Radiators stopped working

[toriwilson11]

Hi all

Really grateful for any advice I can get. We bought a new property earlier this year. Boiler relatively new, radiators probably not.

One of our radiators was constantly stuck on as the TRV valve was broken. Was have replaced the TRV valve and now the radiator is not working at all. Lockshield valve is fully open.

Took radiator outside and manually flushed it, sludge came out but still not working. The radiator in the hallway is also only getting hot on the back and not the front. All radiators have been bled.

I know the radiators are not balanced and not heat up evenly, but this particular radiator was still cold after the heating being on for an hour

Also, it takes AAAAGES to heat the house up. Talking, 1 degree in an hour. Is this normal? Thought I'd post in case its relevant, but its probably more due to poor housing insulation which we are due to get sorted soon

Any thoughts on radiator?

Many thanks in advance

 

[toriwilson11]

I should add - when we first moved in the TRV valve was broken and the radiator used to get hot, but over time it started to just get lukewarm pre changing the TRV valve

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

How many rads in total, and are they all cool?

 

[toriwilson11]

Thanks for your reply

There are 10 radiators in total, and the rest are heating up fine - just the one in the living room cold and one in the hallway only heating on one side

 

[JohnD]

Turn off ALL the hot ones. Does the cold one get hot?

Have you got a hot-water cylinder?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There are 10 radiators in total, and the rest are heating up fine - just the one in the living room cold and one in the hallway only heating on one side

Sound like blocked radiators or pipes, or maybe an airlock. Turn all the other radiators off, at their valves, run circulating pump at max, then report back if they get hot.

 

[toriwilson11]

Thanks both for your replies! Will try tonight when I get home

 

[stem]

Also, it takes AAAAGES to heat the house up. Talking, 1 degree in an hour. Is this normal? Thought I'd post in case its relevant, but its probably more due to poor housing insulation which we are due to get sorted soon

If the radiators are hot to the touch then the heating system is working. If they are not it isn't.

If the radiators are hot and the house is still taking ages to heat up, then either it's loosing heat almost as fast as you are putting it back in, the radiators are too small for the task in hand, or you've left the front door open.

Having said that, an increase of one degree per hour when its around freezing outside; as it is now, doesn't sound that bad to me.

 

[toriwilson11]

If the radiators are hot to the touch then the heating system is working. If they are not it isn't.

If the radiators are hot and the house is still taking ages to heat up, then either it's loosing heat almost as fast as you are putting it back in, the radiators are too small for the task in hand, or you've left the front door open.

Having said that, an increase of one degree per hour when its around freezing outside; as it is now, doesn't sound that bad to me.

Thanks!!! Just having reassurance its normal is great

 

[toriwilson11]

Sound like blocked radiators or pipes, or maybe an airlock. Turn all the other radiators off, at their valves, run circulating pump at max, then report back if they get hot.

I only learned what a circulating pump is today! Where would I find this? Is it physically in the boiler or elsewhere? I can't see it near it

Edit - found it!

 

[BlueLoo]

Hi all

Really grateful for any advice I can get. We bought a new property earlier this year. Boiler relatively new, radiators probably not.

One of our radiators was constantly stuck on as the TRV valve was broken. Was have replaced the TRV valve and now the radiator is not working at all. Lockshield valve is fully open.

Took radiator outside and manually flushed it, sludge came out but still not working. The radiator in the hallway is also only getting hot on the back and not the front. All radiators have been bled.

I know the radiators are not balanced and not heat up evenly, but this particular radiator was still cold after the heating being on for an hour

Also, it takes AAAAGES to heat the house up. Talking, 1 degree in an hour. Is this normal? Thought I'd post in case its relevant, but its probably more due to poor housing insulation which we are due to get sorted soon

Any thoughts on radiator?

Many thanks in advance

Are you a landlord for this property?

 

[toriwilson11]

Are you a landlord for this property?

No it's my property, I'm not a landlord

 

[toriwilson11]

The radiator did heat up within ten mins when all the other radiators were off. Circulating pump I believe can't be changed on my boiler.

Going to try balancing the radiators this morning and hopefully that will solve it. Thank you so much everyone for your help. Especially now it's snowing outside!

 

[JohnD]

balancing

Correct.

In summer you could give them a chemical clean. Circulate X400 for a few weeks at the end of the heating season to loosen the sludge, then drain and rinse. Cost is trivial.

If you can take rads into the garden to hose through, so much the better.

If you can do basic plumbing you can add a magnetic filter as well. Best place is on the return pipe to the boiler, but it will catch a lot of circulating particles wherever you put it. You will be amazed and delighted to see how much it traps in the first month.

 

[JohnD]

Have you got a hot-water cylinder?