radiator not getting hot water....but I've tried just about everything..help....

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by every day is a school day, Nov 20, 2021.

  1. I have had a new radiator fitted in my office and its not working i.e. won't get hot.

    The original plumber said it can't be sorted so gave up so in desperation I'm turning to anyone for advice.
    So this is what he has done to rectify the problem (He did insist that I see what he was doing so I could see for myself)

    There are no blocked pipes from the flow side of the main heating pipe and no blocked pipe on the return side either. He has flushed these through several times so he said there was no air trapped either.

    Radiator is brand new, as is the TRV and the other valve

    His last attempt was to put a pipe between the inlet/outlet pipes of the radiator so as to remove the radiator to see if he could get a simple circuit flowing...made no difference

    He then fitted a non return valve on the return pipe into the main heating pipe to make sure water was not being pushed back against the flow...made no difference...

    He then disconnected the return pipe to the main heating pipe and the water flowed around the circuit...great news, no air...connected the pipe back...then it stopped again...

    He seems to have tried everything so is he correct in saying it can't be fixed?
     
  2. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    Have different valves been tested? Try temporarily replacing the TRV with a standard valve.
     
  3. Wayners

    Wayners Screwfix Select

    Maybe plumber feels he don't want to go down the rabbit hole anymore and given enough time to it. Can spend a few hours finding fault and that will cost money. Maybe even then no fault found.
    Maybe some flow there but not enough to push water around radiator.
    Maybe fresh pair of eyes and investigation and flow test. You will have to ask about and see who will come look.
     
  4. yes they have. Everything was bought new from screwfix and I have seen and heard them both working. The first thing he did was replace the valves before ruling out the radiator. There is something else going on here because it defies logic he said
     
  5. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    Has he tried running water through the radiator?

    Can you post a link to the radiator model.
     
  6. I have had 3 plumbers actually. The original plumber seemed more switched on the other 2 I had in. All done the same things, all ended up not addressing the problem. Maybe they are all correct, it can't be fixed
     
  7. How would you test if the flow was enough..and what does enough actually mean? Is it quantifiable? Is there a min/max etc?

    One thing I did not mention. The pressure in the combi was raised from 1 to 2.5 on the scale. They said that should prove it was not a pressure problem.
    Is this what you are referring to as "enough"?
     
  8. its a screwfix radiator the kudox premium range. Are these rubbish then?
    The radiator fills, you can hear it fill. You can hear the air escape as its filled and you can see the water coming out of the bleed thing when its full...is there something else they have missed?
     
  9. Wayners

    Wayners Screwfix Select

    Was a car mechanic I was watching on youtube looking to fix car.
    First two mechanics said they didn't have the knowledge or equipment to work on car as a sports car. Next two could not find the fault. 5th one was puzzled as just a flat battery. Easy fix.

    Was another that had new engine fitted but fault still remained and turned out to be a blocked catalytic convertor on the exhaust. So blocked it hardly blew smoke. So why fit new engine for that?

    What I'm saying is you just need to find someone that can find the fault and fix.
    Try another but maybe agree to pay for fault finding only. Sure they can run new pipe to a known good flow or measure the flow rate at radiator point. Not much on this planet that can't be fixed
     
  10. I've already spent over £400 on this diagnosis. Its not about the money, (although I do know they look at the property and then make up a figure because I'm a wealthy single woman living in an exclusive property and have no understanding of money lol) its all about having my office warm.
    With 3 very different plumbers all reaching the same conclusion...all doing pretty much the same things...they can't all be wrong..can they?

    So with your point of flow, what should I be asking the next plumber to be doing? what equipment should they be using to measure this flow and what figure should I be asking then to check for?
     
  11. Has anyone checked the pump, had a house recently where a radiator on the middle floor wasn’t getting hot. Did everything your plumbers have tried, took the radiators off the wall, blasted through flow and return valves, blasted through radiator etc etc all the usual things and it turned out the pump although running and seemingly ok wasn’t working to its full capacity and once changed all radiators got hot.
     
  12. Mike83

    Mike83 Screwfix Select

    Was there a radiator fitted in place previously that worked?
    If not it could be piped wrong. Could have 2 flows or 2 returns.
    Encountered it a few times previously.
     
    Muzungu likes this.
  13. There are many radiators that are some distance away from the office and on different floors. These all work fine
     
  14. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    Some of the radiators particularly the vertical wall mounting ones have a flow diverter which forces the water to go up the radiator. The flow should be connected to the end where the diverter is fitted.
     
  15. yes it was a swap out of the old one that just stopped working. It is the smallest radiator in the property and its a single when all others are double. Is this a pointer perhaps?
     
  16. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    Perhaps the radiator wasn't at fault afterall. What prompted you to change it?

    If flow and return have been plumbed in correctly, it could be that there's still a blockage or the pump is failing. Did the plumber try turning off all the other radiators in the property and just leaving that one on?
     
  17. Well it was working fine for years and then it stopped working. The better plumber explained about forcing the flow through a single radiator to remove trapped air. This process has been attempted many many times but even as I shut off all the radiators and turn the thermostat to maximum, it still does not even get warm...
     
  18. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    How was the flushing done and how did the plumber check for no blockages?

    If the bypass pipe between flow and return of the radiator did not get hot, then there has to be a blockage somewhere...
     
  19. exbg

    exbg Screwfix Select

    If I understand you correctly, a plumber removed the rad and connected the valves with pipe?

    Assuming the valves are okay (I would have removed the TRV and tried a locksheild (normal) valve in its place, even new kit has been known to fail), there is obviously a restriction somewhere. Has there been any apparently unconnected work carried out in the house? Have any floorboards been lifted and replaced.?

    As has been said, everything is repairable, given sufficient resource, skill and experience.
     
  20. Maybe another point I failed to mention. The heating system has been entirely replaced this time last year. When I say replaced, I had major refurbishment work and every pipe was rerouted and replaced. I did this because the original builder had used the micro bore system and the contractors I engaged were constantly coming across such shoddy pipework and bizarre pipe routing options. They even suggested in jest that the plumbing looked like it had been forgotten when the property was built and they came in after the floors were laid.
    The pump and blocked pipes have been ruled out by everyone I have had in.
    An electrical engineer friend has suggested that there may be too great a resistance to overcome on this individual circuit and suggested that they might have left this particular radiator on the old micro bore pipe. I have no way of knowing if that is the case or what effect that might have
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice