new radiator not working

[shardy]

Hi all,
We had a radiator installed in our new loft conversion a couple of months back and we have recently put the heating on for the first time in months and the radiator is not getting warm. There was a hint of slight warmth at the top of the radiator the first time we put the heating on.
I tried bleeding it and as soon as I turned the screw a tiny bit, water shot right across the room, so the pressure is good and there appeared to be no air in the rad.
Since then there is no warmth what so ever. Not even in the copper pipe feeding the rad.
I've tried adjusting the thermostatic valve but it made no difference.
I've attached a picture of the radiator valves.
The towel rail installed in the loft bathroom works fine.
Many thanks in advance for any advice
s

 

[gigz]

Take the trv head off and check ghe pin is'nt stuck (it should spring out a few mm) try pushing it up and down. If its stuck spray a bit wd40 on it. If its ok check the other valve is open. Some of these rads need piping up with the flow/return specific to left or right btw.

 

[motorbiking]

Shut down all the other rads in the system, to see if that works, it could be due to pump struggling to pump up to the loft.

 

[polesapart]

Check the installation instructions that came with the rad; some column radiators require a particular flow direction. If so yours might be reversed.

Did it ever work?

 

[motorbiking]

they may also be marked on the back of the Radiator. In my own experience plumbers are so used to rads that can work either way, they forget column rads often have baffles.

 

[shardy]

thanks for the replies folks, very helpful. The radiator has never worked.
I asked a local plumber to have a look at it. he turned off the towel rail in the loft bathroom and turned the temperature up on the boiler a bit. then he turned off the radiators downstairs. the copper pipe into the problem radiator then became piping hot but there was only a hint of warmth in the rad. There was no stickers or indication on the rad to suggest it was one directional. I rang Victorian Plumbing who were told by the manufacturer that it was one direction. the plumber took it off but couldn't see anything inside or on the back to suggest it was one direction. He installed it the other way round and now 1 column of the 4 column radiator does get hot, the 2nd one from the right. the other 3 get a hint of warmth. the plumber's conclusion is it is a faulty radiator so I'm asking Victorian Plumbing to send a replacement.

 

[motorbiking]

Its very simple to test, take it outside, and stick the hose in one end - if water comes out - its not faulty. I'm surprised the plumber didn't try this.

Turn your boiler back down too before that causes a problem

 

[shardy]

good point motorbiking. I'll ask him to try it tomorrow. I'll turn the boiler down to. this evening the inlet and outlet to the radiator are piping hot, but the rad itself was completely cool. The rad itself is now starting to warm slightly but its taking a long time and it is only a tiny bit warm

 

[ianmcd]

it is a column radiator and will have been piped back to front they have a spreader in them and it is on the flow , when piped the wrong way round they will eventually circulate but will take forever

 

[motorbiking]

Also creates the illusion of being bled as the bleed screw is normally on the same side as the flow. It can be full of air and still pee water out. One way to get round that is to close the flow and just have the return open, but that probably wont work neg pressure.

I've got a very similar one in my downstairs loo and the flow is on the RHS same as the bleed.

You may have more luck bleeding when the system isn't on.

 

[oilboffin]

If it's in a loft you my need a pump with a bigger head pressure.