Help please - 2 radiators not working

Fruball

Hi - I am really hoping someone can help me out with this...

Sorry it's a bit long...

Basically 2 rads aren't working.

I had a new boiler fitted 18 months ago (normal not combi) and had thermostatic valves fitted to all but one rad (the hallway one as they said they needed one that wasn't fitted with a valve).

This evening my gas went off (stupid pre-pay meter that my ex tenant put in and they won't change) so I had to reset the boiler.

Since then 2 rads won't work - the living room one (with thermostatic valve) and the hall one (without valve)... I have tried bleeding all the downstairs rads and that doesn't seem to be the problem...

Now the kitchen one isn't working either but it was earlier - so all 3 upstairs ones are fine but 3 downstairs not... they were all fine yesterday.

Any ideas please - I really can't afford to get a plumber in atm

eta - I switched off the boiler and the main thermostat and left them for a few minutes before re-setting the boiler and stat... Now it is only the living room rad that is cold... but the pipe leading to it is hot... Kitchen and hall rads very nice and hot!

Maybe with luck and a prayer, the living room one will come on?....

Alias_Omega

We had 2 radiators that would not get hot, not even the pipes on the supply or return legs. We had to bleed them.

We would turn one side of the radiator off, and bleed it until the pipes / radiator went hot. Closed that side of the rad off, and did the same with the other side. You could feel the hot water coming down the pipes.

southcoastrgi

sounds like it's not balanced properly or you have air in the pipework, turn off the upstairs rads & the downstairs ones hopefully will start to work leave the upstairs off for 30 mins then turn them back on & hopefully it should all work

Fruball

Thank you so much both of you - I have done what you both said and the living room rad is now heating up!

I really, really appreciate the advice

Alias_Omega

Glad you have it sorted.

Just ensure you restore the system pressure once the system was bled, and dont bleed the system with the pump running like Mrs AO did. This was probably the cause of the airlock in the pipework.

Fruball

Alias_Omega wrote: »

Glad you have it sorted.

Just ensure you restore the system pressure once the system was bled, and dont bleed the system with the pump running like Mrs AO did. This was probably the cause of the airlock in the pipework.

Should I not bleed the rads when the heating is on then? I didn't know that

What do you mean "restore the system pressure"? How do I do that?

...and thanks again x

Alias_Omega

http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/central-heating/heating-air-lock.html

Fruball

You are a star - thank you for your help.

One very, very relieved MSE'r x