Plumbing advice and what's a realistic quote?

Moved into a 10 year old home about 6 months ago and a couple of issues are coming to light with regards to the heating

1) one of the trvs isn't working and the radiator remains red hot no matter how hot the room gets. Comparing it to a working TRV, it looks like the plastic pin in the head that pushes down on the valve to close it doesn't come down as far as the working one when they are both set to off position. Not sure if I can somehow dismantle and recalibrate the head or it will need replacement. For replacement I'd guess both the valve and head will need to be changed as the valve is designed to work with the specific head? If I have to replace the valve I wouldn't have a clue how to do this, certainly without letting water out everywhere

2) a different radiator is leaking from one of the top blanking nuts. The water is very brown. Does this suggest rust inside my system and therefore flushing and new inhibitor? I have evidence an inhibitor was applied when the house was built 10 years ago. Should I just tighten/seal this nut or replace?


More generally, what would be a reasonable price a plumber would charge for replacing trv and say fixing the leaking nut and potentially cleanout of system and fresh inhibitor?

Any help appreciated

Comments

  • NewShadow
    NewShadow Posts: 6,858
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    First question people are going to ask is likely - where about are you in the country?

    Labour costs vary drastically.
    That sounds like a classic case of premature extrapolation.

    House Bought July 2020 - 19 years 0 months remaining on term
    Next Step: Bathroom renovation booked for January 2021
    Goal: Keep the bigger picture in mind...
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 14,421
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    TRV head are generally interchangeable, and you should be able to pick one up fairly easily. As you have probably found out, they are held on with a simple screw ring, so very easy to change yourself.

    A leaking plug - Sounds like it may just need tightening up. If you have an adjustable spanner, give it a little tweak - Probably no more than a 1/16 of a turn. Brown water is nothing to worry about. The system may benefit from a drain down and refill depending on how old it is. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a power flush (not seen any evidence that one is worth the money some charge).
    Her courage will change the world.

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  • We had a leaking rad before xmas a plumber supplied a new rad and trv and fitted the lot for 90 quid, he even took the old one to the tip for us (or more likely sold it for scrap).
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