Radiator Not Heating Issue

[footofdavros]

Hi
We have one radiator in our house which will not heat at all. All others work fine, and are v hot at all points.
We called someone in under our service agreement and they suggest there may be a blockage somewhere in the piping between this and the next (hallway) radiator.
I'm not sure if this sounds correct. Facts so far:-
a. the in pipe is v hot, but the hear stops at the valve, i.e. no further not even the start of the radiator.
b. the radiator can be bleed - water comes out quite steadily. allowed it to bleed for quite a while, which eventually resulted in water starting to fill in the boiler's supply tank.
c. the out pipe is cold.
I think it seems more the problem is to do with the radiator itself, but then I'm not very technical re these things...
Anybody, with any ideas what might be up?

 

[garrymum]

does it have TRV valve on it? If so, it could be stuck shut. Take the head off (the thermostat bit) and try and free the pin on the valve.

 

[footofdavros]

does it have TRV valve on it? If so, it could be stuck shut. Take the head off (the thermostat bit) and try and free the pin on the valve.

Hi

Thanks for the quick response!
I'm not sure re valve types but I don't think by looking at it, it would be a TRV valve (which seem a bit more modern than what we have).
The valve, which is brass, has a screw top above the in pipe, which reads "Imperial Yorkshire". There is then another capped screw further in, which I guess can be screwed down to stop water feeding into the radiator.

 

[seco services]

does it look like this ?

 

[gotbadgas]

sounds like either 1 part of valve has blocked/failed or they have a pipe which feeds along the bottom of the radiator which have been known to come out. It bleeds cos you have pressure from one side so to speak but one pipe (flow/return) has a fault and therefore you're not getting circulation. Thats my opinion but see what other comments you get too

 

[seco services]

blocked/faulty inlet in valve yes but not the internal pipe come adrift as the water would still circulate but the rad would stay cold.

 

[footofdavros]

Thanks again for the responses!
Seco - Yes, that is exactly what it looks like.
gotbadgas - Your comment re pressure is interesting, do you mean that it could be bleeding from water coming in from the outlet pipe? (I wasn't sure if that was possible). But if so, and the in pipe is boiling hot right up to valve, would I be right in thinking that the problem must be with the radiator itself and not, as has been suggested, in the piping onto the next radiator?

 

[seco services]

Seco - Yes, that is exactly what it looks like.

twin enrty rad valve
thats the complete valve.

Your comment re pressure is interesting, do you mean that it could be bleeding from water coming in from the outlet pipe? (I wasn't sure if that was possible).

yes.

But if so, and the in pipe is boiling hot right up to valve, would I be right in thinking that the problem must be with the radiator itself and not, as has been suggested, in the piping onto the next radiator?

i would say the block is in the valve or the pipe going into the rad.
new valve and flush the rad out
be good as new.

or change to standard rad valves one each end would be better.

 

[footofdavros]

Thanks again Seco for response.

That picture with the big long pipe thing which comes out the valve gets me thinking - We did remove the radiator a few years ago (4/5) whilst redecorating, and did have right job at the time with that internal piping. We did get it back on, with a bit of fiddling about, after the decorating was finished, and the radiator was subsequently fine.
Its only at the tail end of this winter that its gone cold though - Is it possible that that pipe has come detached, and thats whats caused it?
If not, and it is the valve itself, are replacements for this type of valve readily available (it seems quite an old style)?

you also mentioned standard valves either side - If I was to do this, is it easy enough to get the new piping from the out valve connected back to the original outlet piping? (sorry if this seems a daft question, I'm a complete novice at these things!)

 

[seco services]

even if the pipe comes off the water still circulates but just that the rad stays cold cause the flow don't get pushed to the oppersite end of rad.

yes the valves are still available.

changing to standard valves is easy just needs the return pipework extended to the other end of rad.
useally done below the floor boards and bring it back up the other end
so you have a rad valve each end.

 

[footofdavros]

mmm, don't think it can be anything to do with that internal pipe coming loose then - if the water was still able to circulate but just not being pushed along the radiator, then the outlet pipe should presumably be hot also? but thats not the case.

From your comments, I think I'll try to a replacement valve and see how that goes.

Thanks again seco!

 

[seco services]

have you tried adjusting the valve?

 

[footofdavros]

I'm not sure what you mean by adjusting -
Just turning "Imperial Yorkshire" plastic screw top around? If so, yes, tried that.
Also tried adjusting the screw height on the inside capped screw part. This also had no effect.

I'll screw it off this afternoon, and try checking the internal pipe still seems attached. I don't think this really can be the issue, given, as per my earlier post, I think this would mean the outlet pipe would be hot.

Otherwise, I'll see if I can get hold a replacement valve, including a new internal pipe.

Thanks again...