Cold chrome radiator towel rail

SallyD

Switched central heating on yesterday to find the chrome towel rail is cold. All radiators seem to be okay. I looked on U Tube about bleeding these type of rads - never had one before. I do have the two valves at the bottom on each side but at the top lefthand side when I have taken off the cap instead of seeing a bleed valve where one would place the rad key there is a 1" wide hexagonal bolt. Is this bolt, that I would need a spanner for, the bleed valve?
I did mention to the guy that fitted my bathroom a couple of years ago who is working on a house up the road that the rad is cold and he just said "bleed it" and offered me a loan of a rad key.......had my own so took my leave......I'd like to give it a go before I have to call anyone in.

Heating switched on this morning and rads seems okay, pressure is okay.

I appreciate any advice, suggestions.

Grenage

Got a picture?

casper_g

Sounds like there's just a blanking plug, no bleed valve. What about the top right?


But yes, a picture would help.

Zola.

Ours is on the top right, a small screwdriver or knife blade will open up the valve and if enough pressure built up it will hiss out, once it starts letting water out tighten it up again.

I need to do ours probably once or twice a year.

Grenage

Zola. wrote: »

Ours is on the top right, a small screwdriver or knife blade will open up the valve and if enough pressure built up it will hiss out, once it starts letting water out tighten it up again.

I need to do ours probably once or twice a year.

You shouldn't really need to do it that often, are you using inhibitor?

ariba10

Are both the valves at the bottom open?

Zola.

Grenage wrote: »

You shouldn't really need to do it that often, are you using inhibitor?

A what?

We only bought the house a year and a half ago and I did it twice, but I did have all the radiators off for decorating so maybe had to bleed again to sort it.

Grenage

You need inhibitor in your heating system, or the water corrodes the radiators, clogs up the system, and generates gas. Next time you bleed a rad, put a match to it.

Easiest way to do it is to drain the system, and add the inhibitor to a radiator via a funnel into one of the top valves, then close it off and refill. Use something like Sentinel x100.

SallyD

Thanks everyone.......I checked the valves on each side of the radiator at the bottom and heyho they were both turned off. It's a mystery to me - sounds daft but I thought the cover caps were decoration only so when cleaning the rad have been turning them off and on without realising - I have always thought the rad was a bit hit n miss temperature wise now I know why!