radiator downstaiors cold

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Intersting problem here. One radiator in my living room is cold the rest of the house is fine.

Both valves are open and tried balancing and bleeding whole house.
The inlet pipe (right side) coming up from floor is warm up to where it connects to the radiator and the outlet pipe going back into the floor is cold.
I have taken off the radiator and flushed through with a hose and noticed that if I turn the tap on for the inlet valve, hot water flows through indicating there is not a blockage. I have alos opened the outlet valve and water flow through indicating no blockage.

Now here is the interesting bit, when I put the radiator on, and open the taps and bleed the radiator, the radiator gets hot and both pipes coming from the floor are hot then the radiator gets cold again after I have bled it.

My theory is the outlet valve thermostatic (left side of rad) (dont know make) is on the wrong way around and I need to buy one that allow water to flow out.

Any opinions before I start on taking off the valve and putting on a new one.

Second, how do i stop the awful banging , ticking clicking noise coming from my upstairs rad, pipe. Tried bleeding!???

Thanks guys

Also are triton showers really that bad? I was planning to get a 9.5kw one???
 
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so you have proved the valve opens so why would you think its faulty?. sounds like a restriction down the line, try putting a cleaner in your system as per manatacturers inst, i.e fernox x400
 
Yep proved it opened but I was under the impression a valve (my valve) would only work one way which explains why water is coming out of the valve which is the outlet side for the radiator?? I was under the impression I would need to raplace this valve with one which works in the other direction or a bidirection/reversible flow one? I am no plumber, just guessing based on the symptoms
 
no they work both ways .if fitted wrong way they can be noisy as they reach temp. causing vibration noise
 
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Thanks but how do you explain the outlet pipe, inlet pipe and radiator becoming hot when I replace the radiator and then going cold again when all connnected up. I just dont get it!!??? There is definitely no blockage on the inlet as hot water folows through this no problem. The radiator has been flushed with a hose and becomes hot all over initially when I put it on initially. Therefore radiator not blocked. The outlet pipe become hot /warm when I take the radiator OFF and open the tap of the outlet. Therefore surely the outlet pipe is not blocked. So I put it down to the valve on the outlet not allowing water to pass through it going outwards???
 
When did this radiator stop working, did it suddenly stop!

If it is a two pipe system, maybe the outlet and inlet are the same. plumber may have taken both of them off the flow or vice-versa, both off the return.

Just a thought. The rad may have been getting semi warm through convection and you didn't realise it before!
 
Not sure what a two pipe system means but there is one pipe goinginto the right (ionlet) and 1 pipe coming out on the left. i moved into the preoperty in may and it has not worked since I moved in. the house was built in the 60s and all other radiators work fine!!!

Thanks
 
It was a long shot.

You have made sure thermostatic valve is working letting water pass. The pin is not stuck.

You are confident the inlet is not blocked as you have opened valve when rad was off the wall.

Are you sure the return pipe is not blocked. This one rad may have been on a 'lazy' circuit, where the water flow has taken the easy route, over time, sludging up the return section of pipework.

Have you tried turning off all rads except this one and concentrate water flow around this section? then balancing the others if it starts to work.

It probably is just a balancing act, keep on going, you will get there in the end.

You only moved in in May, you haven't had a chance to get to know her yet. :)
 
Cheers tryandsee!

ill give it a shot.
Dont suppose you know how to drain a system. I have one cold water tank in my loft and the immersion heater tank in the airing cupboard and that it. What do I need to do???

Also how easy is it to add a cyclinder thermostat as I do not have one on the cylinder. Is it a good idea? i have to rely on the temp of the boiler to control temp of hot water and the heating...I think.


Should've been a plumber!!!
 
All your answers are in the FAQ in the front of the forum.

If you are struggling to drain down the system I wouldn't try any more things such as cylinder stats and three way valves. Time to call in a plumber I'm afraid. :rolleyes:
 
Another question. With my system, I was told that seeing as I have only 1 cold water tank feeding the hot water cylinder, my system operates by have an air lock of sorts in the cyclinder half of whcih feeds the radiators and the other half, I wash with. Does anyone know much about this and if so is the process of draining the system the same. i.e lift up ball valve of cold water tank and drain from stopvalve on radiator and then when done, close the stop valve, release ball valve, chuck in inhibitor into cold water tank (7.99 from screw fix) and then bleed radiators startingh from the top of house.


All this to change a bleeding valve (No pun intended!!!)

Thanks
 
Do a search on "primatic". All will be revealed, I'm afraid.
 
Cripes. Yep that sounds like my system, a primatic. Just read some and sounds interesting. So if I drain it down from the tap on a radiator downstairs and then refill WITHOUT inhibitor will I have the same problems or will it settle down as many have suggested? If it settles I can live with brown water for a couple of days.
 

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