Radiator very warm when on snowflake setting

Supernova11

Hi everyone
The discussion title very much says it all. I have a radiator in the second bedroom and that room always gets unbearably hot even though the radiator is set to snowflake symbol. When I feel the radiator, right now, it is actually piping hot and yet the snow flake symbol is selected. There is another valve on the left that spins round and round without seemingly doing anything. It doesn’t actually appear to be possible to turn the radiator off which I would love to do as I think the room would be warm enough without the radiator. I don’t want to pay to get someone in unnecessarily but I think I might have to. I just thought I would give this forum a shot first. The thermometer is placed downstairs and is on at 19 degrees and this upstairs room is definitely way hotter than that.

Thanks for any help 🙂

jefaz07

Could be a fault with the TRV head. Replace it. Although, when they fail they generally fail to off. 

tacpot12

It sounds like the TRV is stuck open, but it could also be that the head has come loose. Remove the TRV head by unscrewing the collar at the bottom of the head, and try refitting it, then leave it an hour to see if the radiator cools down - you could try turning the TRV to 0 rather than the snowflake symbol (which is the frost-protection setting). If the head was fitted correctly, remove it again and get some WD40, a pair of pliers and a small hammer.  Put a squirt of WD40 on the pin that will be sticking up, and very gently tap it with the hammer. Then uses the pliers to pull and push the pin up and down until you can push it down with a firm push and it rises back up under the action of the spring inside the valve. Refit the head and see if that fixes it. If that doesn't fix it, the valve will need replacing. 

The valve at the other end should also work to close off that end of the radiator. Some of those valves (lockshield valves they are called) have a decorative cap on them which doesn't allow the valve to be operated. Remove the cap and check whether the cap is actually turning the valve stem. If the cap is turning the valve, but the valve never hits its end stop, then this valve will also need replacing.  

badmemory

Have you tried turning the TVR up to 5?  Sounds nonsense I know but that is how just one of mine works the rest are normal.

matelodave

You need to understand how a TRV works - as said above take the head off and there's a small pin which gets pushed by a plunger in the head to control the water flow. It's possible that the head has been loosened and isn't closing the valve properly or that the pin is seized and not closing. Be a bit careful but try pressing the small pin to ensure that it moves and returns. (it will be a bit stiff and probably only moves less than 5mm) if it does then make sure that the head is properly tightened to make sure that the plunger operates the pin through it's whole range. Some valve heads can be adjusted if they aren't performing correctly by adjusting the plunger in an out (only do small adjustments and see what happens)

The valve at the opposite end of the rad is for balancing and most cannot be operated with the cap on - pull the cap off and then use some pliers or a spanner on the spindle to turn it back and forth, however be fairly gentle as you dont want to end up breaking it. Turning it fully clockwise should shut the radiator off, so try closing it and then opening it around 1/4 to 1/2 turn to reduce the flow through the radiator.

 Lots of info on t'interweb on how to balance your radiators

Supernova11

wow guys! Thanks so much for your responses, I must admit I am a little scared to try a few of these things but I will have a look and see if I can do them and if I am unsure, I’ll wait until this coronavirus has calmed down and get a more experienced friend over (in other words just cajole someone else into it! Thanks again!

matelodave

No need to get scared - if you don't try you won't learn. Just be reasonably gentle when twisting turning and pushing stuff dont force it if it doesn't move reasonably easily and avoid using hammers

Farway

Supernova11 said:

wow guys! Thanks so much for your responses, I must admit I am a little scared to try a few of these things but I will have a look and see if I can do them and if I am unsure, I’ll wait until this coronavirus has calmed down and get a more experienced friend over (in other words just cajole someone else into it! Thanks again!

And don't forget You Tube for "how to"