towel rail needs constant bleeding

WestWicklow1 · 10-01-2013 01:02PM #1

I have a 1900mm high towel rail in my bathroom (house is a bungalow) that constantly needs to be bled. It's 500mm wide and loses about 10mm per day. No other radiator has this problem.

Rather than putting on an auto bleeder I would prefer to find the cause. There are no signs of leaks anywhere in the heating system.

Any ideas?

highdef · 10-01-2013 02:24PM

There is probably a leak somewhere. Do you know if your system is vented or unvented? I would guess that the top of the towel rad is the highest point of any rads in your house in which case it will accumulate air first.

WestWicklow1 · 10-01-2013 03:44PM

highdef wrote: »

There is probably a leak somewhere. Do you know if your system is vented or unvented? I would guess that the top of the towel rad is the highest point of any rads in your house in which case it will accumulate air first.

Vented (f&e tank in attic) and yes, the towel rail is the highest point.

Outkast_IRE · 10-01-2013 03:51PM

WestWicklow1 wrote: »

Vented (f&e tank in attic) and yes, the towel rail is the highest point.

Firstly check for any obvious leaks, go around to each rad and physically use your hands to feel for any dampness around the rad valves and on the pipework to the valves.

corkgsxr · 10-01-2013 04:37PM

towel rails always seem to collect air more than other types of rads. but you need to find the cause of the air.

tie up your ballcock and see how much your loosing

shane0007 · 10-01-2013 06:27PM

It could be a leak or vent drawing in air on pump start up.
Do you heating pipes run across the attic floor and then drop down, but I mean any of the primary pipes and not the feed and vent?

WestWicklow1 · 12-01-2013 01:35PM

shane0007 wrote: »

It could be a leak or vent drawing in air on pump start up.
Do you heating pipes run across the attic floor and then drop down, but I mean any of the primary pipes and not the feed and vent?

All heating pipes are in the floor.

shane0007 wrote: »

vent drawing in air on pump start up.

This is interesting because this has only been a problem since I got a new multi fuel (but burning pea coal all the time) boiler installed. One feature is that the pump is only on while the boiler is firing so there are multiple pump start ups per day, maybe three per hour.

When you say "vent drawing in air" do you mean in the attic or at the auto air bleed close to the pump?

Is there a cure other that fitting an auto bleed on the towel rail?

aujopimur · 12-01-2013 03:31PM

Check for pitching in your exp. tank, i.e. is hot water being pushed up thru' the expansion pipe into the tank.
If the stove was installed correctly a seperate cold feed should have been installed and connected on the return in front of the pump, i.e. between the pump and the stove.

towel rail needs constant bleeding

Comments