kitchen radiator only warm

[Parcival]

We live in a 4 storey town house. We have a newish boiler that provides very hot water and very hot rads apart from the one in the ground floor kitchen. This one gets warm but never hot.

The thermostatic valve on one end of it is set to max. (I have removed it and the pin seems to move up and down ok although the pipes at this end of the rad are cold).

At the other end of the rad is a valve with a plus and minus sign on it. The pipes into this valve are hot but turning this valve seems to make no difference.

Any ideas on what I can do to get a hot rad?

 

[seco services]

if the pipe into the valve is hot and the rad only warm and the other pipe cold then i would check that valve for restriction/faulty.

 

[Parcival]

Thanks - took the plastic cover of that valve. Don't think the plastic cover is turning the valve it'self so will try 'opening' valve with spanner!!

 

[seco services]

Don't think the plastic cover is turning the valve it'self so will try 'opening' valve with spanner!!

yes that'll be a good idea.

 

[Parcival]

have opened the lockshield valve fully. Think the rad has got a little warmer (not hot) but still not right.

Should I be closing the lockshields on other rads to force more hot water to the kitchen. I am sure the kitchen is the last rad on the system.

 

[seco services]

yes the system could probably do with balancing.
try just shutting the locksheilds on the hottest rads 1/4 turn each see if it gets warmer/hot.

 

[Parcival]

Thanks for further advice - have closed some valves as suggested - can't really feel much difference.

Is it worth me continuing to close valves a quarter turn or would I have noticed a difference by now?

 

[seco services]

depends how far the locksheilds are open.

ie check one of them
a valve can take about 4 turns to fully open from closed.
but anything after about 2 turns from closed won't have any effect even though it'll turn another 2 turns.

most systems that are balanced the valve can be anything from 1/4 turn to only 1 full turn open.

so your valve maybe fully open and you have shut it half a turn which makes it 3 1/2 turns from closed and won't have any effect yet to atleast another 2 turns.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Have you removed any air from the rad?

Andy

 

[Parcival]

Had already bled rad - no air in it.