Plumbing Help: Cold Radiator

[ChristianZS]

One of the radiators upstairs has been stone cold for godknows how long.

What is the first check to be done on the rad?

Ta

C

[bazking69]

Are the pipes in and out hot?
Have you bled it?

[ChristianZS]

bazking69 said:

Are the pipes in and out hot?
Have you bled it?

Pipes are stone cold, I have not bled it yet.

[illmonkey]

ChristianZS said:

bazking69 said:

Are the pipes in and out hot?
Have you bled it?

Pipes are stone cold, I have not bled it yet.

Check the man draw for the bleed key.

Edited by illmonkey on Monday 29th December 11:20

[MrV]

Taking it as read that you have bled it ?

Sounds like you need to balance your system full how to do it in the link


http://www.diydata.com/projects/centralheating/bal...

Edited by MrV on Monday 29th December 11:21

[ChristianZS]

illmonkey said:

ChristianZS said:

bazking69 said:

Are the pipes in and out hot?
Have you bled it?

Pipes are stone cold, I have not bled it yet.

Check the man draw for the bleed key.

Edited by illmonkey on Monday 29th December 11:20

Its the M-I-L's house. 3women, no man drawer, The only tools they have is a PINK toolbox containing Panel Pins and a pink hammer.

MrV said:

Taking it as read that you have bleed it ?

Sounds like you need to balance your system full how to do it in the link


http://www.diydata.com/projects/centralheating/bal...

I have not bled it yet I will look at those guides!

Ta!

[illmonkey]

ChristianZS said:

illmonkey said:

ChristianZS said:

bazking69 said:

Are the pipes in and out hot?
Have you bled it?

Pipes are stone cold, I have not bled it yet.

Check the man draw for the bleed key.

Edited by illmonkey on Monday 29th December 11:20

Its the M-I-L's house. 3women, no man drawer, The only tools they have is a PINK toolbox containing Panel Pins and a pink hammer.

MrV said:

Taking it as read that you have bleed it ?

Sounds like you need to balance your system full how to do it in the link


http://www.diydata.com/projects/centralheating/bal...

I have not bled it yet I will look at those guides!

Ta!

Get it from your man draw then.

[Festive Ferg]

It's unlikely to need bleeding unless the radiator is cold at the top and maybe middle, but hot at the bottom.
First thing is to make sure the valves are both open, then I'd go and close ALL the other radiators, check the hot water is off on the programmer and it *should* shift any air 'round and get it working.
Stuck TRV is a big posibility if it's been like it a while.... take the head off and check the pin is moveable up and down.

[Vee]

If it doesn't need bleeding, does it have a thermostatic valve at one end ?
If so the pin could be stuck, expecially if it was turned off over summer.
Unscrew the valve head to expose the pin.
With the side of a flat blade screwdriver carefully put pressure on the pin. It should be able to be pushed down freely and it should spring back up itself.

[ChristianZS]

Vee said:

If it doesn't need bleeding, does it have a thermostatic valve at one end ?
If so the pin could be stuck, expecially if it was turned off over summer.
Unscrew the valve head to expose the pin.
With the side of a flat blade screwdriver carefully put pressure on the pin. It should be able to be pushed down freely and it should spring back up itself.

It does have one of those variable valve thingys on the end.. Does the pretty housing part just pop off to expose the metal valve then?

[Festive Ferg]

Yes, either unscrews via a big chrome ring or sometimes lever off if they are a cheap one. What make is it?

[jkennyd]

You cant beat a wee tap on the valve with a hammer to free the valve.

[Vipers]

Vee said:

If it doesn't need bleeding, does it have a thermostatic valve at one end ?
If so the pin could be stuck, expecially if it was turned off over summer.
Unscrew the valve head to expose the pin.
With the side of a flat blade screwdriver carefully put pressure on the pin. It should be able to be pushed down freely and it should spring back up itself.

Yes it should spring up, but if the thermostat is stuck off, ie no hot water passing, you will need to get a pair of pliers, grab the pin, and pull it UP.

When you close off a thermostat, it pushes the pin DOWN.

Edited by Vipers on Monday 29th December 12:50

[Festive Ferg]

Vipers said:

Yes it should spring up, but if the thermostat is stuck off, ie no hot water passing, you will need to get a pair of pliers, grab the pin, and pull it UP.

In fairness, that very rarely works since the valves that generally stick have pins which bear on the jumper but aren't actually attached. It's quite esay to pull that pin up and take it right out without the jumper moving in the valve. The idea of pushing it DOWN is that the rubber on the jumper distorts enough to release it and allow it to spring up. Rather like opening a stuck drain-off by closing it very tightly first.

[Vipers]

Festive Ferg said:

Vipers said:

Yes it should spring up, but if the thermostat is stuck off, ie no hot water passing, you will need to get a pair of pliers, grab the pin, and pull it UP.

In fairness, that very rarely works since the valves that generally stick have pins which bear on the jumper but aren't actually attached. It's quite esay to pull that pin up and take it right out without the jumper moving in the valve. The idea of pushing it DOWN is that the rubber on the jumper distorts enough to release it and allow it to spring up. Rather like opening a stuck drain-off by closing it very tightly first.

Lost me there, my bathroom one often sticks when the stat has been turned for a while, like summer months, and the pin is stuck down. I have to pull it up with a pair of pliers, and put a bit of WD40 on it, and work it a few times. Once I have pulled it up, it will normally push down easily and springs up again.

Maybe some stats are different, thats how my one works anyway.

[King Herald]

Is the manual valve on the other end open?

[Festive Ferg]

Vipers said:

Maybe some stats are different, thats how my one works anyway.

Yep. They do differ, yours is quite unusual.

[Bad-Gerbil]

whatever you do, don't "pull" the pin out, as I did one year.
It doesn't go back properly.
BG

[Vipers]

Festive Ferg said:

Vipers said:

Maybe some stats are different, thats how my one works anyway.

Yep. They do differ, yours is quite unusual.

That makes sense then, I had a sneeky we were both right with our different views. Mine are probably cheepo ones.