not another vertical rad problem......!!

[mickyblue]

Hello. First post so please bare with....

Bought this radiator last week to go in my bathroom http://www.screwfix.com/prods/68726/Plumbing/Designer-Radiators/Vertical-Radiator-445x1800x66

IT has taken the place of a conventional radiator measuring 450x600, which functioned correctly but didn't do a good job of heating the room.

The bottom rail between the flow and return heats up nicely but I cannot get the radiator warm at all. (yes, I have bled the rad) I have it set up with bottom opposite end with the feed coming from the left.

The system comprises of a combi boiler with 2 radiators downstairs and 3 upstairs.

I think this is a flow issue which hopefully is easily resolved, even if it means changing to TBOE, but if anybody has any advise that could give me aneasy fix I'd be grateful....

Thanks,

Mick

 

[crockett]

These radiators are a pain, I have fitted a few, half have worked fine, the others have a flow issue, whereby one fin maybe cold, or the lower half of the radiator is hot, the upper half warm, with the rad air free. My opinion is that the manufacturing process may leave debris in the fins, which then becomes impossible to shift. You could try to remove the rad and flush it through with a hose, from one corner to the other and vice versa, maybe it will help

 

[picasso]

Some of these tall rads need to be plumbed in with regard to the flow and return, it is possible to install them upside down without realizing it.

 

[mickyblue]

Some of these tall rads need to be plumbed in with regard to the flow and return, it is possible to install them upside down without realizing it.

Thanks for the responses gents, Picasso, i have read this on other threads already and flipped the radiator with no effect.

 

[mickyblue]

OK so a quick update......I have switched TBOE and now the 4th fin in on the rad is functioning as it should.

1,2,3,5 & 6 are not warm at all. The feed rail at the top is up to temperature all the way along and the flow rail at the bottom is also up to temperature.

I haven't flushed it through as crockett suggested yet, but if I don't receive any other advise I'll be doing this sometime this weekend

can anyone help???????????????

 

[mickyblue]

I take it nobody has had any problems with these sort of radiators then???

 

[picasso]

I went to a couple of column rads last week , both were luke warm so took them off and both were plumbed in with the flow and returns reversed, on the flow there is a plate blocking off the rest of the columns so the water has to flow up and across rad, when the bleed and blanking plate were removed from the top you could see straight through the rad, so its possibe to get these type of rads back to front and upside down, I have never fitted the type of rad you got from screwfix so no idea what could be wrong but if its lukewarm then its probably installed incorrectly.

 

[1john]

First thing to do is to turn all other rads off and see what happens to this rad, if this sorts it then your system may need balancing. If this doesn't help then you can try and bang the bejesus out of each fin top and bottom, if you have a vented system then you can go that while draining water away through the bleed screw (you can do the same with a combi but keep toping up the water [dont forget to replace inhibitor, ideally through a different rad]). If that doesnt work then you may need to do some poking, get a straightened metal coat hanger and bend the end over to make a L shape with the bent bit being about 1/4 to 1/2 inch and with the valves and cap/vent removed, get down the tube part of the rad to the fin holes, which are quite small. get poking in them as some of them may be blocked. I fitted several of these in a house and found some of them to be quite problematical.

 

[mickyblue]

Ta very much for the replies gentlemen. The one fin that is functional is very hot, as it should be.

I have already turned all other rads off in the house to no effect. I'm going to pull the rad off the wall and poke about and flush it with a hose, as I feel this is the problem. Won't get done til Sunday now as it's works Xmas do tomorrow, so will try to update on Sunday.