One for the plumber fraternity

[GreiginFife]

Now that the weather is turning cols, I have found some rooms in the house to be a bit... parky.

Found that the radiators in these rooms are only what you would describe as warm whilst the inlets are hot. Other radiators in the house are proper hot at both the panel and the inlet.

I have tried bleeding them but there is no air in there. They are cold at the bottom and warm at the top.

What to do before it's a call to the local plumbshack?

Cheers

 

[CliveW]

Search you tube for balancing central heating.

 

[LIG]

Not a plumber, just a tale of the same situation resolved, that I remember to this day.

We had 4 rads hot and 1 cold and 3 "warm on top and cold at bottom". Plumber came and shut off all except one of the cool ones and waited. Within minutes was red hot. Did the same for the other two cool ones and finally the cold one. Took him less than 30 mins from walking in the door to driving off. £70 please sir!

I've done that myself twice since ( in different houses) and it generally works a treat.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Not a plumber, just a tale of the same situation resolved, that I remember to this day.

We had 4 rads hot and 1 cold and 3 "warm on top and cold at bottom". Plumber came and shut off all except one of the cool ones and waited. Within minutes was red hot. Did the same for the other two cool ones and finally the cold one. Took him less than 30 mins from walking in the door to driving off. £70 please sir!

I've done that myself twice since ( in different houses) and it generally works a treat.

Dont forget you're paying for what he knows, not only what he does

 

[clubchamp98]

Sludge in the rads .
By turning them all off and running one rad at a time for 10/15 mins the water force is greater so may flush it out.
If it dosnt work you will need to remove the rad and flush it out with a hose.
Check you tube lots on there.

 

[GreiginFife]

Sludge in the rads .
By turning them all off and running one rad at a time for 10/15 mins the water force is greater so may flush it out.
If it dosnt work you will need to remove the rad and flush it out with a hose.
Check you tube lots on there.

3 of the rads are new. The sludge would need to be in the pipework. Tried "balancing" but it hasn't solved the problem. Would happily pay £70 for a resolution.

 

[williamalex1]

There could still be an airlock somewhere. Did you try turning the rads that were warm completely off, and see what happens

 

[clubchamp98]

3 of the rads are new. The sludge would need to be in the pipework. Tried "balancing" but it hasn't solved the problem. Would happily pay £70 for a resolution.

What’s new a year /6 months.
When was the water last changed ?did they use an inhibitor.
The water must be running for them to be hot at the top,
Sediment in the water can collect in the rads this is usually the ones furthest from the boiler but not always.
A power flush may be needed but this is expensive.

 

[GreiginFife]

All 3 are less than a month old. Water was drained from the system completely and refilled using inhibitor.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

When I had a new boiler fitted, I had a powerflush done. I couldnt believe the amount of crap that came out.

 

[williamalex1]

Colonic irrigation flushes everything out

 

[clubchamp98]

All 3 are less than a month old. Water was drained from the system completely and refilled using inhibitor.

Get the fitter back !
It could be an airlock
Flushing one at a time may force the airlock out, but if there hot at the top then the water must be flowing.

 

[GreiginFife]

No airlock as water flows through if you open the drain out valve.

Its doing my head in.

 

[LIG]

On the side of our current pump is a setting switch; low/med/high. Ours is on low as new pump fitted only a couple of years ago but plumbe rdid say that the correct setting depends on the system design and age. You could try a higher setting ........ but I defer to the professionals.

AFAIK the higher setting uses a little more leccy; can check how much with a smart meter if you have one.

HTH

 

[jim8flog]

All 3 are less than a month old. Water was drained from the system completely and refilled using inhibitor.

If you did not have some sort of flush done of the whole system when the new rads were fitted the sludge will just move from another part of the system to the new rads.

I fitted several new rads last year and it took quite some time to get the airlocks out of one part of the system.

As a first start I would go with want others have said. Work out which rad is the first, the second etc turn all rads except the first off ensuring that one is air bled completely. Turn that one off go to the next etc etc. Turn the first one back on then the second etc.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Long shot, but do you have thermostatic rad valves? If you do are they the older directional flows type or the newer either flow type (by that I mean flow and return?)

 

[GreiginFife]

So it looks like it just needs balancing. I will get someone in as, frankly, I don't have the time nor inclination to do it.

If I shut down all other TRVs except the "target" radiator then the target one gets hot. Open the valves again through and it returns to "normal". So doesn't seem like sludge as water is getting around the system, Pump is set to 2 (recommended for 8 rads) and none of the TRV pins are sticking.

Thanks all for advice and suggestions.

 

[clubchamp98]

So it looks like it just needs balancing. I will get someone in as, frankly, I don't have the time nor inclination to do it.

If I shut down all other TRVs except the "target" radiator then the target one gets hot. Open the valves again through and it returns to "normal". So doesn't seem like sludge as water is getting around the system, Pump is set to 2 (recommended for 8 rads) and none of the TRV pins are sticking.

Thanks all for advice and suggestions.

Might be faulty radiators .
This does happen ?

 

[chrisd]

I had a rad that wouldn't get hot and it turned out to be the pin that is pushed down by the thermostatic control knob, it was stuck. A quick loosen and it was fine, good for Utube

 

[GreiginFife]

Might be faulty radiators .
This does happen ?

One I could possibly buy, 2 hmmm, 3... I think it's a balance issue. They also all work in isolation.

Someone coming out Monday to do the work. Should be no more than £60.