please help! My radiator is not getting hot. I've released the air, checked the rad valve is calling for heat and made sure the lock shield is open. The pipe to the valve is hot, but the radiator is cold, as is the pipe connected to the lock shield. Any ideas what's wrong or anything else I need to check before I give up and take a hammer to it? Thanks in advance A very cold young(ish!) lady
If it is a thermostatic rad valve you have, take the head off it and try and push the pin up and down as it could be stuck.
Thanks Deleted member 11267, I've done that, no joy, the pin is up, although it doesn't push up and down, it came out altogether
With the head off and the lock shield end fully open, put on a glove, clench your fist and with the side of your fist start to hit the radiator along the bottom. It could be there is sludge in the radiator and some vibration may just shift it.
Think it could still be the pin in the valve which although protruding is prob stuck down, if as you say it doesn't move. Get hold of the pin with a pair of pliers and try pulling it upwards.
If the pin will not push down it is stuck, turn off all other rads, turn on heating and give the chrome valve body a few sharp taps with the handle of a large screwdriver, should clear it.
Did water come out the bleed valve when you let the air out? On my house when we had a combo fitted I had one rad off the wall and the plumber sorted the new boiler, when I fitted last rad I couldn't get it working and bled all air out but no water came out. Turned out I needed to fill the system up more to compensate for extra rad being fitted.
Jacqi2 says in post 3 that: Thanks Deleted member 11267, I've done that, no joy, the pin is up, although it doesn't push up and down, it came out altogether
As above put the pin back in and with luck all will be well, you are aiming to free the valve which has stuck to the seating, there is only a weak spring to lift it off so any **** (technical term) on the seating can stop it releasing full pressure from the system and a shock will usually free it, if not it's a new vale I'm afraid, I am assuming that the rad is full of water and that as asked in another post you get water out of the bleed point.
Had this issue last week myself. What i did was shut all the radiators off except the cold one. This forced the hot water into and through the cold one! Sounds like your system needs balancing. Once rad is hot, turn the others on a little at a time. Youtube have some vids on Balancing rads.