Radiator leak

[ensignvorik]

Hi,

This is my first post please be gentle.

I've recently purchased my first home. I'm a complete newbie to this sort of stuff and have never had to worry about things around the house like this so I am a total novice. Poor effort for a man I know.

I've come across a light leak in a an upstairs bedroom radiator. Should it matter, this is also the nearest radiator to the boiler, which is a combi, as the boiler is also in said bedroom in a cupboard.

I've attached the picture below of where the leak is coming from. It's not drastic, when the heating is on, it doesn't drip at all, but you can feel it's a little bit wet around it, it's when the heating has been off for a few hours it then starts to drip. Again it's not drastic, but I assume it's something I should sort sooner rather than later.

What I'm not sure of is what this part of the radiator is called. I've attempted various google searches and image searches to no avail, so if i need to replace it, I'm not sure what it is that I am replacing.

Untitled

• ensignvorik
• 4 Apr 2013
• 1

A) Does the end cap bolt (as I'm calling it) need replacing?

B) Is it just the plastic stuff that's come away that needs replacing? (you may need to enlarge the image to see where it's come away) If so what is it? An O ring or a washer? Or can I just use PFT (i think) tape around the theads of the bolt?

C) How easy is this to do? If easy, could someone be as kind to give me a step by step in idiot guide form?

 

[hazetimesfive]

turn the radiator off at both ends, open the bleed screw and catch any pressure that comes out, if it doesn't stop then the radiator is not turned off and you should proceed no further, if the pressure stops then unscrew the blanking plug, clean it up and wrap ptfe tap around the thread and re seal to the radiator.

 

[footprints]

Rads have two tappings at the top, the installer chooses one to be the air vent and blanks the other off, this is the blanked one.
They come with o rings or washers this is what has failed.

Turn off both rad valves, normally one is the control valve that can turned by hand the other is the lock shield valve set by the installer to balance the system, when you turn off that one count the number of turns and when reopening it set at the same number of turns again.

With both valves off protect the floor covering with plastic and old towels a decorating roller tray placed underneath should catch most of the water.
open the vent at the other end of the rad, use a rag as at first it may spray a fair way. after about a cupful or so it should stop, if it doesn't then the valves are not closing off properly so abandon the task unless you want to go for a full drain down.
Once the water stops you can unscrew the blanking plug and seal it with ptfe tape or a sealer like fernox LSX as I doubt you will get another o ring for it easily.
Turn on rad valves vent the air and you may need to repressurize the boiler, but might get away with it as very little water will have been lost.

Good luck with it,
footprints

Ps just seen that hazeltimesfive has said much the same in a lot fewer words! but as I have typed it might as well put it up anyway

 

[ensignvorik]

Thanks guys, just wanted to ensure it was a simple task before i started meddling and made it worse!

I think it may have been like it for a while on closer inspection of the nets the old granny left me behind as it looks like it has a wet stain on it where it would have been near to the blank.

Off the the local plumber merchant now. As the blanks are quite cheap I will probably grab a spare at same time as the tape just in case that's knackered too!

Will let you know how I get on.

 

[ensignvorik]

Had the central heating running for a couple of hours now and it seems bone dry (fingers crossed, been dapping it with kitchen towels every so often)

Used PTFE tape to wrap around the thread a dozen or so times and also managed to find an o ring that fit round it so put that on for good measure and tightened it all back up and put everything back as it was.

Hopefully everything else I find in time will be as easy as this one!

 

[footprints]

Thanks for letting us know how you got on, glad it went OK.
Regards,
footprnts