'Ladder' type heated towel rail not working

[SiBarnett]

Hi everyone

Would be grateful for any advice/help you may be able to offer me. I have a heated bathroom 'ladder' type towel rail, that is now not getting hot.

The only sign of life is that one of the valves at the bottom gets warm, but the heat doesnt seem to be feeding past this valve. I have tried turning valves this way and that (I am ignorant when it comes to plumbing!) but nothing seems to be working. Im not even sure which of the two valves on either side at the bottom of the rail, does what - or even which way to turn them on and off.

you can see I need help!

Many thanks

 

[quality]

Try unscrewing them (at the bottom) both anti clockwise then bleed air from the top (little square thing) again unscrewing clockwise until water comes out then screw clock wise to stop water

 

[moony]

more likely to be air in rad if its been getting hot before and you havent touched the valves.

bleed rad via vent at the top.

 

[SiBarnett]

grateful for your reply, but I have tried to 'bleed' the radiator, but there is no air trapped evidently (water comes out immediately).

So I have both bottom valves turned 'open' i.e. anti-clockwise and still no heat. Just to alay my ignorance, when talking about opeing the valves, I am removing the lockshield (which I think is just for asthetics) and turning the centre spindle?

Sorry, grateful for both of your 'replies' now! But yes, it was hot before, and I havent touched the valves.....

 

[quality]

Try and turn other rads of upstairs to start with maybe all of the (upstairs)

then turn them back on as its probably just air locked and needs priming again

 

[moony]

could be numerous things then.

system needs balancing
pump faulty
blockage in pipe work

basically need a plumber pal

 

[SiBarnett]

ok thanks chaps

 

[WHPES]

Turn all the other rads off and see if it pushes air out of the system and the rad gets hot.

 

[Sandy M]

I tried this and it worked!! Thank you - first time I have tried to do anything other than bleed a radiator

 

[Dan]

I'm just bumping this thread for no particular reason. If it isn't a current topic, don't worry about it, just ignore it and it'll move off the forum list before long. If it is a topic you'd like to reply to though, go ahead.

 

[DIYMum]

Hi everyone

I have a ladder style towel rail which no longer gets hot. It is on a secondary system and so I guess radiators in the house are on another system and won't have any impact on the towel rail. Any advice gratefully received i really can't afford a plumber to come out!

 

[Stoney Ground]

Hi everyone

I have a ladder style towel rail which no longer gets hot. It is on a secondary system and so I guess radiators in the house are on another system and won't have any impact on the towel rail. Any advice gratefully received i really can't afford a plumber to come out!

Have you vented it, checked valves are open.

Is it on the hot water side of the system, so only works when hot water tank is heating up.

 

[DIYMum]

Have you vented it, checked valves are open.

Is it on the hot water side of the system, so only works when hot water tank is heating up.

Hi, many thanks for your response. Yes I have bled the radiator, I wasn't sure what way the valves need to be for it to be open and wondered if someone else had turned it off so checked against another in the house which was getting a bit warm, it nit as hot as it used to but now I seem to have messed that one up and it now also won't get hot whichever way the valves the set!

 

[Stoney Ground]

Turn the valve anti-clockwise fully open, then back a 1/4 turn to stop it jamming.

Check which pipe gets hotter first, that is the flow, are their thermostatic valves on these.

 

[Dan]

You'll find more up to date threads than this in the main Pluming Forum. But I'm reply to this so we bump it up the list and get the pages indexed correctly because of the new update we've had. So just ignore this if it's all old news.

If you do reply, keep it polite and professional. You can disagree with the above posts, and just be professional with your reply.