radiator not working after bathroom renovation

[barry1975]

Hi,
I recently had my bathroom renovated (including installation of a new towel rail) and ever since a radiator in one of our bedrooms has stopped getting hot. The only way we seem to be able to wake it up is by turning the overall heating up REALLY high. Any idea what it might be? It has worked fine for years but stopped the day the bathroom works was done. Just don't want to turn the boiler up so much just to get any life out of that one radiator. Everything else seems ok, although the new towel rail also isn't particularly hot, again, unless we whack up the boiler to the max.

Plumber who did bathroom suggested we have bad circulation or some sort of issue with the boiler and that we should consider a power flush or similar?!? I made the point that it had worked absolutely fine the previous day and for years before. In fairness, the house is a bit old and we've never done work on the central heating, though it also has never let us down before.

Appreciate any thoughts!

 

[Madrab]

Does the bathroom rad heat up, is that one new and did it increase in size? Turn that one off, does the bedroom one then heat up?

 

[drives]

I would start off by rebalancing all of the radiators. I'm guessing the plumber replaced a radiator with the towel rail and thus perhaps the lockshield settings have been altered, therefore perhaps explaining your issue?

 

[barry1975]

Thanks Madrab and drives ... just to clarify... we didn't have a radiator in the bathroom, just the towel rail, which serves a heater there. If I turn down other radiators in the house, the towel rail and bedroom radiator do get a bit warm... but obviously I want the ability to warm all my rooms at the same time, as I did before the bathroom renovation!

From what I've read on the internet, it seems a re-balancing would make sense, we defo do have some very hot radiators, others a bit hot and one kinda dead unless i turn things up super high. I'm just very surprised the plumber never raised this as a possibility, instead the line was simply that my circulation wasn't good and I should do a flush?!

 

[Madrab]

If it all worked properly before that rad was added, I wouldn't suggest that adding one rad would have such a radical effect. Unless he has piped it in such a way as to shortcut the system somewhat. I would turn the lockshield down on the new rad a bit - balancing as you suggest. Though TBH your plumber should have checked all of that and not just thrown out excuses why it doesn't work.

What he did caused it so he should have a vested interest in getting it working, if he was in any way professional IMO.