help! noisy radiator

[dannyboy85]

hi, wonder if anyone can help.

a few months ago I bought a thermostatic radiator valve for my bedroom radiator and had it fitted by a builder who was in the house doing some work at the time.

problem is that I sometimes get woken up by the radiator now... I can hear glugging sounds, as if it's the sound of the water rushing into the radiator.

It doesn't do it always!

I keep bleeding all the radiators, but get hardly any air out at all now
no other radiators seem to be making this sound.

ive checked and the arrows on the valve thing point across, and down... so assumingly its bi-directional? (its on the feed pipe of the radiator)

should I have the return feed valve fully open if there is a TRV fitted, as I think i read somewhere that i should

 

[dannyboy85]

hi, wonder if anyone can help.

a few months ago I bought a thermostatic radiator valve for my bedroom radiator and had it fitted by a builder who was in the house doing some work at the time.

problem is that I sometimes get woken up by the radiator now... I can hear glugging sounds, as if it's the sound of the water rushing into the radiator.

It doesn't do it always!

I keep bleeding all the radiators, but get hardly any air out at all now
no other radiators seem to be making this sound.

ive checked and the arrows on the valve thing point across, and down... so assumingly its bi-directional? (its on the feed pipe of the radiator)

should I have the return feed valve fully open if there is a TRV fitted, as I think i read somewhere that i should???

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If the arrow is pointing down on the feed it could be wrong way round. Feed comes up into rad. Do you know make of valve?

Lockshield valve on other end should be set to balance system. Altering this could cause other rads to be starved of water, so wont heat up as quickly or at all.

 

[dannyboy85]

sorry - don't know how i managed to quote myself

 

[telegan]

try opening up the lockshield valve a bit more

 

[dannyboy85]

ok so here is a photo i took of the actual valve

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f142/mr_mitch85/07122011457.jpg

notice the two arrows.

does this indicate that the valve is fitted incorrectly

the valve it's self came from wickes and was their own brand product.

I can remove the valve head and the pin goes in and out freely w/out getting jammed

 

[Dan Robinson]

Wickes eh?

Have you tried opening the lockshield further yet?

Could be noise as the valve is shutting off.

 

[dannyboy85]

Wickes eh?

Have you tried opening the lockshield further yet?

Could be noise as the valve is shutting off.

yeah i have opened it a bit furter so I will find out in the morning if they noise still occurs

it does seem to do after the heating has been a while, so maybe it's once its got up to temperature?

But why a glugging watery noise!

 

[bell824]

valve shutting of and the seat is approaching closing point causing whoosing glugging noises, although some valves claim to be bi directional some of them work better one way more than than the other.

 

[dannyboy85]

valve shutting of and the seat is approaching closing point causing whoosing glugging noises, although some valves claim to be bi directional some of them work better one way more than than the other.

oh ok. would I swap the thermostat for a different one then?

I really need a thermostat in my bedroom as it gets soooo hot.
none of the other rooms have them, (except the new radiator in the lounge)
maybe i shouldve spent a bit more money on a better make one?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Some claim to be bi-directional, but as Bell wrote, they are not as effective in certain directions. I have Altech bodies ATM and they get upset with more than 0.25bar differential.

I suspect Wickes get theirs made in the same factory. Even Honeywell seem to have gone a bit ***** on their valve bodies too. .

 

[bell824]

rather than the head pointing up (the white bit ) it may work better with the head pointing to the side, or if you are going to that trouble get down the merchants and spend 15 quid on a good valve.

 

[bell824]

dont like to advertise certain manufacturers but i aint never had a problem with the danfoss range whether they were installed flow or return and in either direction!!

 

[dannyboy85]

rather than the head pointing up (the white bit ) it may work better with the head pointing to the side, or if you are going to that trouble get down the merchants and spend 15 quid on a good valve.

yeah weve got a drayton trv4 in the lounge and this seems to work ok without problems.
i wouldnt mind spending the money on one - but it's having it fitted, because i'd need to get someone to drain the whole system again.

i could try swapping the heads of the trv's round? see if they're interchangable? this is something id be able to do myself.

 

[bell824]

head wont help its the body thats causing the problem, the box normally comes with the best setup instructions for the trv get your builder back he may not have followed what they reccomend,
sometimes bi directional means just that if fitted the correct orrientation on the correct pipe