Bleeding Radiator

trad

I have a 2 foot double panel radiator in my kitchen, first rad on the circuit.
The head of the bleed nipple on the outer panel has sheared off. As Murphy's law would have ot, this panel is now full of air, no heat.

Short of replacing the radiator, anyone any ideas? Anyone still selling imperial aized radiators?

the_syco

trad wrote: »

The head of the bleed nipple on the outer panel has sheared off.

Sheared off? Could you post a picture, as that sounds quite odd.

trad

It's the square on the end of the bleed nipple that the bleed tool sits on.
Can't post a photograph as the bleed nipple is on the inside of the outer panel about 40mm from the inner panel. Not leaking and hasn't been just looking for a quick fix rather than drain the system and hanging a new radiator.

beolight

you can buy a new one to replace it

just drill a hole in rad and screw it in, i took the rad of wall when doing this just to be safe

Noffles

How do I work out which is the first radiator in the ring.. are there any guiding signs?

zg3409

>How do I work out which is the first radiator in the ring.. are there any guiding signs?

Radiators are not plumbed in a ring. They are all plumbed in parallel. I.e. the water does not go through the first radiator and into the start if the second radiator and so on.

This is why you can turn off one radiator and all the others still heat up. The pump puts pressure on the inlet side of every radiator and if they are turned on then hot water enters and slightly cooler water leaves the far side and goes into the boiler again.

On one side of each radiator is a valve with a large knob for turning the radiator off and on. On the oppisite side is a lockshield valve which is set once by the plumber on commissining. This is used to balance the radiators. If radiators are not balanced then the pump will not act equally on each one.

In general the radiator with the shortest pipework between it and the pump has it's lockshield valve 90% closed while radiators further and futher away have theirs more and more open. In this way every radiator sees the same pressure from the pump and all radiators get an equal amount of hot water. Symptoms of bad balancing are some radiators hot while others are cold although this can also be caused by air in the system or lack of water in closed systems.

meercat

you can drill radiator in a discreet place on top ,close valves,screw a self tapper with nylon washer in part way/open valves till rad bleeds,tighten self tapper and small dab of paint and away you go.no need to remove rad.

the watchman

meercat wrote: »

you can drill radiator in a discreet place on top ,close valves,screw a self tapper with nylon washer in part way/open valves till rad bleeds,tighten self tapper and small dab of paint and away you go.no need to remove rad.

Yes thats right . I did this in a bathroom of house I was renting . I was there a further 6 years and had no problem. Its a great idea init!. I dont know why but it always makes me ahppy when I think of it. I suppose its the thought that I saved a whole bundle on plumbers etc.
Heres another tip, I didnt have a washer. so went out to car ,pulled rubber hose of carburetta. cut off a piece 1/8 inch and used that,lol!