towel radiator doesn't work

[sadari]

Hello all,

I've read all the the topics I can about this, but nothing seems to fit the bill.
1. Towel radiator runs off hot water system. It's worked fine ever since we moved in 18 months ago. It was changed 10 months ago because the old one burst (through age).
2. We turned it off during the summer (ie we turned the two valves at the bottom clockwise).
3. When we went to turn it on again in November, no heat, either in the radiator or in the two pipes feeding it from the floor.
4. I've bled it. A good squirt of water comes out.
5. I've turned up the pump in the airing cupboard to maximum, in case a bit of extra pressure might unblock something.
6. The only suspicious thing I can see is that the valves don't turn very far: probably half a turn at the most. Maybe my memory is playing tricks with me, but I think they used to turn more than that. But if it's the valves which have seized, why would I get such a good, pressurised squirt of water when I bleed it? Might this be because *one* of the valves has seized, i.e. the 'out' flow?
Any advice gratefully received. We're missing our warm ensuite...

 

[PlumbGas]

there will be pressure in the rad even if the pipes are blocked, sounds like one or both valves have seized, you will get no heat in pipes to rad either as there is no flow

 

[HERTS P&D]

One of the valves is closed, they should open a few turns.

Also turn your pump speed back to where it was, or it will cause more problems.

Andy

 

[sadari]

THanks both of you. So should I try gently forcing, if that's the word, the valves to open them? It's more or less impossible to really force them, anyway, since the only way to turn them is by hand. When you take the handle off, there's nothing to get a spanner on. Just a little sprocket-type thing.

 

[sadari]

Latest: I took the locking nuts off and removed the 'spindle' from the valves, put them back in again, and for some reason, the towel radiator now works. I hope it lasts...