One Ground Floor Cold Radiator

[mikeanthony]

I have one radiator downstairs which is cold along the bottom and hot nearer the top. All others are fine. Entire System only 4 years old.
Could this be silting? Thermosatic Valve?

Advice welcome

King Regards

Mike
Stockport

 

[Softus]

I have one radiator downstairs which is cold along the bottom and hot nearer the top. All others are fine. Entire System only 4 years old.
Could this be silting?

Yes, although it's normally called sludging.

Thermosatic Valve?

What about them?

 

[bab]

I have one radiator downstairs which is cold along the bottom and hot nearer the top. All others are fine. Entire System only 4 years old.
Could this be silting?

Yes, although it's normally called sludging.

Thermosatic Valve?

What about them?

 

[bab]

Sludging will take place in all systems if inhibiter is not present. 4 years is a bit short a time 4 this problem to accur to the extent of causing a problem if its only in one rad.water flows in the rad in one bottom corner & flows out of the other bottom corner,Not all over the rad. as the heated water enters the rad heat conducts up the water ways to heat all of the rad. If there is a build up of sludge in the bottom of the rad it will flow up a water way & back down another to keep on moving.Ist try turning off all the upstairs rads to see if this one gets hot. if so.upstairs need to be ballanced by reducing the flow through them with a rad valve on 1 end of each radiator.

 

[mikeanthony]

bab/softus

Thanks for your advice. I think I understand. Without a flow through radiator then the heat travels up the radiator but isnt 'replaced' or 'maintained' at the bottom. If sludging was present at the bottom then the water would still flow via the channels up and down the radiator.

I will try balancing with upstairs. Will this not make my upstairs radiators colder though?

The "Thermostatic Valve?" reference was asking the question "could it be due to a faulty thermostatic valve preventing flow through the radiator"

Thanks

Mike
Stockport

 

[bab]

There r only 2 types of radiator valve.thermostats & ordinary valves. ordinary vales come with wheelheads u can close the valve with or lockshield heads u have to take off to alter the valve.To ballance the rads u close down the rads that have the best flow(nearest to the pump) so they don't take all the flow & it carrys on further down the system.U can also check to see if your heating pump can be turned up ,but if its a combi it should be already on max.To balance some upstairs rads turn off one side completly then open it up one turn.on an average rad this should be fine. Ps Have u checked the valves on the rad thats cold to see if there open full?.

 

[bab]

Forgot to say thermostat's can be faulty . If you remove the head the valve should be on max. Most have a stainless steel pin stickin up when the heads removed that when depressed should pop up again. only moves about 4 or 5 mm. If the pin will not move up & down then the washer is usally stuck down.if you tap it gently with a metal object while the heating is hot they will normally pop back up. Gently is a key word. TIP in summer when u arn,t using the heating turn all the radiator thermostats to max to prevent them sticking closed.

 

[Softus]

Sludging will take place in all systems if inhibiter is not present.

No it won't - only in systems that contain ferrous metal.

4 years is a bit short a time 4 this problem to accur to the extent of causing a problem if its only in one rad.

No it isn't.

water flows in the rad in one bottom corner & flows out of the other bottom corner,Not all over the rad.

Nonsense.

1st try turning off all the upstairs rads to see if this one gets hot. if so.upstairs need to be ballanced by reducing the flow through them with a rad valve on 1 end of each radiator.

Good advice.