1 Radiator not working-trv ok, flushed + bled

[jetman]

Hi all- many thanks in anticipation for any replies!

I've recently had a problem with one of my downstairs radiators- it was only getting warm at the top, so, following the advice on these pages, I removed it from the wall and flushed it with cold water from a hosepipe in the garden, assuming it was clogged up with sludge. There was definately some sludge coming out, but eventually the water turned clean, and i could tell the rad was clear.

I then re-hung the rad, checking that the TRV worked, and the return valve (lockshield valve?) was open.

After the boiler (4 year old combi) (rads + pipes 11 years old) was re-pressurised and switched back on, I bled the rad, but it didnt get hot at all, though all of the others on the system did.

I then turned off the other 5 rads with TRV's, (the bathroom and kitchen dont have TRV's) to see if that worked (it didn't).

My next step after tonights research is to turn off the other 2 rads using the lockshield valves, and try again.

Is there anything else I can do to get this rad working again? I have a gas safe engineer coming in a months time to service the boiler- maybe I should leave it to him?

Most of the pipework in the house is 'pushfit' (?) Would that have any effect on the problem?

Many thanks again for your help!

Btw- any recommendations on cleaning up after getting covered in black rad water?!

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Take the rad off again and flush water through both of the rad valves in turn.
I do this by attaching a hose to the valve which usually has either 3/4" BSP or 1/2" BSP male thread. Quite often the end from a hose union bib tap [garden tap] is handy for connecting to the hose.

 

[bengasman]

It sounds like your boiler was installed by a proper cowboy. I'd recommend telling your RGI before he comes over and ask him to survey the whole system.
Prevention is better than a cure.

 

[jetman]

Well I removed the rad again, and re-flushed- I also removed both valves, and flushed with cold water, and they're both working fine.

I've today accessed the manifold and the upstairs landing, where all the radiators are fed from, undone the pipes which fed the non-working rad, and blew down the pipes- I'm defo getting a flow using me-power!

So now I've fastened it all up again, re-pressurised, and still not working!

I've rattled the plastic pipe feeding the rad, and it got a little warm- could the problem be an airlock?

Alternatively, I wonder if the pump is starting to pack up? As I mentioned its only 4 years old, but the rad in question is the (joint) furthest from the boiler. (The other rad roughly equidistant seems to be ok tho).

Bengasman- not sure why you think it was fitted by a cowboy, from the info I've given- please explain, as I'm interested as to why you think this! The person fitted my whole bathroom suite and the boiler at the same time, and apart from a few of the usual niggles with the bathroom installation (I'm picky), its been working fine until now. The chap was even a registered engineer, so if theres a problem, do I have any comeback with corgi (as I think it was then?).

Thanks all for your help!

 

[bengasman]

..Bengasman- not sure why you think it was fitted by a cowboy, from the info I've given- please explain, as I'm interested as to why you think this!

If you get blockage and sludge problems after 4 years, he has neither flushed the system not bothered to add inhibitor. If he failed on that, you can bet your bottom dollar that cut other corners too.

The chap was even a registered engineer, so if theres a problem, do I have any comeback with corgi (as I think it was then?).

No come back whatsoever.

Just out of curiosity, is the boiler an Ideal or Heatline by any chance?

 

[jetman]

An update to the problem...

I again accessed the manifold, and swapped the pipes that fed the non working rad with the pipes of a working rad, then repressurised the system. After turning it on again, there was a lot of gurgling coming from the boiler, rads and pipes, and then waaahhhaaaaay there was heat coming from ALL radiators!!! Hopefully now its just a case of bleeding excess air out of the rads!

I'm guessing the problem was some sort of airlock in the system, (though sludge was almost definately playing a part.)

In answer to Bengasman, the boiler is a Baxi Platinum, (Not sure of the model number, possibly 28 or 34? - I'm at work at the moment)

Having thought about the 'Sludge/cowboy installer' situation, we've had a pressurisation problem for a while- the boiler occasionally had low pressure and didn't start, so we had to top up every couple of months at first. As time went on, the topping up got more and more regular, until a couple of weeks ago, when it became necessary every time the heating had been on. We'd had the same problem with the previous boiler, and I suspected a leak on the system somewhere, but I've never found it. A service engineer told me ages ago about the expansion vessel, so I repressurised it, and all has been well (no loss of pressure) for the last couple of weeks.
My thoughts are this...our regular topping up of the system was obviously adding clean, untreated water to the system, while the 'good' treated stuff was blowing out of the pressure relief valve. This could well be the reason why I have sludge in the system.

Either way, I'm getting the service engineer to have a quick check of the whole system to make sure all is well.

Thanks for the replies!