Radiator issue

jonnydeppiwish!

Hi all

Grateful for some advice!

BiL fitted all new radiators throughout the house last year for us plus a unvented tank. One radiator has never worked. I’ve done the following so far
Bled
Bled with one valve open the other closed (and vice versa)
Disconnected the thermostatic valve from rad, check valve works (hot water coming through).
Disconnected the other valve, check valve works.
Flushed through the radiator with the hose to ensure it’s not blocked.
Reconnected radiator and filled (it filled with hot water) but it still won’t flow and heat up.

Any suggestions? I’m tempted to just cap it and install an electric radiator as I have solar and batteries.

thanks!

subjecttocontract

* Could it be a balance problem ? Try shutting down the radiators either side of it and see if it heats up.

MACKEM99

I am no expert but I had a similar situation a while ago.  I turned off all Rads except the problem one and it made the problem one work, then put all the others back on.  May be worth a try?

Boohoo

jonnydeppiwish! said:

Hi all

Grateful for some advice!

BiL fitted all new radiators throughout the house last year for us plus a unvented tank. One radiator has never worked. I’ve done the following so far
Bled
Bled with one valve open the other closed (and vice versa)
Disconnected the thermostatic valve from rad, check valve works (hot water coming through).
Disconnected the other valve, check valve works.
Flushed through the radiator with the hose to ensure it’s not blocked.
Reconnected radiator and filled (it filled with hot water) but it still won’t flow and heat up.

Any suggestions? I’m tempted to just cap it and install an electric radiator as I have solar and batteries.

thanks!

Did the old rad work before you replaced it with a new rad?

When the heating is on do any of the pipes going to the rad get hot?

As others have said turn off all the other rads and leave the non heating rad on and see if that works.

I had same issue and let my heating warm up 1st and then turned off each rad and then checked the non heating rad to see if got warm. Others may say do with all but 1 rad off and from cold.

CliveOfIndia

It's unlikely, but I had a similar issue many years ago.  Turns out that both ends of the rad were plumbed into the flow (or the return, can't remember which way round it was), rather than one being flow and the other end being return, as it should be.

Unlikely to be the cause if was just replacing like-for-like with a replacement rad, and if the old one worked OK.  But if the pipework was changed, it may be a possibility.

WIAWSNB

jonnydeppiwish! said:

BiL fitted all new radiators throughout the house last year for us plus a unvented tank. One radiator has never worked. I’ve done the following so far
Bled
Bled with one valve open the other closed (and vice versa)
Disconnected the thermostatic valve from rad, check valve works (hot water coming through).
Disconnected the other valve, check valve works.
Flushed through the radiator with the hose to ensure it’s not blocked.
Reconnected radiator and filled (it filled with hot water) but it still won’t flow and heat up.

Hi Depps. 

Can you confirm - BiL just replaced the rads, like-for-like, but didn't run new pipework? 

Did BiL also replace the valves on each? 

And, is he G3 qualified? (With ref to unvented tank).

Is the CH system vented or unvented - small F&E tank in the loft? 

Things you've tried: you've disconnected each valve from the rad in turn, and opened that valve, and water spurted out from each?

Yes, as said by others, first thing is to shut off other rads, so the flow is focused on this fellow - see if it now heats up. 

Do you understand the principle of 'balancing' and the use of 'lockshield' valves in this?

jonnydeppiwish!

subjecttocontract said:

* Could it be a balance problem ? Try shutting down the radiators either side of it and see if it heats up.

MACKEM99 said:

I am no expert but I had a similar situation a while ago.  I turned off all Rads except the problem one and it made the problem one work, then put all the others back on.  May be worth a try?

MACKEM99 said:

I am no expert but I had a similar situation a while ago.  I turned off all Rads except the problem one and it made the problem one work, then put all the others back on.  May be worth a try?

Thanks - tried this a few times and didn’t work.

jonnydeppiwish!

Boohoo said:

jonnydeppiwish! said:

Hi all

Grateful for some advice!

BiL fitted all new radiators throughout the house last year for us plus a unvented tank. One radiator has never worked. I’ve done the following so far
Bled
Bled with one valve open the other closed (and vice versa)
Disconnected the thermostatic valve from rad, check valve works (hot water coming through).
Disconnected the other valve, check valve works.
Flushed through the radiator with the hose to ensure it’s not blocked.
Reconnected radiator and filled (it filled with hot water) but it still won’t flow and heat up.

Any suggestions? I’m tempted to just cap it and install an electric radiator as I have solar and batteries.

thanks!

Did the old rad work before you replaced it with a new rad?

When the heating is on do any of the pipes going to the rad get hot?

As others have said turn off all the other rads and leave the non heating rad on and see if that works.

I had same issue and let my heating warm up 1st and then turned off each rad and then checked the non heating rad to see if got warm. Others may say do with all but 1 rad off and from cold.

I won’t lie, we never tested the heating before as it was skirting board radiators from the 70s iirc.

jonnydeppiwish!

CliveOfIndia said:

It's unlikely, but I had a similar issue many years ago.  Turns out that both ends of the rad were plumbed into the flow (or the return, can't remember which way round it was), rather than one being flow and the other end being return, as it should be.

Unlikely to be the cause if was just replacing like-for-like with a replacement rad, and if the old one worked OK.  But if the pipework was changed, it may be a possibility.

This is possibly a good call - there was some work done on the pipe work and it wouldn’t surprise.

My other thought was a ‘short circuit’ ie easier route to travel v radiator but not convinced.

Thanks

jonnydeppiwish!

WIAWSNB said:

jonnydeppiwish! said:

BiL fitted all new radiators throughout the house last year for us plus a unvented tank. One radiator has never worked. I’ve done the following so far
Bled
Bled with one valve open the other closed (and vice versa)
Disconnected the thermostatic valve from rad, check valve works (hot water coming through).
Disconnected the other valve, check valve works.
Flushed through the radiator with the hose to ensure it’s not blocked.
Reconnected radiator and filled (it filled with hot water) but it still won’t flow and heat up.

Hi Depps. 

Can you confirm - BiL just replaced the rads, like-for-like, but didn't run new pipework? 

Did BiL also replace the valves on each? 

And, is he G3 qualified? (With ref to unvented tank).

Is the CH system vented or unvented - small F&E tank in the loft? 

Things you've tried: you've disconnected each valve from the rad in turn, and opened that valve, and water spurted out from each?

Yes, as said by others, first thing is to shut off other rads, so the flow is focused on this fellow - see if it now heats up. 

Do you understand the principle of 'balancing' and the use of 'lockshield' valves in this?

Thanks, there was some new pipe work, and yes BiL is qualified gas safe etc, but it was not part ie done over numerous evenings late after his normal work.
Definitely not the balancing as I’ve sorted that for the rest of the house. It also doesn’t heat if the rest of the rads are on.

Albermarle

Might seem an obvious question, but have you asked your BiL to come back and have a look?