One downstairs radiator not working

[ceebee]

Hi all hope you can help...

I have a Worcester Greenstar boiler upstairs. All radiators work other than one in the kitchen, downstairs. The feed pipe isn't hot. I have tried bleeding the radiator - no air or water comes out. The TRV valve pin works fine. The lockshield valve is fully open (I've tried turning it fully both ways and waiting, just in case, but the radiator nor the pipes ever get warm).

So I'm stuck. I'm wondering if it would be a pipe blockage? If so, how do I diagnose this and fix it? Or is there a chance the pipe is not connected up properly? I have no idea, I am a complete novice who learnt to check the above things through forums & youtube videos. Should I try flushing the radiator?

Please note that I moved into this house last year and this radiator has never worked at all. I just never got round to sorting it out over Winter and just stood extra close to the oven when I was in the kitchen!!

Any ideas would be welcome

 

[Rickster123]

Hi welcome to the forum! Have you tried shutting every other radiator off and just leaving the cold one on? It should clear a little air lock and problem solved.

 

[dontknowitall]

Probably a faulty trv.

 

[Simon F]

if you try the other suggestions and still no luck.
could it be closed somewhere else? iso valves fitted?
would try draining the rad flush it out and see if you get any water from each valve.

 

[lame plumber]

wouldnt want to do a boiler swap for you. Agree with advice given though

 

[happyflyer]

Probably a faulty trv.

Or the TRV valve pins is stuck down take the TRV top off and tap it with an old plumbers hammer

 

[ceebee]

Or the TRV valve pins is stuck down take the TRV top off and tap it with an old plumbers hammer

I already checked the TRV (unscrewed it, the pin moves up and down easily) and it's fine.

I tried APPlumbing's suggestion of shutting off all the other rads and leaving the affected one on. No heat in pipes or radiator after 2 hours so I guess it's not an air lock.

Next stop will be Simon F's suggestion of flushing the radiator and checking water comes out (when the weather improves - don't fancy standing in the garden in the rain with the hose!). Although I'm a total plumbing newbie so I don't know what iso valves are...

I bought the house last year after it was fully renovated - new pipes, new boiler, new radiators. Everything is fine apart from this one cheeky sod in the kitchen. I have the plumber's details who installed it all (he is Gas Safe registered and I have the certification from the boiler installation), so I can call him out but would prefer to explore other options before dishing out cash!

The reason I'm finally getting fed up is that I noticed what I think is a dripping noise coming from pipes around the boiler very occasionally and usually just as the heating comes on.
I checked the pressure gauge and it was just, only just, over 0bar! Not good. So I repressurised it, bled all rads in the house (which is when I realised no air/water from the kitchen rad), repressurised again to 1.5bar and decided I'd check if the kitchen rad finally decided to work - it hadn't. So I turned to the internet! Still not sure what the dripping noise is...

Thanks for help guys, I'll keep going until I get there. Might end up pulling up floorboards or calling the plumber, but another cold Winter of avoiding my kitchen isn't going to be an option!

 

[jfb]

In your explanation you said you opened the bleed valve and no air or water came out. If what you say here is right the air vent is blocked take it out and use a pin to unblock it, but do it when the water is cold and get ready to put pin back in. Shut the rad valves off while you do this but beware the trv may be passing make sure you do it when water in heating system is cold.

Other than this I agree with most of the advice. There are several other reasons for this problem and it is just a process of elimination do the easy things first like taking trv head off checking pipes for damage correct connection etc

 

[jase158]

are the pipes 15mm or 10/8 mm?

 

[mountainman]

Just because the pin on a TRV moves freely doesn't mean that the valve isn't jammed shut.

 

[ceebee]

Just because the pin on a TRV moves freely doesn't mean that the valve isn't jammed shut.

Thanks for info. How can I check for sure? Replace it with one I know is working? Sorry - I'm totally clueless about this!

 

[dontknowitall]

Thanks for info. How can I check for sure? Replace it with one I know is working? Sorry - I'm totally clueless about this!

That's about the only way. If you listen to the water flowing through and feel the heat, this might help too. (For example, if the pipe is hot but the only the bottom corner of the radiator is slightly warm this usually means the valve is faulty.) For £15 it's often worth the risk of draining/changing it.

 

[jam1979]

it could also be a bigger air lock than just bleeding it u could try shutting both rad valves off taking the bleed nipple out and putting a hose there and opening the rad valves to see if that will shift the air if it is that

 

[happyflyer]

This would take a plumber 10 mins to sort from walking in the house 14 posts is far to much

Put the TRV back on and close it tight off, get a spanner on the LS and turn it down fully clockwise, now carefully remove the air vent from the top of the rad with a spanner, take it off slowly if you feel there is pressure there , send for the plumber and stop messing, if the vent plug comes out and there is no water Ok,

Now get your Doris to hold a bucket under the air vent hole , BTW turn the heating off before you do all this and let it cool down, drowning is Ok but scalding is not.

No open the LS valve with a spanner and water should start to flow let the bucket fill up half way and shut the system off, is it tank fed you will be Ok, if its not you will need to top the system up.

Now do the same with the TRV open it up and fill the bucket half full, by now you will be able to come back for the second lesson in plumbing, if we don't here from you presumed drowned, be all this on your own head young man, if you are in any doubt get you hand in your pocket.


Tony

You are in a learning curve and it may hurt,

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

btw, is the lockshield open on other side of the rad?

 

[Simon F]

Next stop will be Simon F's suggestion of flushing the radiator and checking water comes out (when the weather improves - don't fancy standing in the garden in the rain with the hose!). Although I'm a total plumbing newbie so I don't know what iso valves are... .

unless the radiator is absolutely blocked water will flow through it with the hose, that is just to clean it.
what i meant is with the radiator removed you can then reopen each valve to see if you get water coming out.
you will then of identified which side is at fault.
the fact that you said you get nothing from the bleed screw made me think of other iso valves,
or there is a problem with both sides

 

[JW Heating]

Sounds a lot like its not connected or is isolated on BOTH pipes..

Thats more than an air lock IMO.. hope you get it sorted.

Keep us posted.

thanks

 

[happyflyer]

Sounds a lot like its not connected or is isolated on BOTH pipes..

Thats more than an air lock IMO.. hope you get it sorted.

Keep us posted.

thanks

You might be right but he hasn't convinced me about the TRV , when you take the head off the pin should spring up he said it moved freely you need to push a hammer shaft hard down to get one to move, may he means that is freely...

 

[dontknowitall]

Am I the only one thinking the OP might have drowned? lol :smile:

Hope he's okay cos he's been gone a while!

 

[Chipperssss]

Sounds to me like its not connected at all somewhere.
If its never worked since you have lived there then I would be removing floorboards and tracing back the pipes.
The dripping noise from around your boiler when it comes on is more than likely the pipes expanding through the wood and causing a tapping noise.
Wrap lag usually does the trick!

 

[happyflyer]

Jeez,

Is this still going on, hell leave it while winter now you don't need it, maybe one of us might just be driving past you and drop in for tea and fix it before the kettle's boiled