Bang and hot water all over the place!! Help!

[Bloggsyboy]

I fitted TRV's throughout the house today. Suddenly tonight there was a bang and one of the valves shot off one of the rads spraying hot water all over the bathroom. This was an olive type joint on the return valve which I had not undone today. Either the work had disturbed it or I have fitted the TRV at the wrong end?? The leaflet says it doesn't matter which end you fit it. What else could this be?

 

[seco services]

would say a bad joint and as sh*t happens you worked on that rad today and probably helped it on its way.

 

[Axel]

Most TRV's are bi-directional - shouldn't matter which end. In any case, it would make radiator cold, not burst off pipe.

Is there at least one rad or towel rail without a TRV? Maybe there is a lack of bypass valve, causing a pressure build-up. Perhaps the olive was never tightened properly, or was at very end of the pipe?

 

[Bloggsyboy]

Olive looks ragged and old I think it has been badly fitted a few years ago.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

We have twelve rads, only 8 have TRV's.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

Maybe I should give the nuts which I haven't undone today a tweak all round the house in case this happens somewhere else too. I did struggle with this particular pipe to get it back on the rad, maybe that's what upset it.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

I have drained down the system again. While the rads are empty, is it possible to use the combi boiler to heat hot water for washing without affecting the central heating side of things?

 

[seco services]

if you've drained the system the boiler won't work with no water.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

Yep oops realise this I'm panicking and my brain has switched off.

 

[muggles]

Calm down, boil a kettle for hot water for tonight and sort your problems out with a clear head and a cup of tea in the morning

 

[Bloggsyboy]

Thanks, yes my wife is doing that while I rush around like the house is on fire. Just worried that another one will go when I'm back at work. Some of the pipes going to the rads are at odd angles.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

It's only now that the panic is over that I realise that it's not like a mains pipe going where it just keeps on going. As it was an upstairs rad, there was only so much water that was there to flow out, then it would have stopped. The fountain gushing out of what looked like the bathroom floor was very dramatic and I am worried about it happening in another room.
What was actually happening was that the water was gushing down, hitting the floor then shooting up again. i was surprised by the speed and height of it. The pressure was only 1.5 bar but that can cause quite a fountain when released.

 

[Gas2Air]

I fitted TRV's throughout the house today. Suddenly tonight there was a bang and one of the valves shot off one of the rads spraying hot water all over the bathroom. This was an olive type joint on the return valve which I had not undone today. Either the work had disturbed it or I have fitted the TRV at the wrong end?? The leaflet says it doesn't matter which end you fit it. What else could this be?

Admit defeat. Get someone who knows what they're doing.

 

[Bloggsyboy]

What and miss all this fun

 

[Gas2Air]

What and miss all this fun

What fun it is, cleaning up your on mess.