The DIY thread

[Delphinho123]

Any decent plumbers out there? Figured I’d ask the Villatalk community for help.
 

A couple of my radiators are cold and I can’t figure out why. The pin inside the thermostatic valves are knackered I think as they don’t spring up and down and rather just move in and out. That might well be the problem, but the pipes to those radiators in particular are also cold, almost like there is no water running to them. 

Would a faulty valve be the problem here? I always assumed the pipes would still be hot even if the valve was knackered and just the radiators would be cold. 

Any thoughts welcome!

[Seat68]

5 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Any decent plumbers out there? Figured I’d ask the Villatalk community for help.
 

A couple of my radiators are cold and I can’t figure out why. The pin inside the thermostatic valves are knackered I think as they don’t spring up and down and rather just move in and out. That might well be the problem, but the pipes to those radiators in particular are also cold, almost like there is no water running to them. 

Would a faulty valve be the problem here? I always assumed the pipes would still be hot even if the valve was knackered and just the radiators would be cold. 

Any thoughts welcome!

Hot water ok? Do you have a combi boiler? Is it all radiators?

[ChrisVillan]

#notallradiators

[Delphinho123]

11 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

Hot water ok? Do you have a combi boiler? Is it all radiators?

No mate, separated gas and water. So boiler only looking after radiators. Boiler fires up fine. Most radiators get good heat. 

Just these problem couple! If the Valves are knackered, fine, I’ll replace them but like I say, I thought the pipes to and from them would be hot regardless of Valve. 

Frustrating! (Thanks for messaging back though). UTV!

[Seat68]

1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said:

No mate, separated gas and water. So boiler only looking after radiators. Boiler fires up fine. Most radiators get good heat. 

Just these problem couple! If the Valves are knackered, fine, I’ll replace them but like I say, I thought the pipes to and from them would be hot regardless of Valve. 

Frustrating! (Thanks for messaging back though). UTV!

So just so I am straight. A couple of radiators and the pipe to them are cold. Other radiators are fine. Are they on the same run, are these radiators linked and if so are any other radiators on the run ok? 
My question effectively is rad fine, pipe fine, rad cold, pipe cold, rad cold, pipe cold. End of the radiator run. 

[Delphinho123]

3 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

So just so I am straight. A couple of radiators and the pipe to them are cold. Other radiators are fine. Are they on the same run, are these radiators linked and if so are any other radiators on the run ok? 
My question effectively is rad fine, pipe fine, rad cold, pipe cold, rad cold, pipe cold. End of the radiator run. 

Argh mate, I don’t know if they’re on the same run. I’d assume a couple of the rads are on the same run as a rad that is working. They’re dotted around the house you see, no real pattern to the ones that don’t work, if that makes sense? 

I assume what you’re getting at is a blockage in the run at a certain point stopping the radiators after the blockage from getting hot? 

 

[Seat68]

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

Argh mate, I don’t know if they’re on the same run. I’d assume a couple of the rads are on the same run as a rad that is working. They’re dotted around the house you see, no real pattern to the ones that don’t work, if that makes sense? 

I assume what you’re getting at is a blockage in the run at a certain point stopping the radiators after the blockage from getting hot? 

 

My guess is an air blockage of some description. Thats a guess

[Delphinho123]

4 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

My guess is an air blockage of some description. Thats a guess

Ok mate, and how to get rid, power flush the system? One person I spoke to said replace all rads that are cold. Seems a bit of overkill? Surely the rads are fine and it’s just the valve or a blockage? 

[fruitvilla]

4 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Ok mate, and how to get rid, power flush the system? One person I spoke to said replace all rads that are cold. Seems a bit of overkill? Surely the rads are fine and it’s just the valve or a blockage? 

Depending on the type you may have a valve/key to bleed the radiator of air. At least it used to be like that.

Are they stone cold ... you should get a little bit of convective heat from the hot water?

Edited March 18, 2021 by fruitvilla

[Delphinho123]

7 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

Depending on the type you may have a valve/key to bleed the radiator of air. At least it used to be like that.

Are they stone cold ... you should get a little bit of convective heat from the hot water?

Stone cold mate. Whilst all the others seem fine. 

I can try and bleed them tomorrow. 

[Genie]

Maybe turn the hot rads down / off to see if it works? We had a rad in our old house in the conservatory that had been tagged onto the circuit. It never got hot unless I turned the rads upstairs right down.

[Delphinho123]

38 minutes ago, Genie said:

Maybe turn the hot rads down / off to see if it works? We had a rad in our old house in the conservatory that had been tagged onto the circuit. It never got hot unless I turned the rads upstairs right down.

Tried it mate, got nothing. Turned all rads off except ones that didn’t work and still nothing. 

[Genie]

14 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Tried it mate, got nothing. Turned all rads off except ones that didn’t work and still nothing. 

Not ideal then, maybe some kind of air lock. Crank up the temp and bleed them all. Make sure the boiler pressure is up high enough, it’ll drop as you take air out. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Genie

[Delphinho123]

6 hours ago, Genie said:

Not ideal then, maybe some kind of air lock. Crank up the temp and bleed them all. Make sure the boiler pressure is up high enough, it’ll drop as you take air out. 

I’m going to isolate the rads in question this morning by switching both valves to off, bleed them, and then turn the TRV back on to see if any water comes through. I’m guessing if it doesn’t, there is a blockage somewhere or the Valve is faulty. If it does, well, god knows. 

[blandy]

2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

I’m going to isolate the rads in question this morning by switching both valves to off, bleed them, and then turn the TRV back on to see if any water comes through. I’m guessing if it doesn’t, there is a blockage somewhere or the Valve is faulty. If it does, well, god knows. 

Don’t do that. The valves need to be open to bleed them properly. They need to fill with water. And they won’t do that if the valves are shut.! Because they’re completely cold you can do this:  you don’t need the heating on -edit - in fact it’s safer if it’s off, because no scalding hot water to worry about-  get your bleed key and bleed every radiator. I always start upstairs with the one nearest to my boiler ( which is also upstairs). If your boiler is downstairs, start upstairs with the one furthest from the boiler. Make sure you have a cloth or sponge and a pint glass or small pot or pan for the water to shoot out into. You’ll need the cloth to wipe up. So gently GRADUALLY turn open the bleed nipple. You’ll either get a hissing as air starts to exit, or water or both. You need to get it to water only coming out. No hissing, just a jet of clear water. Once that’s happening shut the bleed nipple. 
go to the boiler next. Check the water pressure on the gauge. Top it up to 1 bar if necessary.

go to the next radiator. Bleed it as above.

do every rad in the house. No rads should be isolated while your doing it. - you need to get all the air out, if a rad is isolated any air in it the air will be able to hide safe in it.

It sounds like (if air is the problem) you will need to top up the water pressure at the boiler more than once. Look up how to do this for your boiler. It’s very simple, usually a matter of opening and closing taps next to or under the combi boiler. Google it if you are unsure or have no boiler manual.

once you’ve bleed all the rads, topped the pressure back turn on the heating, check the rads all get hot. That’s it. Feel like a champion.

listen, also the water should be clear. If it’s black there’s another task to do. Next level DIY god, but easy. Report back @Delphinho123.

make sure the bleed nipples are closed tight each time you’ve done a rad.

[Seat68]

5 minutes ago, blandy said:

Don’t do that. The valves need to be on to bleed them properly. They need to fill with water. And they won’t do that if the valves are shut.! Because they’re completely cold you can do this:  you don’t need the heating on - get your bleed key and bleed every radiator. I always start upstairs with the one nearest to my boiler ( which is also upstairs). If your boiler is downstairs, start upstairs with the one furthest from the boiler. Make sure you have a cloth or sponge and a pint glass or small pot or pan for the water to shoot out into. You’ll need the cloth to wipe up. So gently GRADUALLY turn open the bleed nipple. You’ll either get a hissing as air starts to exit, or water or both. You need to get it to water only coming out. No hissing, just a jet of clear water. Once that’s happening shut the bleed nipple. 
go to the boiler next. Check the water pressure on the gauge. Top it up to 1 bar if necessary.

go to the next radiator. Bleed it as above.

do every rad in the house. No rads should be isolated while your doing it. - you need to get all the air out, if a rad is isolated any air in it the air will be able to hide safe in it.

It sounds like (if air is the problem) you will need to top up the water pressure at the boiler more than once. Look up how to do this for your boiler. It’s very simple, usually a matter of opening and closing taps next to or under the combi boiler. Google it if you are unsure or have no boiler manual.

once you’ve bleed all the rads, topped the pressure back turn on the heating, check the rads all get hot. That’s it. Feel like a champion.

listen, also the water should be clear. If it’s black there’s another task to do. Next level DIY god, but easy. Report back @Delphinho123.

make sure the bleed nipples are closed tight each time you’ve done a rad.

Pressure is often overlooked. The boiler can be new or old and still drop pressure. Great post blandy, great detail on bleeding radiators. Taught me a thing or two. 

[blandy]

2 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

Pressure is often overlooked. The boiler can be new or old and still drop pressure. Great post blandy, great detail on bleeding radiators. Taught me a thing or two. 

Thanks Pete. I’ve had quite a lot of practice .

I should have mentioned that if the boiler isn’t a combi, but is an old type, then the process is a step simpler  but @Delphinho123 didn’t say, or I missed it.

 

[Delphinho123]

41 minutes ago, blandy said:

Thanks Pete. I’ve had quite a lot of practice .

I should have mentioned that if the boiler isn’t a combi, but is an old type, then the process is a step simpler  but @Delphinho123 didn’t say, or I missed it.

 

It’s not a Combi mate. 

[blandy]

12 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

It’s not a Combi mate. 

Old style job then? That makes it easier. The boiler pressure part is done by mains water pressure and gravity, so you can miss out the stuff about going to the boiler and topping up the pressure back to 1 bar.

where do you get hot water from

11 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

No mate, separated gas and water. So boiler only looking after radiators

Is....confusing

[Delphinho123]

30 minutes ago, blandy said:

Old style job then? That makes it easier. The boiler pressure part is done by mains water pressure and gravity, so you can miss out the stuff about going to the boiler and topping up the pressure back to 1 bar.

where do you get hot water from

Is....confusing

So bleed all the radiators to the point water comes out, and the boiler will repressurise itself? 

I’m not at the house now but this morning, one of the radiators that wasn’t working now has the pipe getting hot. Rad is still cold but at least the pipe isn’t! I’m going to bleed all the radiators at lunchtime and I will report back. Two of them seem dead to be honest. Just ice cold. And pipes to them cold too.

Will report back later!