Help - Leaking radiator

JohnD · 16 Nov 2006

If you felt like doing a bit of plumbing, you could buy a couple of new radiator valves tomorrow; turn off the boiler; drain down the system; remove the radiator, refit with the new valves, refill and you're away.

As a DIY man it would probably take you a good half day.

If you have to go to work instead you may have to pay someone else to do it.

However, if your TRV is fairly new and a current model, if you buy a new one you will almost certainly find it comes with a "decorator's cap" which is a plastic top that can be fitted in place of the thermostatic head and screws down to close the valve (the thermostatic head is removable) which would probably stop it letting water through.

Drain-down time is always a good time to do a chemical clean and refill with new inhibitor.

While it is drained down is a good time to fit any other new valves that might be needed; or thermostatic valves if you haven't already got them; or drain-offs if you haven't got enough.

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

corgiman said:
well unless you drain the system

yes

sorry

Not your fault mate. Thanks for the help anyway. I guesss it will have to be 24hr plumber and big bucks

Oh well......

Blasphemous · 16 Nov 2006

Mark,

First off, do you have a Combi Boiler or a System Boiler with a Hot Water Storage Cylinder in a cupboard somewhere?

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

JohnD said:
If you felt like doing a bit of plumbing, you could buy a couple of new radiator valves tomorrow; turn off the boiler; drain down the system; remove the radiator, refit with the new valves, refill and you're away.

As a DIY man it would probably take you a good half day.

If you have to go to work instead you may have to pay someone else to do it.

However, if your TRV is fairly new and a current model, if you buy a new one you will almost certainly find it comes with a "decorator's cap" which is a plastic top that can be fitted in place of the thermostatic head and screws down to close the valve (the thermostatic head is removable) which would probably stop it letting water through.

Drain-down time is always a good time to do a chemical clean and refill with new inhibitor.

While it is drained down is a good time to fit any other new valves that might be needed; or thermostatic valves if you haven't already got them; or drain-offs if you haven't got enough.

Right that all makes sense. But, as I said earlier, we have our friendly plumber booked in for early December. Ideally, I'd be able to isolate the radiator an just leave it off until he arrives and fixes it (he is doing the chemical clean and fixing a new inhibitor, btw.

Which leaves me with possibly nasty 24hr plumber (as opposed to our friendly one) who will sort it out, I'm sure but cast us £££s in the process....

Blasphemous · 16 Nov 2006

Right sorry, just read you have no tank in loft so I assume Combi.

Do you know what the filling loop is yet Mark? If so, is it definitely closed?

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

Blasphemous said:
Mark,

First off, do you have a Combi Boiler or a System Boiler with a Hot Water Storage Cylinder in a cupboard somewhere?

Right, we have a system boiler in a cupboard in the kitchen and a hot water tank in the bathroom.

(I'm hoping you're going to come up with a magic answer)

JohnD · 16 Nov 2006

MarkTasha said:
corgiman said:

do you have a small tank in the loft?

if so tie up the ballvalve so that no water can get in

Click to expand...

Nope, no tank in the loft. If I turn off the water at the main, will that stop it for tonight? How long would I have to wait until it stopped leaking?

It will stop leaking once the pressure goes down. Might be a matter of minutes. You will have to turn the boiler off until you refill.

If you have no feed & Expansion Tank in the loft then I guess you have a sealed System. Modern ones are often like that, especially Combis. You will have a filling Loop (perhaps a metal-braided-covered hose with a tap on it) that supplies water from the mains to refill in case water is lost. However this is not supposed to be connected and turned on all the time - if yours is, then it will put the system at mains pressure which will make any leaks much worse.

If you state the make and model of your boiler someone will probably be able to describe how to find and operate it.

p.s. if you have a friendly plumber that you know, call him in the morning - he may well come round and do a fix for you.

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

Blasphemous said:
Right sorry, just read you have no tank in loft so I assume Combi.

Do you know what the filling loop is yet Mark? If so, is it definitely closed?

Right, just checked and definitely no tank in the loft, but also not a combi.

Still no idea what a filling loop is (was about to look that one up)

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

Just so you know, the boiler is called an 'Ideal Classic'

JohnD · 16 Nov 2006

A filling loop:

Probably next to, or underneath, or inside the removable front part of the boiler casing.

Is connected to the incoming water main at one end, and to the boiler pipework at the other.

Find it and close the tap.

If you have one of these then you should also have a Pressure Gauge which tells you the pressure of water in the system.

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

Okay, just taken a look at the boiler. It has no obvious filling loop device (which is a bit worrying). It seems to have three copper pipes going in/out of it (one clearly labelled gas) and that is it. Opened up the front panel and couldn't see anything obvious there either....

JohnD · 16 Nov 2006

Maybe someone on the night shift is familiar with the 'Ideal Classic?'
There may be an openable flap at the bottom front of the boiler.

If you're in a position to put up a photo, please do.

Otherwise if you want to get to bed, turn off the boiler, then the incoming water main, and phone your friendly plumber in the morning.

edited:
Like this? http://www.boilershop.co.uk/acatalog/Ideal_Classic_HE9_Condensing_Heating_Boiler__.html[/i]

Blasphemous · 16 Nov 2006

MarkTasha said:
Blasphemous said:

Right, we have a system boiler in a cupboard in the kitchen and a hot water tank in the bathroom.

Click to expand...

Ok, Mark if not tank in the loft then you have a 'Sealed System'. No problem there. So, at the Boiler there has to be a 'Filling Loop'. It will normally be underneath the boiler, at the side or inside (depending on Boiler). It normally has a steel braided pipe with a tap like a washing machine tap that you may have under your sink perhaps (The one under your sink feeding the washing machine isn't it by the way... at least I wouldn't have thought the fitter would put it there!).

It should look a bit like this one...

http://www. ultimatehandyman.co.uk/TOPPING_UP_A_COMBI_BOILER.htm

You need to find the Boiler System Pressure Dial Mark. It should read about 1.5bar. Whatever it reads, if the tap on the 'Filling Loop' is open, turn it off. That will stop the pressure and allow you to drain that rad.

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

That looks more-or-less like it.

I'd take a picture, but I think my wife has the digi camera. She's away tonight on a course, leaving me with this little problem plus looking after the baby

MarkTasha · 16 Nov 2006

Blasphemous said:
MarkTasha said:

Blasphemous said:

Right, we have a system boiler in a cupboard in the kitchen and a hot water tank in the bathroom.

Click to expand...

Ok, Mark if not tank in the loft then you have a 'Sealed System'. No problem there. So, at the Boiler there has to be a 'Filling Loop'. It will normally be underneath the boiler, at the side or inside (depending on Boiler). It normally has a steel braided pipe with a tap like a washing machine tap that you may have under your sink perhaps (The one under your sink feeding the washing machine isn't it by the way... at least I wouldn't have thought the fitter would put it there!).

It should look a bit like this one...

http://www. -no ads-.co.uk/TOPPING_UP_A_COMBI_BOILER.htm

You need to find the Boiler System Pressure Dial Mark. It should read about 1.5bar. Whatever it reads, if the tap on the 'Filling Loop' is open, turn it off. That will stop the pressure and allow you to drain that rad.

Click to expand...

Okay, I have just taken a very careful look the the boiler. There is just one pipe going in which is copper. There is no pressure dial, as such, just a know with 1-6 marked on it (currently set at 4).

Where the pipe goes into the boiler, is all looks a bit complex but is still a copper pipe....

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Help - Leaking radiator

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