Please can anyone help? I've been a numpty and done something to my central heating which now doesn't work. Yesterday I removed a radiator from the hallway and a couple of hours later the central heating came on as usual. There was lots of gurgling sounds from the radiators until the timer switched them off. This morning I've woken up to no heating or hot water (lovely). The pilot light is out and the pressure is zero. I've tried reigniting the pilot light but it won't come on. It's a Worcester and about 20+ years old. Any advice gratefully received.

Have you checked the water pressure? Usually an indicator on the boiler and water needs to be in the green area.Varies from boiler to boiler how you fill it but I am sure the internet will guide you.

Many thanks for that Salmon. There is no water pressure, it's on zero. After reading your post I've checked online and it seems to top the water up I need either an internal filling key or an external fitting hose. Unfortunately I have neither so will have to wait until Monday to call a plumber out. Why couldn't I have done this in Summer?

Very unusual for the external filling loop not to be in place, regulations used to say they had to be removed but I've never come across an installation where the plumber hasn't left it in situ.

Virtually all systems need to be re-pressurised occasionally, its ridiculous to expect the owner to have to call out a plumber each time.

Admittedly many people over-pressurise the system and destroy the expansion vessel and/or boiler tank so I've heard some landlords have the filling loop removed.

Don't forget to tell the plumber he will need a Worcester filling key with him (assuming you haven't got the connections for a filling loop), it could save him pratting around looking for one when he arrives at yours.

If you have got the external filling loop connections, the loop is less than £10 at places like toolstation.

On these older models, plumbers would just pipe in a water feed with a stop cock on it to turn on the water feed top up, thats what my old one was.

Identify the filling feed.
Follow that pipe, and if you come across a stop cock or stop valve give it a turn, you will hear it start to fill.

Its worse if you go over the 3bar limit as things start to go pop, so be sure you can turn the dam thing off again.

If you over fill, open the bleed screw on a radiator....

Hope you get it sorted

Thanks Dig, I've take another good look and yes have found an external filling loop (well, you live and learn). I opened the valves and water started pouring out of the valve of the radiator I removed. I think while I was removing it, I may have bent it a bit as it was very difficult to get back on and tightly screwed. Now the water has stopped and the pressure is back to zero. Think I'll have to wait until Monday when I can call a plumber out without exorbitant emergency fees. Luckily it isn't a Bank Holiday weekend and I'm made from Scandinavian stock!

Ive got a Worcester greenstar combi about 8 year old and it just has a removeable white plastic key underneath and another plastic knob that I turn and the pressuire goes up. Is it the older models that need loops?

PM sent

If the system was working and there were gurglings from the radiators it sounds like you have introduced air into the system somehow. Possibly by replacing the radiator and not filling it with water.

The fact that it is isn't working now is probably because you have introduced a slow leak, or you have removed so much water that the pressure - after it cooled down - is zero.

You can buy a refilling hose today from screwfix or wickes of B&Q or probably homebase. They are all open. Somewhere near your boiler there will be a valve on the cold water supply with an outlet for the hose. The other end should go to a one-way fitting into your central heating pipe, somewhere nearby. You connect the two, turn on the valve and observe the pressure. You need to set it at one or two bars.

Then you check for leaks, and after rectifying them, you bleed any air from the radiators, and repeat the filling process as needed until you have no air in the system and one or two bars pressure. You can then relight the pilot light and it should work.

Many thanks for all your help. I think I've worked out the problem now. It's the valve on the radiator that I removed. I think I bent it and now can't get a proper seal on it so when I try and use the external filling hose, water pours out of the valve until the water pressure goes down to zero. I'm going to have another go at it with the mop bucket handy today.

Try buying a reel of PTFE plumber's tape. Ideally, you shouldn't need it. A properly made compression joint should be waterproof, but if you've messed it up somehow, wrapping a good layer of tape around the olive, or around the thread before making the joint might seal it.

Let us know how it works out.

Woo Hoo!!
I now have heat. Managed to dig out some PTFE tape from my box of gubbins and swathed the valve with it and replaced the water in the boiler and I now have heat without a leaking radiator valve!
Thank you very much for all your advice.

Great stuff, well done.

Good show!

If it's a Worcester Bosch 240, we had one until recently and replaced it with a new condensing Worcester. It is much more efficient and the fall in gas usage is very noticeable.

Time will tell if it lasts as long as the old one, but if it does I shall be delighted with it. We've had it about a year now, and I haven't had to touch it once. Even to change the clock when the hour changes! It does that itself. I guess it uses MSF or some other radio time standard.