chrome radiator needs bleeding every month?

[bengriffiths]

hi,my chrome radiator needs bleeding every month?
keeps getting lower and lower down the radiator,then i have to bleed it every few weeks.any ideas?
ben

 

[Goldspoon]

I went to a house and exactly same. No rads ever need bleeding except the towel chrome rad once a week. Somebody said on forum it's common. But why would a chrome rad behave this way?

 

[twgas]

you need to know if its air or gas building up.
air could be sucked in when pump starts, from open vent, or a small leak on negative side of pump.
gassing can be caused by no inhibitor or system not being cleaned properly on install.

 

[bengriffiths]

how do you tell the difference?
if i add inhibitor,that may help,as i didnt when i put it in?
cheers
ben

 

[JohnD]

if you didn't add inhibitor, then you can expect to get hydrogen gas released as the water corrodes your steel radiators.

You will probably find the radiator water will be going black, and there is black sediment collecting in the system.

Adding an inhibitor will prevent future corrosiom

It is possible to loosen and flush out sediment, the age of your system will affect how much there is, and if you have a Feed and Expansion tank in the loft makes a difference.

You can identify hydrogen gas by holding a lighted match to it as it escapes from the vent. It burns with a blue flame. Take all flammable materials such as curtaind and towels out of the way first.

 

[Goldspoon]

Also water with inhibitor stops things rusting. Get two jam jars, one with water from tap and one with some water drained from your rads. Drop a nail in each. If enough inhibitor in rad water then nail will not rust (plain water is a comparison and should rust nail).

 

[bengriffiths]

cheers for the advice,i will wait till it drops again and test for gas and add inhibitor
ben

 

[LUNAT]

HI

sorry but i have a different opinion.
i have come across this before where all other rads were fine but the towel rad had to be bled regularly.
on investigation i found that the (open vent system) pipework in the cylinder cupboard which is next to the towel rail was piped up incorrectly
which resulted in pump sucking air from the F&E tank and the air being collected in the towel radiator

 

[toptec]

Goldspoon wrote;

Also water with inhibitor stops things rusting. Get two jam jars, one with water from tap and one with some water drained from your rads. Drop a nail in each. If enough inhibitor in rad water then nail will not rust (plain water is a comparison and should rust nail).

That idea has just solved a problem I have been worrying about - Great piece of advice.

Cheers Mate