Heating does not work in one room

harshitguptaiitr

I bought a house recently and radiator in one of the bedrooms does not work.

When I was making offer, I had asked in writing if heating system is in good working order and i was told YES. I wasn't allowed to tun boiler ON to test for hot water or heating because estate agent were not insured for it.

Is this a situation where vendor made misleading statement?

I have boiler service booked with British Gas, will they be able to check and confirm what the fault is within their scope of work?

Apologies if this is wrong forum or thread to post this question, but will appreciate any guidance.

getmore4less

check its not been turned off.

Keep_pedalling

The radiator probably just needs bleeding which is a simple DIY job.

https://www.uswitch.com/energy-saving/guides/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/

kerri_gt

Unfortunately there is nothing to prove this radiator wasn't working at the time of purchase. On the scale of things, if the rest of the heating and hot water works fine, is it such a big deal to sort? It's frustrating I know but things like this are not uncommon.

Have you checked the radiator is actually on? Does it warm at all and if so have you bled it?

I would assume a boiler service would be just for that but checking a rad shouldn't be outside a heating engineers scope of work, so you could ask, it might just be added to your bill. Why not call them beforehand and find out (thinking if he can schedule it into his work plan he's less likely to need to shoot off to another job and not have time to look at it)

harshitguptaiitr

Have you checked the radiator is actually on? Does it warm at all and if so have you bled it?

The entire surface of the radiator is cold after 25 minutes, while every other radiator in the property is warm enough.

I did not attempt "bleeding" the radiator because I thought it needs to be done when the radiator is hot.

I have tried adjusting the thermostatic radiator valve to multiple positions, but that doesn't help. This particular valve is different from all other valves in the property.

DaftyDuck

So before trying two or three simple DIY fixes, you blame the vendor for misleading you? Incredible!

Radiators seldom misbehave, but they can. Try opening the valve at the other end ... You may need pliers to grip it. Try bleeding air from all the radiators, not just that one. Try gently tapping the side of the TRV, as they can stick. Try adjusting the non TRY valves on other radiators to balance the system. Try a local engineer, not BG, as they'll tell you the boiler has a fault, and sell you a new one

Try researching the problem before blaming the vendor!

It's highly likely there's an easy fix. It's also far, far more likely the seller hadn't run the system since last spring, so wouldn't know if there was an airlock or faulty valve.

harshitguptaiitr

you blame the vendor for misleading you?

To clarify - Intention was not to blame or accuse the vendor - Sorry if it sounded like that. But given that estate agent wouldn't let us check the heating / hot water arrangement made me slightly suspicious.

eddddy

harshitguptaiitr wrote: »

I have tried adjusting the thermostatic radiator valve to multiple positions, but that doesn't help. This particular valve is different from all other valves in the property.

Thermostatic radiator valves can get stuck - especially over the summer when they are not used for a long time. It's a common problem, which is often easy to fix in 5 mins.

Try googling 'stuck trv'.

Here's an example of what you'll find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phFW-IIsH54

Thrugelmir

harshitguptaiitr wrote: »

But given that estate agent wouldn't let us check the heating / hot water arrangement made me slightly suspicious.

During the purchase process there was nothing to stop you employing someone to check the system over. Likewise for potential electrical issues. If you bought a second hand privately you'd use a mechanic to check it over before proceeding. Buyer beware.

ACG

When did you complete?

do163600

As already suggested, it sounds like it's probably air (needs bleeding) or a faulty TRV.

I've lost count of the number of TRVs that I've had fail.

You can bleed the radiators when cold. When the system is first commissioned, it has to be bled before it can be turned on.