Airlock in Towel Rail

[Mike8578]

We've one of these Reina Camden radiators with towel rail in a bathroom. I've noticed recently that the rail itself isn't getting hot, despite having bled it. The radiator bit does get warm (could be hotter though) but the rail remains stone cold.

The bleed valve is located at the top right hand side where the rad meets the rail. My guess is there's air trapped in the rail and that it's sitting slightly higher than the bleed valve (a quick check with a level seems to suggest that the rail is sitting very marginally higher).

Is there any way of purging the air out? Or is it a case of unscrewing the rad from its upper fixings and trying to tilt forward to bleed?

 

[45yearsagasman]

Turn all other rads off and run the heating. You may find that clears air out, or it might be a balancing problem.

 

[Mike8578]

Will do. I doubt it's balancing, as I spent a good amount of time last weekend balancing the whole system. Never say never, mind.

Still, I'm fairly sure it's an airlock as the rail remains absolutely stone cold whereas the rad section does get warm.

 

[Mike8578]

Right, still no luck.

Isolated radiator and eventually it got fairly warm at the bottom, lukewarm at the top, and stone cold in the towel rail. It's bled. The water coming out of the bleed valve is cold.

The bleed valve is located on the underside at the top right, just on the wall side of where the towel rail meets the radiator outlet. What I don't know is whether that valve has a needle to the top of the pipe in order to ensure it bleeds correctly. I might close the feed and return valves and then remove the valve to see what the setup is.

Anyone else any ideas though?

 

[oilhead]

have you tried bleeding through the return with the flow closed off?

 

[Mike8578]

I've tried both, yes, albeit not to any great extent

 

[oilhead]

If you're getting heat through, then the air lock must be in return. Bleed a couple or three litres through the return.

 

[dilalio]

Take rad off and flush through pipework by connecting between valves. Flush rad through in garden with hose. Check valve are opening and closing properly. If you can't sort this in situ!