Cold towel rail

[cirks]

We've got an old gas-fired system with a mix of large and small bore pipework, school and 'normal' type radiators and get reasonable heat from the rads. However, the towel rail in the bathroom remains stone cold. We've bled all the rads (none or very little air in any) but this has not resolved it. The towel rail itself does not seem to have a bleed valve. I've checked (I think) all the main 'flow' valves on pipes and rads and these are all open. Neither inlet or outlet pipe to the rail are hot. Pipes disappear into deep airing cupboard and then down under floor so not sure where they go from there.

Interestingly, the people who owned the house before us left us a bleed valve key with a note attached saying 'bleed system from highest point i.e. the towel rail in bathroom'..........Without a bleed valve on it how do I do that?!

Anway, any thoughts as to why only the towel rail remains cold?

 

[ChrisR]

YOu could try closing all the rads except the towel rail, but the real answer has to be to bleed the towel rail. There must be something to unscrew - sometimes a chrome cap. Whatsort of rail is it, I mean a simple chrome thing like am "A", or a ladder type. If the latter, one of the plugs in the top should have bleed point in the middle, or you'll have to undo the plug a bit.

Withold all their mail until they tell you what they did.

 

[cirks]

YOu could try closing all the rads except the towel rail, but the real answer has to be to bleed the towel rail. There must be something to unscrew - sometimes a chrome cap. Whatsort of rail is it, I mean a simple chrome thing like am "A", or a ladder type. If the latter, one of the plugs in the top should have bleed point in the middle, or you'll have to undo the plug a bit.

It's a ladder type. Bottom left there is a tap type valve. This is currently in open position. Bottom right, there is a chrome cap type thingy (technical term there!) with a square 'bleed type' recessed fitting. However, the square is larger than a std bleed valve. I can (with a square socket piece) turn this. To 'right' it goes down, 'left' it screws up. It is currently in the fully up (which I'm assuming is open) position.
The piccie below doesn't easily show the setup but might help a bit. The 'out' pipe is the one into the airing cupboard. Coming towards you would be the one of the actual towel rail rails.
[code:1]


// __ \\
|| | | || <---recessed square valve top in middle of chrome 'cap/turret'
|| ||
|| ||
|| ___________
||
|| out pipe
|| |___________



[/code:1]

If the latter, one of the plugs in the top should have bleed point in the middle, or you'll have to undo the plug a bit.

Sorry, not sure what you mean by the 'plugs in the top' - have I missed something obvious on the rail?

Withold all their mail until they tell you what they did.

Tempting suggestion but nothing interesting comes - it's just cr*p that the PO can't be bothered to redirect. Unlike our mail that is supposed to be redirected to us and still goes to the old house

 

[kevplumb]

feel round the top it will be there somewhere usually hidden mine is in a hole approx 120 deg from front so you cant see it

 

[cirks]

marvellous - found the bleed valve. Stupidly for some strange reason I hadn't checked the top end pipe the 'far end' from me - I checked everywhere else on all the horizontals and verticals though OH:

Anyway, managed to get a bit of warmth into the towel rail BUT it is only luke warm. When bled no air comes out. All the rads around the system are hot so not sure why it's just the towel rail that seems to be suffering. Any thoughts?

Thanks for assistance so far.

 

[kevplumb]

shut all the rads that are working

 

[cirks]

shut all the rads that are working

and then bleed? Or is the above just a non-serious (hence the smiley) suggestion as to how to ensure that the towel rail gets hot?