problems with my radiators

[kazburty]

I cannot have all my radiators on at once. I turn all the upstairs ones off and they are all piping hot downstairs however as soon as I turn the upstairs ones back on all the downstairs ones go cold. Can anyone gove me any advice.

[gasman]

They probabley need balancing try this and they should work. if it does not work then let me know.
Click on this link for instructions on how to balance a system. Good Luck.
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden /Question317227.html

[kazburty]

Thankyou for your advice I will try this tomorrow can I also just ask you that when the radiators are on upstairs the two pipes downstairs leading to the radiator, one is red hot and the other is cold - what does that mean or is it all related. I have to do all my diy work myself and being a woman I am limited as to my diy skills!! Is the flow side on the right and the return side on the right! I have had a plumber regarding this and he has told me my system needs flushing!

[kazburty]

Sorry I mean flow side on the right and return on the left!!!

[gasman]

It means that you're upstair's rads are robbing you're downstairs rads from circulating. When you have balanced the upstairs rads there will be more restriction to the flow to them and it will kick the dowstairs circuit into action. I do not think you require flushing work done as you say they all work upstairs and downstairs aswell; just not at the same time. So from this i suspect it is more of a circulation problem than a blockage problem. Let me know the outcome please, any how i may need to assist you further should you require it. As for which side is the flow and return it is impossible for me to say without a visual & tactile approach. You're engineer if he was any good would not have got them mixed up and all the operator valves on the rads should be connected to the Flow side of the system and all the Lockshields should be connected to the Return side. And the Flow side could be the left or right as it is good prctices to have the control valves sited furthest away from doors and draughts etc. So in one room it could be on the left and in another room it could be on the right. That does not matter just so long as they are all connected under the floor boards to the flow side of the pipework and not mixed up. Although i have seen many systems with them been mixed up and if you have'nt got two way TRVs installed or basic turn valves then you're in trouble.

[kazburty]

Hi gasman, thank you very much for your help and advice, I have been messing about with the rads all weekend turning both valves on fully turning one down a little- what a mission. Anyway now I have managed to get them all on but only warm - I am not complaining this is better than nothing at all. I have also read that the flow side is the pipe that gets the hottest first. The rads that are warm seam to be a lotter warmer at the top that the bottom!. Have you any further advice for me? Thankyou