cold rads

[mackemalk]

ok here goes for a bunch of problems!!

My heating system is about 9 years old and was fitted just before i bought the house. Its run with a gloworm 100 combi boiler.

First problem - one of the downstairs rads has never got hot since we moved in only warm at first but now it just stays cold.

Second problem is that now the rads in the living room only get warm and now the rad in the hall is going the same way!!

Lastly Ive just noticed when looking into these problems is some of the rad valves are wrong - the one that has never been hot has two control valves fitted instead of one control valve and one lock shield valve. In the living room there are two rads - one has two control valves, the other has two lock shield valves!

There are 4 rads upstairs that all get nice and hot and 6 rads downstairs, only 2 or which are now getting to full temperature. Ive tried turning off all the rads upstairs and helps a little - the rad in the living room with 2 lock shield valves gets hot, the other warms up a bit but not hot. The hall rad is now hot and the one that has never worked has a tiny hint of heat at the top of the rear section.

Ive tried bleeding the problem rads but with no success - no air escapes, just water straight away.

One last thing - the house has a mix of single and double rads and all the problems are double rads and there is a difference in the temp of the front and rear section.

Id be very grateful for any suggestions.

 

[kevplumb]

sounds like its full of sludge

 

[mackemalk]

if it is sludge do i need to get the system flushed or just take off each rad and flush it with a hose?

and what about the wrong valves - does it matter?

 

[kevplumb]

not the wrong valves probably a bypass or the wrong caps fitted
if you can be bothered take them off and flush them

 

[mackemalk]

ok kevplumb thanks for your help but please bear with me on this one - im no plumber!!

I dont think its the wrong caps cos ive took the caps off and all the ones with the blank caps on look and act the same, and the ones with the control knobs on all look and act the same but different to the blank cap ones.

under each blank cap is what i presume is a lockshield valve - with a square brass top that can be adjusted. These are currently all fully open? (anti-clockwise) if i turn them fully clockwise water starts to dribble up the side of the brass adjuster. Under each control knob is a similar set up but with a threaded hole for the screw to secure the knob. Adjusting these fully clockwise or anti clockwise produces no water.

Also I have noticed that on the rads with a control knob and a lockshield valve, the lockshield valve is on the feed and the control knob on the return - is this correct or are the plumbed wrong, if so will it matter.

how do i shut off a radiator to remove it for flushing? especially if it has two of the same valves on it? If I have to turn these clockwise to shut off the rad for removal will the water stop dripping through after a short while or will I have to be quick with the rad to avoid flooding the room?

Once the rad is shut off where do i need to disconnect the rad? If I try to turn the nut on the side of the valve it trys to turn the whole valve and pipe with it. Do I need to hold the valve with a pair of grips and loosen the nut or should I have the grips on the nut and the square section on the rad side of the nut?

 

[kevplumb]

the weeping is the gland tighten it a bit nothing to worry about
hold the valve and undo the nut i use 12"" water pump pliers
dont forget the rad is still full of water
position of valves dont really matter as long as its working