Funny noise from radiator, Help Please.

[alvynmcq]

Hi,
This morning we started to get a noise that sounds like running water in a radiator in our house. Its just one radiator giving off the noise, can anyone advise what this may be?

Thanks for any help.

Alvyn

[chuckles1066]

Hi,
This morning we started to get a noise that sounds like running water in a radiator in our house. Its just one radiator giving off the noise, can anyone advise what this may be?

Thanks for any help.

Alvyn

airlock? sludge buildup?

try bleeding the radiator and see if that helps

[alvynmcq]

Can i bleed the radiator myself? If so any advice on how i could go about it?

Alvyn

[penrhyn]

Easy job, thought you need a radiator key, (any DIY store sells them).
If you look at the end of the radiator, at the top, you will see a small square headed screw on one side.
Get a cloth to catch any water and slowly unscrew it, but only until you get a hiss of air, when this stops and you get a a spirt of water tighten it up again. Job done.

I have seen some newer radiators that have a slotted head that you can use a screwdriver on.

Also its best to have the pump of while bleeding the rad.

[alvynmcq]

Thanks, looks like we have one of the newer ones, so will try a screwdriver on it.

Thanks again.

Alvyn.

[kenshaz]

turn your pump to a lower setting,and balance your system ,ie turn some radiators slightly down ,you might also have vents to bleed the system in your loft or cylinder cupboard,also put a cleaner and inhibitor into the header tank for your heating system(the small tank )in addition to venting each radiator.The above should re4move air and sludge,but the inhibitor and cleaner combined is expensive ,but worth it ,every-one should maintain their systems in that way

[alvynmcq]

I have bled the radiator in the bathroom and now none of the heaters upstairs are heating up. Should i bleed all the radiators, or have my wonderous diy skills broke something?

alvyn

[ceebee]

yes bleed them all.. it will save you money!

if they are warm at the bottom, and cold at the top (after the heating has been on for a while), then that is air at the top, and it should be water.

Don't forget to SWITCH THE PUMP OFF, before you bleed otherwise it is possible air could be 'sucked in' to the radiator(s).

[alvynmcq]

Thanks everyone for you help so far.

What is the pump? Does this mean just making sure the heating isnt on whilst bleeding?

Alvyn

[caveat_emptor]

Thanks everyone for you help so far.

What is the pump? Does this mean just making sure the heating isnt on whilst bleeding?

Alvyn
The circulation pump. Just turn the heating off before you bleed.

[plumb1]

Thanks everyone for you help so far.

What is the pump? Does this mean just making sure the heating isnt on whilst bleeding?

Alvyn

Just turn you system off while you vent the rads, then turn back on.

[alvynmcq]

Things seem to have gone from bad to very very bad. None of the radiators are heating now and we are getting no hot water. Maybe we should get a plumber in to look at it? Or is there something blindingly obvious wrong?

[alvynmcq]

The Pilot light has gone out, tried starting it again but it isnt starting.

[alvynmcq]

Wont spark at all, we have a new type boiler were we just push a button to start it up, but hitting the button is doing nothing.

[Doonhamer]

Switch it off and wait ten minutes, sometimes the pump runs on for a little while to stop the boiler from overheating. Bleed it then try running the heating with all the other radiatrs closed for a few minutes to give it a good clear out.

[alvynmcq]

The pump came on temporarily again, but seems to have died again.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[kenshaz]

The pump is the heart of the heating system ,it circulates the water,when you switch your heating off,you will in a normal system switch the PUMP off

[kenshaz]

The pump came on temporarily again, but seems to have died again.

Thanks everyone for your help.
keep it simply the pump might be going on and off according to the room thermostat,or the radiator thermostic valves,do not worry

[Doonhamer]

All of them except the one that is not working very well. If it was totally blocked you are right it would not be a good idea. I was assuming that at least some flow of water was going into the dodgy one.

[alvynmcq]

There dosent seem to be any water getting to any of the upstairs heaters, the downstairs ones were fine this morning, but still nothing heating upstairs. Plus when we try to heat the water it isnt heating now.

:confused:

[robnye]

the upstairs radiators wouldnt get hot if the pump isnt working.
whne you have switched on the heating, does

1) the boiler fire up? can you see it/hear
2) does the pump start? can you hear it? touch it... does it get hot?

if the boiler does start up, but the pump does, the pump will still push water around the heating pipes, hence, upstairs cold.
if the bolier is newish, check the manual out, sometimes (As already mentioned) switch the bolier to off and wait 10/15 minutes then try restarting (check what the manual says)

if you still have no luck, then you have no choice but to contact a plumber. possibly the same one that put the boiler in......

[alvynmcq]

The boiler has been in for about 2 years, so i assume it is new, the boiler is going ok, it came on this morning and the downstairs heaters all heated up ok, shall try turning the boiler off when i get home (after looking at the manual, just in case) :)

Thanks everyone.

[kenshaz]

If just the downstairs radiators are working sounds like your pump is defective and the system is gravity feeding the radiators that are on,but needs the pump to work the whole system

[alvynmcq]

We have started to think that we may have run out of water in the water tank? Does this sound plausible.

[kenshaz]

ball-valve may have stuck in the closed position

[alvynmcq]

Thanks everyone, i am off work tommorow, so i will get a chance to look at the roofspace bits and peices. Expect a lot of posts from me tommorow :)

Never met a more helpful bunch of people on the internet, thanks for everything, hopefuly i will be able to help some people in the computer section of the site.

[alvynmcq]

We have now noticed that there is no pressure in the system, looks like we need someone who knows about this stuff to look at it for us.

Thanks again everyone.

[alvynmcq]

Yep got it sorted. I shouldnt have bled the radiators and there was a water leak, had someone come out they represurised the system and fix the leak. So all warm in the house now.

Thanks again everyone for you help.

[penrhyn]

You said that you have had the system repressurised.
Does this mean that you have a Combi condensing boiler with a pressure gauge?
I only ask because I guess most people had assumed it was a conventional system.
The Combi systems generally have to have the pressure kept at a minimum of 1bar, and include a filling loop to top up the water when the pressure drops.

Pleased to here its sorted now.