rusted through radiator???

[Steve]

Help! I think my bathroom radiator has either rusted through or has a leak.

For a start, it was fitted in 2003-4 (According to date stamp), and it has always been upside down (the top decor grill is on the bottom).

Just recently I noticed brown rust stains on the floor under the rad. I dismissed it as condensation on the cold radiator seeping through the grill on the bottom. I have just looked and the decor grill is covered in rust, and even though the radiator is red hot, and has been for a few hours, the bottom of the rad is wet.

This is a bog standard radiator. Are leaky rads common of this age? Or could it have rusted through?

I'm having it replaced with a towel rail anyway.

On a similar note, I bled the radiators recently, and the water came out nearly clear. Last year when I drained the system to add new rads, the water was black. I expected the water to be black again, given its been a year since I filled it. Does this mean water is leaking and refilling? Or am I worrying about nowt?

 

[bigpkr]

Steve radiators can rust from the inside this is the case when chemicals have not been added to water when any work done.

Id love to see a picture of a radiator fitted upside down.

When you get the rad swapped for a towel rail make sure they add inhibitor in.

 

[Corgigrouch]

......And the right way up.

Seen rads fitted on their sides before now..

 

[cantaloup63]

......And the right way up.

Seen rads fitted on their sides before now..

Although not by Naz, surely

 

[Corgigrouch]

......And the right way up.

Seen rads fitted on their sides before now..

Although not by Naz, surely

Naz has equally inept brothers everywhere....

 

[bell824]

seen them fitted at an angle to suit the stair way as well naz's get all around the country.

 

[JohnD]

invest in some spanners, Steve. Changing a rad is easy.

Since you mention both black sediment and a rusting radiator, I deduce that your system (1) does not have chemical inhibitor in it (2) is open vented with a small feed and expansion tank in the loft (3) may have either poor piping design, or a leak, or a blockage, causing new water to be supplied, or pumping-over to occur which aerates the water and accelerates corrosion.

You are probably going to have to do a chemical clean and, afterwards, refill with inhibitor. Sentinel X400 and X100 are very easy for amateur use and will cost you about £15 each at a DIY shed or Screwedfix. I would avoid an acid cleaner which, though fast, may cause holes to appear in your other radiators.

Show us a pic of your F&E task and the pipe bent above it.

For today, turn off the valves at each end of that rusty rad to prevent more water going into it.

You are going to have to change that rad, obviously, and depending on age and condition, it may be a good time to change the valves as well.

All your other rads should be viewed with suspicion as they may be equally rusty.

p.s. black iron oxide is heavy, so when you drain from the bottom, the water may be black, but when you vent from the top, it may be clear.

 

[Corgigrouch]

seen them fitted at an angle to suit the stair way as well naz's get all around the country.

I guess that it makes for easy bleeding....Assuming that the bleed valve is at the higher end...

 

[bell824]

cant even remember if it was but by the the fact it was insatalled that way probaly not.

 

[PowerFlushAssociation]

If you have enough inhibitor in the system it will prevent rusting from the inside. Bathroom radiators in particular rust badly on the inside and outside and will eventually leak.

Replace radiators and make sure you have inhibitor added, if you are not sure add more - you can't have too much only too little. Power flushing would be good if you can afford it as sludge is obviously present in the system and will need to be removed.