Cold radiator

janbeno

Hi all. We had our boiler serviced last week and a couple of new TVR's fitted.Two of the radiators were stone cold when I turned them on yesterday. [Not the ones with the new TVR's]I did a google search and did what it said , turn off all rads that are hot etc. This worked on one of the radiators, I could hear it actually filling. I then had to top the pressure up as it was on 0, but the other one which is an open rad in the hall is still stone cold. 

It hasn't got a TVR , I am thinking because the other rad wasn't full maybe this one has been turned off and not back on again?

I have read about turning on and off with pliers, and to count turns but I'm not sure which end to turn. The bleeding screw is on the right . All my other rads have the TVR on the left, so I presume it's the left screw I turn to the left?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

ThisIsWeird

Hi J.
I can't see the valves clearly - unless you wish to post close-up pics? 
But, one will almost certainly be a lockshield (that sets the correct flow to each rad so the hot water is correctly shared - it is then left untouched), and the other is the 'control', which in this case will be 'manual'.
So, does one white cap just spin loosely, and the other turn more stiffly as tho' it's actually doing something?
Anyhoo, it would appear that the plumber hasn't completed the job. Eg, not bled the system, not checked the pressure, not checked that the rads are working as they should (if these include the rads he was working on).
Anyhoo, please answer the the valves - what do the white covers do - and ideally post close-ups of each.

janbeno

Hi, thanks for the reply. The system was drained and an inhibitor put in. I don't want to call him back because he was really slapdash and I will have to look for another plumber[again. My reliable plumber passed away and I'm trying to find one that is as good as  he was ]

The white tops are exactly the same, there's no grove for the pin to lock into. See pics, that's why I am wondering which one to turn?

Left .



Right

ThisIsWeird

The rad you got working by 'forcing' water through it, I suspect was full of air, most likely as it wasn't bled. That means any air in there was likely to have been out out, so is possibly still in the system - unless your boiler has an auto air vent.
Highly unlikely all the air has gone from that rad, tho', so it's still worth bleeding. 
When retopping, stop at 1bar.
Actually, worth bleeding all the rads, 'cos that air has gorn somewhere.

born_again

Have you tried the basic bleeding the rads that are cold?

janbeno

Thanks, the other rad that I got working I could hear the water running through the pipes in the wall into the radiator. Both these rads are the beginning and end rads, both were used to empty the system. As I said I wonder whether he just didn't turn the hall rad back on, so from the pics do you know which one would allow the hot water into the rad. I suspect it's the left one without the drain point?

born_again

Turn system on & feel the pipes, one that has the flow will get hot.

janbeno

Hi born_again, both pipes were cold on the hall rad when I turned on the heating. I did try to bleed the hall rad, but when I usually bleed it starts hissing then water splutters out , but with the hall one water just runs quite quickly.

housebuyer143

I have the same problem.. Plumber came and drained the system to remove a rad, topped it up and almost certainly got air in the system and it has ended up with 2 radiators stone cold. No amount of forcing it works so I am resolved to just leave it until I get a new boiler next year. 
My reliable plumber has gone too and didn't want to be risk having this guy back again as he might have done even more damage. 

janbeno

I'm hoping if someone can tell me which MRV is the inlet, as i say logically it's the left one? I  can check whether it's open or not.

The hall rad is in the old part of the bungalow, double brick wall, no cavity insulation it's a chilly place so the rad is essential.

Same problem with not wanting to get plumber back

FreeBear

janbeno said: The hall rad is in the old part of the bungalow, double brick wall, no cavity insulation it's a chilly place so the rad is essential.

Same problem with not wanting to get plumber back

Sounds like my hallway - I replaced the old type 10 (single panel, no fins) with a similar sized type 11 (single panel, fins on the back), and it made a big difference.

It might be worth asking for some recommendations for a multi-skilled handyman. Bleeding & balancing radiators is not a high skill task, just time consuming. Same for replacing a radiator - Even if the system needs draining, you don't need a Gas Safe registered plumber to do the job.