Bathroom radiator issue

[Ducat2013]

Hi all I’m currently in the process of doing my mums bathroom up and trying to install a towel radiator, she told me it only seems to heat with the hot water circuit which I know they used to do pre 1975 so I removed the rad and shut both the hot and cold supply and turned the rad valve on and it was coming out like a tap and no sign of slowing down so I then drained all the rads and opened all the vents but still the bathroom valve once opened it comes out like a tap pressure. Her system is a indirect vented system I believe she has a boiler downstairs a hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard and 2 tanks in the loft, my system is a pressurised system so not worked on this sort before.

Any ideas? Guessing 1 tank is the header tank could it be connected directly to this? If I tied the ball valve up would this stop the flow to the bathroom rad?

 

[terryplumb]

The small tank in the loft ( f&e ) feeds the radiators/ boiler . you would isolate the supply to the tank or tie up the ball cock to drain out the radiators. What did you do when draining rads ?

 

[Ducat2013]

I shut of the valve just under the pump as would assume that would stop water from the f&e tank and also shut of the cold and hot valves the come down from the loft then run a hose pipe from the downstairs rad and starting upstairs opened all the vents and waited till the water stopped running out, then tried the bathroom valve and still had high pressure and no sign of slowing down and the water was still like warm?

 

[terryplumb]

No idea what valve you closed ,but open it up. Close the feed to f&e or tie up its ball cock ,then drain from lowest rad.

 

[Ducat2013]

Ok will have another pop tomorrow as can’t see any shut of valves for the f&e tank so will tie the ball up and do it that way.

 

[terryplumb]

Don't suppose you know if the system is a Y plan ? Three port valve near the hot water cylinder ?

 

[Ducat2013]

Yes it has a 3 port valve just under the pump

 

[terryplumb]

Manually latching the valve open will aid draining .

 

[Ducat2013]

Yer that one thing I forgot to do think it was still on auto, will make sure I do that tomorrow, thx for all your help terry

 

[Ducat2013]

So managed to drain the system and fit the new new rad and refilled the system all roads are full and no air but the rads down stairs are stone cold where the upstairs are nice and hot the pump seems to be working have Bled the pump just in case it had air but all fine, any ideas? It’s one thing after another

 

[terryplumb]

Air lock. Close the TrV's on all upstairs rads ,and all but one downstairs rad. Don't touch the lockshield on any rad,its only the TRV ( or wheelhead if no trv)
So only one downstairs rad has both it's valves open.
That should one should now heat up ,when it does it may need to be bled. Then open the next down stairs rad and continue one at a time till all heat up,bleeding air as you go.
Don't forget to unlatch the 3 port valve .

 

[Ducat2013]

Cheers terry will give it a go in the morning when I go back down, really appreciate all your input thank you

 

[Ducat2013]

Cheers terry all sorted, thank you very much for all your help