Need help with radiator please

egon

Hi there,

the radiator in DS1 room is only getting warm when I "smack" the TRV slightly. Then it gets nice and warm in his room. I have to repeat this procedure every two days. Even though I don't adjust the TRV's.

I think, I have heard before, that there is something sitting in there, which can stick????? (Sorry, at the moment, english is failing me....)

Is this a job I can do by myself? And what is he best way to go about it?

Thanks a lot for all the help.

Egon

Avoriaz

You are probably right that something is sticking.

When the TRV senses that the air in the room is warm, it closes the valve and restricts or stops the flow of hot water through the radiator. Conversely, when it senses that the air is cooler, it opens the valve and allows the hot water through the radiator again.

Sometimes the valve sticks in a closed or partially closed position. This is quite a common problem. When you tap it, that is unsticking it.

I had a similar problem some years ago.

Protect the carpet or floor with an old towel or something to catch any water that might drip out of the valve. It is unlikely to be more than a drip if anything at all but any water that does seep out will be dirty and will stain a carpet so be careful.

Remove the plastic TRV from the metal valve. it should be obvious how to do this. There is probably a small screw on a circlip. Make sure you remember how it is fitted for when you replace it. You should find a metal pin sticking out from the valve.

Don’t remove the metal valve itself unless you want a flood.

Very gently and carefully wiggle this pin in and out. You might be able to grip it with your fingers but you will probably need some needle pliers or similar. Be very careful not to damage the pin. Protect it if possible with a scrap of tape or cloth. Don’t bend it, just push and pull it in and out a number of times. You might be able to sense the movement getting easier as the wiggling removes any deposits of whatever is causing it to stick.

That might cure the problem. It did for me.

If not, a new valve is inexpensive but a bit of a pain to fit.

I don’t know if a light oil or WD40 would help.

In summer when you are not using the radiators, it is a good idea to open all the TRVs fully as this helps prevent them sticking.

Good luck.

Edit: I should add that I am an amateur plumber. The above worked for me with my TRVs. It might not necessarily work for you.

egon

Hi Avoriaz,


thanks a lot for the info! :beer:

I'll have to send DH out with the boys for an hour to do this, otherwise I will have a little helper......

I will give it a go and see what happens, otherwise I am going to take it the next step up.

Thanks again.

Egon

Yorkie59

Avoriaz wrote: »

Very gently and carefully wiggle this pin in and out. You might be able to grip it with your fingers but you will probably need some needle pliers or similar. Be very careful not to damage the pin. Protect it if possible with a scrap of tape or cloth. Don’t bend it, just push and pull it in and out a number of times. You might be able to sense the movement getting easier as the wiggling removes any deposits of whatever is causing it to stick.

That might cure the problem. It did for me.

Good advice - I stress care with the pin - we lost one between floorboards (blame OH) because you try to hold it lightly with thin nosed pliers or even tweasers (so as not to damage it) and when it moves it can surprise you.
You may care to dress (clean) the pin with fine Wet & Dry, wire wool or Brillo, then wipe with a cloth before replacing it. Also when it is being pushed back in (say with WD 40), try turning the pin it could pick up some deposits inside the valve. I would also recommend then removing and cleaning it on a Jay cloth or lint free rag. Try putting it in and back out a few times to remove as much of the oil (no inside the valve) as you can. It worked for us.

Mutton_Geoff

Some TRV's you can pull the thermostatic head off with it all in situ and just push the pin up and down a few times to free it up. Worth a try before dismantling the system (it will be a pain to accidentally disable your heating system at this time of year!)

egon

Ok, the pin is freed again, but there is still a problem. The radiator only gets hot when turned all the way open - on 6.

I've spoken to a local guy, he recommended a few things to try. See what will happen after that!

Egon