling - ball valve crappy but can only feel it over the top not see it.

Can't I just control via the upstairs and downstairs room stats and the heating / hot water call settings on the the two QE2 controllers?

Reckon this 2-port had seen better days as well!

Going to sound super stupid but how do I get it to "cycle"? Just cut the feed to the boiler (on its own fcu) so everything switches and pumps (hopefully) but the boiler doesn't fire?

Ta. Found this. No idea how old. Label says to run a cleaner through the system first? Chuck it in the header? Going to start filling and chuck the valve wires into the existing abortion I got as far as deciphering a short while back. Got a whole load of DIN rail terminals to do it properly. More worried about "when" I can fire the boiler back up? Cheers

Did exactly that thanks. Now any pointers as to refilling later tonight? More a 2am list for me! - Take string off of ball valve - Set 3 valves to MAN - Open valves either side of pump - Open balancing valve at bottom of cylinder that I shut - Shut downstairs rad drain dock under floor

Oh joy! The original nuts don't fit the 22mm Honeywell 2-ports! No olive splitter either. Hacksaw blade and "slide hammer" aka bfo adjustable.

They're 28mm, the pipe goes in about an inch. This is how far the valve pushed the olive along of the pipe is in the full inch: Best I'd get on!

Out with the rag then:

Can get to the olives on these two ends: But not this as there's a straight coupler stopping the but going back:

PTFE tape wrap before or after the compound?

Thanks. F**k it's freezing in this loft!

I'd hate to be one of those unfortunate people with no central heating or hot water especially in this weather....oh wait, tonight I AM! Just stopped for a warm up around the 3KW fan heater and a brew. Came in tonight and up front RCD had put the whole house out. Traced to downstairs ring then 3-port valve now leaking rather than just heavily stained. SWMBO arrives home and explains you have to put "one thing on at a time". She plays with the two controllers. Boiler fires up.....and it all trips again. So I thought bugger it, I'll do the 3-port and two 2-ports tonight as I have new Honeywell ones sitting here. It had to be done, I was expecting this.....just not tonight! Old ones are all Tower brand. Power isolated. Drain cock on oil boiler and downstairs rads both blocked. Had to back blast with the compressor! 3-port: All stripped out: The convoluted T that links all the valves: It's pretty gummy in there, seems a pity to be fitting new valves but hey ho! Looks like the 3-port will go straight in. Even that lower 28mm connection has cleaned up. One of the connections to the 22mm 2-port cleaned up: My question to the collective is can I just slap the new valves on to the old nuts/olives? Same thread form & cleaned up OK with wire wool, tbh the nuts don't seem to have compressed the olives that much. A couple of olives on the 3-port pipes I can spin by hand. Figuring plenty of Jet Blue Plus will not only seal but allow that bit much more to smoothly nut things up. Dinner now then back at it. Not looking forward to refilling etc no doubt in the early hours! Cheers

Done with a "contour gauge" I imagine then jigsaw. You'll love it! For example: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Precision-250mm-Profile-Contour-Gauge-45mm-Deep-Decorating-Tiling-Template/381884447463?

I've used Metreel's Helm Track for nearly 35 years for all things slidey rail esque... http://www.metreel.co.uk/division/homepage

Erm...the clever people will be along shortly, me, monkey see / monkey do. Top of my head unvented can go anywhere as at mains pressure. You don't need a cold water tank to feed it. Better pressure than traditional vented systems for things like showers. Crap can't fall into the tank as there isn't one... They can blow up though! Vented vent to the atmosphere / back to the tank via expansion pipes.

An unvented system is under pressure so needs commissioning by somebody with a bit of paper to their name and thereafter an annual check.