hello!
One of my radiators is not working and I wonder if anyone has any tips for trouble shooting & resolving? Basically it doesn't get very hot - but does get mildly warm at the top of the radiator.
What have I tried already?
- switched off most other radiators to focus the flow through those remaining - and this one acted exactly the same - the others felt like they were going to melt!
- because of the above - I don't think my boiler is under-rated, and there seems plenty of flow.
- it's 2nd or 3rd in line from the boiler out of about 20 rads - most of which are fine.
- my boiler pressure is 1 1/4 bar when cold, rising to about 1 3/4 bar.
- the flow pipe into the radiator gets red hot - but the return never feels more than luke warm.
- I have recently drained and refilled the system for unrelated work - the radiator had the problem before the refilling which makes me think it's not an airlock - and also makes me doubt it's a sludge - the radiator wouldn't have emptied otherwise
I rekon it's one of the following - but wondered if how to determine which - or if there is something I am overlooking.
1. faulty TRV (when I take the TRV off and press the button, it does start/stop the flow - but still could be partially blocked)
2. faulty lockshield/balancing valve - as above. opening it wide did warm the rad a tiny bit - but I am not sure if I felt it because I wanted to!
3. blocked radiator/pipes with gunk - stopping the heating water flowing through - but then why did it drain down OK?
4. airlock - as above, probably in the return pipe - but then I have recently drained and refilled, so unless it's a piece of susceptible pipework...
5. some wierd combination of the above!
Are there any non-intrusive tests I can do - ideally without lifting floorboards & too much carpet!
Cheers - and apols for long post!
whitling2k
One of my radiators is not working and I wonder if anyone has any tips for trouble shooting & resolving? Basically it doesn't get very hot - but does get mildly warm at the top of the radiator.
What have I tried already?
- switched off most other radiators to focus the flow through those remaining - and this one acted exactly the same - the others felt like they were going to melt!
- because of the above - I don't think my boiler is under-rated, and there seems plenty of flow.
- it's 2nd or 3rd in line from the boiler out of about 20 rads - most of which are fine.
- my boiler pressure is 1 1/4 bar when cold, rising to about 1 3/4 bar.
- the flow pipe into the radiator gets red hot - but the return never feels more than luke warm.
- I have recently drained and refilled the system for unrelated work - the radiator had the problem before the refilling which makes me think it's not an airlock - and also makes me doubt it's a sludge - the radiator wouldn't have emptied otherwise
I rekon it's one of the following - but wondered if how to determine which - or if there is something I am overlooking.
1. faulty TRV (when I take the TRV off and press the button, it does start/stop the flow - but still could be partially blocked)
2. faulty lockshield/balancing valve - as above. opening it wide did warm the rad a tiny bit - but I am not sure if I felt it because I wanted to!
3. blocked radiator/pipes with gunk - stopping the heating water flowing through - but then why did it drain down OK?
4. airlock - as above, probably in the return pipe - but then I have recently drained and refilled, so unless it's a piece of susceptible pipework...
5. some wierd combination of the above!
Are there any non-intrusive tests I can do - ideally without lifting floorboards & too much carpet!
Cheers - and apols for long post!
whitling2k