removing radiator

[drgil74]

hello
I have a rad, well several actually all on ground floor, hot a top of rad, cold at bottom. From what I've read online seems may be sludged up.(have bled and tapped with plastic hammer).
Im thinking of attacking one first, to see how it goes.
Im wanting to remove rad to flush through outside with hosepipe.
All rads are on thermostatic valves one side and drain off valves on other.
System is pressurised to a worcester bosch 35 cdi 2, fitted about 9 yrs ago.
Can i just close the thermostatic down to 0
and then close system side of the drain off valve at other side before opening to allow water from rad to pass into the drain off and out through hose?
or do i leave drain off valve open through system?
Im just a bit unsure how the drain off valves work to be honest.
cheers.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Before you start pulling rads off the wall, have you tried balancing the system yet? Try turning the upstairs rads off and see if the downstairs ones heat up properly. If yes, then unlikely to be sludged and balancing is all the system needs.

On a badly balanced system, it is usual for the downstairs rads to struggle more, as heat naturally rises and will favour upstairs rads. Rads that are cold at the bottom can be sludge, but also a sign of insufficient flow.

See number 5 on here -

//www.diynot.com/forums/plumbing/boiler-central-heating-faqs.175736/

 

[Blagard]

Depends on your thermostatic radiator valve, but a drayton one need to have the head removed and the "decorators" cap screwed down on to it to shut it off. The caps are usually supplied with the valves at the time of fitting.

On the other end shut the valve off but count how many turns it takes e.g. 2 1/2 even just 1/4 This is because when you open it after refitting you want it back in the same position.

With both valves now off you connect your hose open the drain point a bit and then open the air bleed valve on the radiator to let air in as water runs out.

If both valves hold it will eventually stop draining. Then you need a container under each valve to catch any spillage when you undo the radiator valve to radiator connection. Finally before removing the radiator lift one end to drain the really dirty water left in the bottom into a container, believe me you don't want to spill it on your floor!

Remember to close the drain off before you refill!

As for containers I frequently cut off the bottom of plastic milk containers at a height convenient to suit the task!