Radiator help needed!

[benunited]

Hi folks

Wonder if anyone can help/provide some advice please? I had a radiator problem today and now none of the radiators in my house are working.

I'm re-doing my bathroom. I'm reasonably competent at DIY but not so great at plumbing. Plan was to dismantle the sink and toilet myself but to bring in a plumber to put everything back together safely and also to install a new radiator.

Anyway I was way too ambitios knocking tiles and plasterboard off around the radiator and to cut a long story short the radiator came off its bracket and one of the pipes burst free (think Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do Ave Em as I panicked as all the water came flooding out).

I turned the stop-cock off and turned all the taps on in the house to drain the hot water tank - not sure if that was necessary but as hot water was flooding out of the radiator it seemed a good idea at the time.

When the water stopped the plan was to re-plumb the radiator. But, when it fell it seems to have bent the pipes and now it doesn't want to reach both sides, if that makes sense.

To give you the picture, the side with the plastic cap is attached to the pipe fine. The other side, with the thermostatic valve is not attached to the pipe anymore. I've closed the valve and added a stop cap.

Water is running fine in the house again, hot and cold, but the radiators are cold and don't sound as though they have water running through them.

I'm still a week or so short of when I'd want to call in a plumber to finish the bathroom off but don't like the idea of being without radiators until then.

Any advice much appreciated!

Thanks

Ben

 

[cantaloup63]

Bit vague. Are you saying that one radiator has fallen ff and you have removed it and capped the pipes, but now you have refilled it all the other radiators are cold?

 

[conny]

I'm not a plumber, just a DIY'er but it sounds to me that you haven't re-filled the rads. If you look at your boiler there should be a pressure gauge telling you what pressure you have in your system. This should read about 1.0 to 1.5 bar If it is lower then your boiler won't fire up. What happens when you turn the boiler on? Do any codes come up on the digital display? If yes then you need to look at your instruction book to see what the code means and take the recommended action.
If you post the make, model etc and possibly some pics of the boiler a qualified engineer will be able to help you better than me. Just need some more info for best responses.

 

[benunited]

Thanks for the replies!

Cantaloup 63. The radtiator came free from the wall when I took more plasterboard away than I thought I was going to.

It has been capped at just one end so I think water should still be flowing into it.

I have hot water again. Do I have to do something specific to refill the radiators?

@Conny. Thanks also. My boiler is gas Ideal W2000. It has fired up fine and is heating water going to the taps. Can't see any pressure gauge and it isn't digital.

 

[cantaloup63]

Not sure what you mean "capped at one end". If this is the case then no water will go into it



With respect, I think a phone call or two on Monday to some plumbers willbe your best bet

 

[conny]

If you have capped one end of the rad then some water may enter from the connected side but the air in the rad will stop it filling. This should not stop your others rads getting warm though.
As Cant says, best ring a few plumbers Monday and get their advice.
Sorry we couldn't help you.