Bleeding Radiators Without A Valve
Discussion
I moved into a rented house over the summer and now it's getting chilly I booted the heating up to bleed the radiators and test everything. One of the radiators however doesn't appear to have a bleed valve, and has a lot of air inside as only the bottom inch seems to be warm. All the other radiators have valves (one had a huge amount of air in) but this one in the bathroom has me stumped.
It's a normal looking radiator but with a towel hanger / dryer plumbed into it, and the top corners where a bleed valve normally is just have metal caps flush with the metalwork. (They are painted over so not sure if I can prise them off but they feel like the brass types I've seen before screwed into place to act as blanking caps). Looking on the internet people are talking about having the bleed valves on the back of the radiator, but I've checked all over it and there's nothing there - so as far as I can see there's no way to bleed it.
Does anyone have any pointers on what I can do with this? I'd like to get the air out of it somehow...
It's a normal looking radiator but with a towel hanger / dryer plumbed into it, and the top corners where a bleed valve normally is just have metal caps flush with the metalwork. (They are painted over so not sure if I can prise them off but they feel like the brass types I've seen before screwed into place to act as blanking caps). Looking on the internet people are talking about having the bleed valves on the back of the radiator, but I've checked all over it and there's nothing there - so as far as I can see there's no way to bleed it.
Does anyone have any pointers on what I can do with this? I'd like to get the air out of it somehow...
Maybe they forgot to take out the blanking plate at the top and put the bleed valve in when the rad was installed? Pop into a local plumber and get the right size bleed screw bit and swap over? If you're very brave and quick, you can probably do it without turning the water off. But you have got to be both quick and very brave.
BlueHave said:
All radiators have valves, it's up the rear somewhere
No, they really don't. I have one in my cloak room, only a small one, that has no valve to bleed it with.Thankfully it seems hot to the top whenever I've checked it.
I've just wandered through to double check before I get called out and custard tested... it doesn't even have the points to fit a valve. It's about 2 foot tall by 2 foot wide with nothing at the top, either on the sides or at the back to bleed it.
Maybe it was supposed to have been mounted sideways or upside down, but there's definitely no bleed point(s).
Laurel Green said:
If it is on the back it will probably have a plastic cap over it; running one's fingers along the back should find it to be slight button like.
Is this for me?Honestly, I know I'm capable of being a spacker at the best of times, but I can promise you there is NO bleed mechanism at the top of the radiator. I've fitted plenty of radiators over the years in several of my houses, I know what a radiator looks like and this one does NOT have a bleed screw.
As I said, I can only assume someone has bought something that was designed for some kind of strange fitment and used it as a 'normal' radiator.
Feck me, I can't believe I'm doing this, but the radiator is picture below. Tell me where the bleed screw is!
eldar said:
Laurel Green said:
If it is on the back it will probably have a plastic cap over it; running one's fingers along the back should find it to be slight button like.
Check the bottom, as well. Possibly fitted upside down.You can just about see what I 'found' in the behind photo above!
What's the little blob at the top of the 2nd pic, on the back of the rad? It could be an auto bleed valve cover, OR, that is where the bleed valve should have been fitted, but it missed out getting one at the factory?
OP post your rad - my mum has one like the one above, but with a towel rail plumbed in to hang in front of it - came like that from the factory. You have to crack a compression joint loose to bleed it.
But if the towel rail is above the rad, and I presume you have looked everywhere - I'm stuck!
No BIG brass plug, about 3/4" wide, at the top? That's how you have to bleed a mate's towel rad.
OP post your rad - my mum has one like the one above, but with a towel rail plumbed in to hang in front of it - came like that from the factory. You have to crack a compression joint loose to bleed it.
But if the towel rail is above the rad, and I presume you have looked everywhere - I'm stuck!
No BIG brass plug, about 3/4" wide, at the top? That's how you have to bleed a mate's towel rad.
ColinM50 said:
But he says he's checked BBD and there's no valve. So what are you? Psychic. If there's no valve, he's got to fit one, OK I accept changing the valve while the water's on might be unwise, but it's not a rubbish suggestion
Turn both rad valves off, then there'll be no harm in messing around undoing random caps or screws with the heating on.Piersman2 said:
Feck me, I can't believe I'm doing this, but the radiator is picture below. Tell me where the bleed screw is!
It should be here:
Maybe it was missed out for some reason.
I know you said it works OK, but if necessary, self tapping bleed valves are available: http://www.easibleed.co.uk/
Edited by Sheepshanks on Monday 10th October 20:15
ColinM50 said:
But he says he's checked BBD and there's no valve. So what are you? Psychic. If there's no valve, he's got to fit one, OK I accept changing the valve while the water's on might be unwise, but it's not a rubbish suggestion
Then he has not checked properly...I don't need psychic powers fella I have run a plumbing / heating business for 35 years. What experience did you say you had ? Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff