Bathroom radiator hot the rest cold ??

[singhters]

One radiator is hot which is in the bathroom the rest are cold ? any ideas why this could be.

do they need bleeding, i did bleed one radiator that became hot while i was bleeding it which released a lot of dirty water which to me says its sludge somewhere perhaps, how do i bleed the rads of that dirty water totally so that they are empty, i was there for ages and the water kept coming and coming with no end do i need to turn the water supply off ?

heres a few pics of the central heating setup in the airing cupboard.

mind the date of the pic, its a randall 3060 a very old system and we have a cylinder boiler as well.

any advice appreciated thanks.

 

[bengasman]

if you get dirty water out when you bleed, it is not a matter of maybe sludge somewhere; there IS sludge in it.
clean first

 

[swbjackson]

The bathroom radiator is quite often taken from the gravity hot water circuit or used as a bypass rad so that it can be used to dry towels all year round so your problem could be a failed pump/valve etc.

You're looking at a flush and then possibly some components to replace.

Mike

 

[singhters]

if you get dirty water out when you bleed, it is not a matter of maybe sludge somewhere; there IS sludge in it.
clean first

ok so what do i have to do to clean in this case then ? any guides please or is it a simple case of keep bleeding the water out until it runs clear ?

 

[JPC]

LOL...sorry

 

[mariaduffy]

hi singhters - I had a similar problem (only two rads were getting warm) and I drained the whole system then let it refill - so then I had a clean system (I added an inhibitor solution to the F&E tank after refilling) but the same problem remained.

I eventually found that one of the valves in the system - one that was on the left side of the pump, was broken inside and permanently shut but it kept turning so didn't appear broken!!. I replaced this valve and the system is working again - all rads getting hot.

If you search for 'draining your central heating system' you may find instructions/guide. Make sure that any comments you find are specific to your type of central heating system , eg open vented, closed/sealed, etc.

HTH

 

[JohnD]

draining the water out and refilling it will not remove much in the way of sludge and sediment, it is thick and heavy. It can also harden into a blockage. By holding a magnet against the copper pipes you will find it is attracted to any points where there is an accumulation of black iron oxide sediment.

I agree about the bathroom rad likely being on the Cylinder circuit. Look at your pipe layout, pump and any electric valves around them, and post pics. It is possible that your room stat or timer (which should set the pump running and open any valves) may be faulty, or it could be the pump. If it got slowly worse it is more likely to be sediment than if it suddenly went wrong which is more likely a faulty part.

To get the sludge out you need to have the water pumping round the rads (otherwise the chemical will not go round).

You can get a mild sediment-loosening chemical like Sentinel X400 for £15 in any plumbers merchant or DIY shed. With X400, circulate it for 4 weeks to loosen as much as it can, then drain it and flush clean. Bale out the mud from the F&E tank first and sponge it clean.

If you can do basic DIY plumbing and can afford £100 you can fit a Magnaclean on a vertical 22mm return pipe as well. I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted when you see how much sludge it collects.

I am just a householder.

p.s. read the "sticky" threads at the top of //www.diynot.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=7

 

[singhters]

this did happen last week exactly the same issue, but to resolve last time all i did was bleed one radiator and it was all good again and kept running for a good 2-3 weeks and now its done the same again, if i bleed and continue to keep bleeding until water keeps coming out the rad it slowly heats up ???.

 

[swbjackson]

All you are doing is drawing the hot system water up into the radiator.

Mike

 

[singhters]

so the 1st course of action to take is get someone to have a look at it as it may need cleaning ?

so how much would i be looking at that ?

 

[JohnD]

Have you decided not to post those pics I asked for?

my first course of action would be to have a go at cleaning it myself. For £15 in chemicals and an afternoon of your time, that might fix the problem and save you hundreds of pounds. If you are able to do basic DIY plumbing you can fit a Magnaclean too and you will still be well in pocket. You may make it better and you will not be any worse.

I am just a householder, and I've done it.

A powerflush will cost you some hundreds of pounds, depending on where you are and how many radiators you have. Also Christmas is coming up and I expect some of the best local plumbers will be looking forward to a day off.

A DIY clean might or might not solve it but it is certainly worth a try, unless you aren't interested in DIY and saving money.

 

[singhters]

Have you decided not to post those pics I asked for?

my first course of action would be to have a go at cleaning it myself. For £15 in chemicals and an afternoon of your time, that might fix the problem and save you hundreds of pounds. If you are able to do basic DIY plumbing you can fit a Magnaclean too and you will still be well in pocket. You may make it better and you will not be any worse.

I am just a householder, and I've done it.

A powerflush will cost you some hundreds of pounds, depending on where you are and how many radiators you have. Also Christmas is coming up and I expect some of the best local plumbers will be looking forward to a day off.

A DIY clean might or might not solve it but it is certainly worth a try, unless you aren't interested in DIY and saving money.

yes im interested in doing this diy of course its good to save money but im a novice so tell me how step by step.

and yes i will post the pics you require will have to recharge batteries for the camera and post again.

but tell me what i need to do to remove the sludgyness.

 

[JohnD]

like I said here.

start by finding your F&E and your drain cock

see also the similar threads mentioned at the bottom of this page

draining the water out and refilling it will not remove much in the way of sludge and sediment, it is thick and heavy. It can also harden into a blockage. By holding a magnet against the copper pipes you will find it is attracted to any points where there is an accumulation of black iron oxide sediment.

I agree about the bathroom rad likely being on the Cylinder circuit. Look at your pipe layout, pump and any electric valves around them, and post pics. It is possible that your room stat or timer (which should set the pump running and open any valves) may be faulty, or it could be the pump. If it got slowly worse it is more likely to be sediment than if it suddenly went wrong which is more likely a faulty part.

To get the sludge out you need to have the water pumping round the rads (otherwise the chemical will not go round).

You can get a mild sediment-loosening chemical like Sentinel X400 for £15 in any plumbers merchant or DIY shed. With X400, circulate it for 4 weeks to loosen as much as it can, then drain it and flush clean. Bale out the mud from the F&E tank first and sponge it clean.

If you can do basic DIY plumbing and can afford £100 you can fit a Magnaclean on a vertical 22mm return pipe as well. I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted when you see how much sludge it collects.

I am just a householder.

p.s. read the "sticky" threads at the top of //www.diynot.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=7[/QUOTE]

 

[singhters]

now i know the drain cock is the valve i take it which is the plastic ball so what is the F and E ?

 

[JohnD]

Feed & Expansion tank. Usually in the loft.

Browse the "sticky" I gave you the link to.

the drain cock will be at or near the lowest point in the radiator syste, with luck it will be near a door you can put a hosepipe through when draining.