Freezing in Belgium - Radiator Problem

[BxlBill]

Hello all,

I am having problems with one of the radiators in my flat in Belgium. Moved in here about a year ago. It's a small apartment building where the source of the heating seems to come centrally (ie: I have no individual boiler or anything in my flat) (I also apologize for my appalling lack of knowledge of boiler and heating terminology, but please bear with me). The main radiator in the living room didn't work too well at the beginning of last winter, but I took the landlord's (seemingly ridiculous) advice and banged the area near the control dial with a hammer (quite hard) and indeed it got the heating flowing and it worked fairly well all of last winter.

This winter, however, even banging it with a hammer doesn't work. Can't seem to get the heat to flow. It does heat up a very little bit along the top, but that's it. I would like to bleed it, but there doesn't seem to be a bleed screw anywhere on it where I can do so! I'm attaching a photo below to see if anyone has any advice. You can see where it's been knocked with the hammer!

Any suggestions? I should note that the other radiators in the apartment work find and get quite hot. Unfortunately the landlord is not interested and quite useless so I'd like to solve the problem without her intervention if possible.

Bxl Bill

 

[seco services]

can you remove the thermostatic valve. the plastic part with the numbers on.

below the plastic part is where it will unscrew.

 

[simond]

You need to remove the head (white plastic bit) and pull out the metal pin left behind in the water valve slightly.

Insert the white head up your landlord's posterier.

 

[garagerob]

first off, can you take off the thermostatic top (the big white bit) with this off you'll see a small pin this should move in and out freely, if not get to it with a pair of pliers( gently though you dont want to pull it out).

 

[BxlBill]

First, let me say thanks for the very quick replies!

Yes, I've taken the thermostatic valve off and pulled out the pin with some pliers (I mean it's now further out than it was, not that I've pulled it completely away from the radiator). What else should I do? Does the pin being out=hotter, and in=colder? Would you know if there's any way to bleed this thing? The radiator in the bedroom was acting the same but it has a valve for bleeding, and after I did it it worked beautifully. But it doesn't seem possible here (?).

And to Simond, that's about where the white head belongs, and not only because of problems with the heating!

Bxl Bill

 

[BxlBill]

Does anybody have any further advice on this? Here's a photo with the thermostatic valve off. Even pulling out the pin (which doesn't move in and out freely) doesn't make it any warmer. Is there anything I can unscrew here in order to bleed it?

Thank you.

 

[nitro23456]

is that really the orientation of the radiator or is the picture sideways? what do you have on the other side?

 

[BxlBill]

Hi. Yes, that's its orientation. You can get a better context from the photo at the top of the page. It's the same thing with its white plastic control off.

I've even been trying the landlord's recommended trick of whacking the area (where, in the photos, you can see the white paint has chipped off) with a hammer. A truly primitive solution, I think, and it's not working anyway, though it has in the past

edit: sorry, forgot to answer your question about what's on the other side. Do you mean behind it? Just the wall. There's a gap of a few inches but it's hard to get in there.

BxlBill

 

[nitro23456]

I meant the other side of the radiator, presumably the one pictured is the flow.... I wondered what you had on the return as its not uncommon for any bleed valve to be situated on the return side.

Are you sure it needs bleeding? (it would be cold at the top and right if this was the case). If the pipe/nut directly AFTER the TRV is hot it does need bleeding. If the pipe before is hot but after is cold it is more likely a seized valve - what I think the other posters were getting at.

Bleed valves on rubbish radiators are sometimes on the back of the radiator.

 

[Softus]

Don't pull the pin. In fact, don't EVER pull the pin.

With the TRV head removed, tap the pin carefully and with a light hammer, several times - do it squarely, ie. with no glancing impact that might bend it.

If the the wet part of the valve is stuck shut, this usually frees it. However, a sticking valve will tend to stick again, so it needs replacing.

 

[jackthom]

If the pin has freed up properly then it will be fairly hard tp push it back in a few millimetres and it should spring out quite strongly.

If it just moves in and doesn't spring back it's not a good sign.

 

[mickyg]

Don't pull the pin. In fact, don't EVER pull the pin.
.

Totally agree, can't believe the amount of people who recommend pulling it!
as mr softus says, tap it. A small hammer is perfect with a gentle touch

 

[BxlBill]

Oh dear . It's precisely because I'd read someone's recommendation somewhere on the internet that pulling out the pin should help, that I did it! OK. Won't do that anymore and will try the advice about tapping it.

Thanks for all your input.

BxlBill

 

[Softus]

It's precisely because I'd read someone's recommendation somewhere on the internet that pulling out the pin should help, that I did it!

Sadly, you read it on this topic.