Radiator sprung a leak - help... :(

martyp

Hi all,

This afternoon the small radiator in the hallway made a pop with two jets of water springing from little holes in the front.
I have shut the water off but want to replace the radiator although can't find one the same size by the looks of things.
It's roughly 24.5 inches (622.3mm) wide and 23.5 inches (596.9mm) high. It was measured with a 6 inch ruler as couldn't find a tape measure at the time.
About 3 buckets worth of water and brown sludge came out before we figured out how to cut the water off to it...
Would it be an easy job to change it or does it need a plumber? Also, I wasn't sure about corrosion inhibitors etc? I've lived in the house 5 years and haven't done anything with the central heating myself, unsure about previous occupants...
The central heating system is probably about the age of the house (20 years).

Please can someone advise what to do as I'm worried it could be complicated if I can only get a wider or thinner radiator as a replacement?

Many thanks in advance...

welda

Mate of mine had a similar problem few year back, rad started leaking around bottom seam. He couldn't source replacement rad of same dimensions.

We did what you have done, isolated water at valves, I welded up corroded seam area, did a hydraulic test to about 5 bar, job was a good un, mate then took rad for powder coating, it looked brand new and, still does.

Worse case scenario, you can maybe look at similar repair if you can't find exact replacement rad?

Good luck n :beer:

Ps, you state rad popped, can you be more specific, top seam, spot weld??

bungle4by4

hate to mention it, but the brown sludge is corrosion, and all the radiators are probably the same age.

martyp

welda wrote: »

Ps, you state rad popped, can you be more specific, top seam, spot weld??

Many thanks welda, the two holes were in the bottom right corner of the radiator where it recesses in, about 3 inches from the bottom. One hole was about an inch or so above the other and you could see other potential holes (black spots) further up evenly spaced.

martyp

bungle4by4 wrote: »

hate to mention it, but the brown sludge is corrosion, and all the radiators are probably the same age.

Thanks bungle4by4, I must admit my central heating system is probably quite worn out. I'm a bit clueless about these things, it's one of those things you tend to not think about doing anything about until something suddenly goes wrong...

welda

martyp wrote: »

Many thanks welda, the two holes were in the bottom right corner of the radiator where it recesses in, about 3 inches from the bottom. One hole was about an inch or so above the other and you could see other potential holes (black spots) further up evenly spaced.

Reads like a couple of the spot welds have corroded. Still an easy repair if you have a fab shop near at hand, or local college may help?

A rad popping does not mean your system is past it's sell by date, we don't have x-ray eyes so it is nigh on impossible to see what is going on inside a system. My old system was open vented and oil fired, around every three year,I use to completey drain, flush out with fresh water, then refill. This was before power flushes and adding inhibitors. You can still do same with sealed system, of course this is a job for the summer!

:beer:

martyp

welda wrote: »

Reads like a couple of the spot welds have corroded. Still an easy repair if you have a fab shop near at hand, or local college may help?

A rad popping does not mean your system is past it's sell by date, we don't have x-ray eyes so it is nigh on impossible to see what is going on inside a system. My old system was open vented and oil fired, around every three year,I use to completey drain, flush out with fresh water, then refill. This was before power flushes and adding inhibitors. You can still do same with sealed system, of course this is a job for the summer!

:beer:

Thanks again welda, I did consider it possibly an oppurtunity to put in a double panel radiator instead if it might be more energy efficient. As it's in a fairly central place for airflow and heats the hallway, stairs and landing. My neighbour is a heating engineer and I asked him to have a quick look this evening which he kindly did. The boiler is a bit of a nightmare too (pressure way too high and doesn't seem to drop!) but that's working so I pretty much leave that as it is. He offered to swap the radiator out for me free of charge and would get back with a price so will see what he comes back with. I called around and was quoted about £30 which may be not far off the cost of somewhere doing the welding. I must admit I'm not too confident removing and reinstalling the radiator after reading about using ptfe tape and various tools etc. I think now with the option of having a friendly neighbourhood plumber I may go for the easy option if the price is right

WhiteHorse

Google Stelrad or other reputable brands to see what radiators cost and what types are available.

welda

Convenient and a result having a heating eng for a neighbour, it is best to replace and, as you mention, put in a double. Give him a hand and see how it's done, handy in the event of same in the future............hopefully not!!

Have a good Christmas and New Year...............:beer:

Ps, PTFE is your friend!

neilmcl

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Google Stelrad or other reputable brands to see what radiators cost and what types are available.

Myson is another popular make.

Owain_Moneysaver

martyp wrote: »

... The boiler is a bit of a nightmare too (pressure way too high and doesn't seem to drop!)

If it's a sealed system and the pressure is too high that may have encouraged the rad to pop.

If the holes are on flat sections, could a self-tapping screw with some plumbers mait be drilled into the hole to seal it?

Owain