Burdekin
Chief Bodger
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Yep. Pressured system so no tank.
- Thread starter Burdekin
- Start date
I would have thought so. The water is only circulating through the top rail, the bottom is full of crud.
Did you manage to take it out to a garden hose and give it a serious flush out in the end? If not, make up a fitting turn on the water and beat your favourite rhythms on it with a rubber mallet to dislodge the crud that's settled to the bottom.
Burdekin
Chief Bodger
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No, I took the TRV off and with it flowed out when the lock shield valve was open so assumed was okay.
Kayos
Gone......
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It's one of those things were experience counts for a lot, mostly understanding the noises it makes
Hot at the top is either restricted flow or sludged, you wouldn't normally get just 1 sludged rad though
Check the valves are open
Close all the other rads
Isolate or close hot water (if applicable)
Check the valves are really open
Close bypass
Put boiler on high
Whack pressure up
Check the valves again
If that doesn't work after the boiler gets to temp, I'd drain down and remove the valves, if not a huge rad you could also take it outside and flush it (upside down with a hose) gentle taps with a rubber mallet will free any debris
Hot at the top is either restricted flow or sludged, you wouldn't normally get just 1 sludged rad though
Check the valves are open
Close all the other rads
Isolate or close hot water (if applicable)
Check the valves are really open
Close bypass
Put boiler on high
Whack pressure up
Check the valves again
If that doesn't work after the boiler gets to temp, I'd drain down and remove the valves, if not a huge rad you could also take it outside and flush it (upside down with a hose) gentle taps with a rubber mallet will free any debris
Burdekin
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Believe me I’ve done all those things. One rad downstairs is colder at the bottom as well so maybe the two need a flush out.
Burdekin
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I'm going to clean a few of the rads. Got the rads nicely balanced but one other not getting properly hot at the bottom so maybe there is a bit of sludge that needs sorting. House is lovely and warm but getting them all going 100% before winter will be nice.
Nomad
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Lots of good advice above 
One rad in my house was always difficult to get started after the heating had been off for the summer. Easy fix was to close all other rads and turn up the pump to max then run heating on full then - one of the pipe runs upstairs had a dip so it collected air and locked up. Forcing everything through 1 circuit cleared it until next year. Then open the other rads and bleed all rads.
If you do take it off the wall to flush it outside I try to part fill with water then rock it from side to side to sloosh the sludge inside. What comes out is like black ink and will stain anything so best do it in the garden. Be extra careful not to let it drip on the way out of the house !
Look around to see if you can find a new rad the same width (taller is ok as it will still fit without changing the pipework), I fitted a handful of new rads that were cheap in the sale, quicker, easier, and end result is a lot nicer than spending time flushing the old ones.
Magnetic cleaners / filters have a good reputation, I've never used any but came close to fitting Magnaflux a couple of times.
One rad in my house was always difficult to get started after the heating had been off for the summer. Easy fix was to close all other rads and turn up the pump to max then run heating on full then - one of the pipe runs upstairs had a dip so it collected air and locked up. Forcing everything through 1 circuit cleared it until next year. Then open the other rads and bleed all rads.
If you do take it off the wall to flush it outside I try to part fill with water then rock it from side to side to sloosh the sludge inside. What comes out is like black ink and will stain anything so best do it in the garden. Be extra careful not to let it drip on the way out of the house !
Look around to see if you can find a new rad the same width (taller is ok as it will still fit without changing the pipework), I fitted a handful of new rads that were cheap in the sale, quicker, easier, and end result is a lot nicer than spending time flushing the old ones.
Magnetic cleaners / filters have a good reputation, I've never used any but came close to fitting Magnaflux a couple of times.
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That’s something I hadn’t thought about, I would imagine there would need to be a fair amount of magnetite for a magnet to stick through the copper.
Kayos
Gone......
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Not really, if there's enough to affect the system then there's enough for a magnet to stick
I had drained and filled my system plenty of times but it was still amazing how much crap came out with the Thoroughflush system. I ran it before fitting a new tank until every rad ran clear in both directions. I added cleaner and ran it for a week after after it was up and running. I ran a flush again today and there was still some sludge, interesting thing is the furthest I was the worst, makes sense as the flow will less powerful at that point. All running clear now and inhibitor added.
I replaced all the radiators here not long after we moved in (probably 8 or 9 years ago, 2 bed end of terrace house) and while I was at it replaced all the original 1970/80's single rads with type 21 doubles (only 1 set of fins), and fitted TRV'S, which made a massive difference for not much money (the extra heat output resulted in turning the boiler right down too, which I guess is a saving).
The only issue was that I couldn't get the exact same sizes (I guess the originals were probably imperial?) So ended up having to replace quite a few bits of piping to accommodate the new sized radiators.
I gave it all a good clean and flush before I started, fitted the new rads, fitted a magnaflux filter, clean again, new inhibiter etc, and touch wood it's been sweet ever since, so we'll worth the not excessive outlay in my opinion.
I can't remember off the top of my head what replacing it all cost, but I'll go out on a limb and say that by doing it myself, it didn't cost much more, if anything, than a work colleague got quoted for a power flush last year.
Burdekin
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We replaced a lot of the radiators when we first moved in, not sure why we didn't do them all but I think one reason is my wife doesn't particularly like the look of modern rads in a Victorian house. The one not working and the other that's not fully working are newer ones. When I say newer, replaced in 2006/7.
