Random - Radiator Bleed valve help

[Cottis]

Not automotive in any way but I am sure some of you technical minded people might be able to suggest a solution to this problem I have.

One of the my radiators (annoyingly in the living room) is pretty much cold. I am sure it just needs bleeding as it is furthest from the boiler and all the others are fine.

Got a bleed key but the damned thing is just spinning round. The valve looks to have been rounded off by some previous idiot (most likely piss arsing about with pliers)

So, without any purchase from the key, I am not sure what to do.

Before I JB Weld the key onto the valve for a permanent bodge, has anyone any suggestions? If I had a dremmel, I would try and cut a notch in the top to see if i could use a flat headed screwdriver to undo but I don't have one.

All feet warming suggestions welcomed

[Christophski]

Can you get a spanner round the bit the bleed key sits in? I think most have this bit so you can fit the bleed valves into the radiator. If so loosen this a bit as it will work the same way to bleed the rad albeit a slightly larger and harder to work bleed valve effectively.

****** that when you have cold feet tho lol. Good luck!

[Christophski]

Haha swear filter working... Another word for roger ring tho lol

[newsh]

How about a small socket from a 1/4 drive set, one that's a tight fit so you can tap it on?

[Cottis]

Can you get a spanner round the bit the bleed key sits in? I think most have this bit so you can fit the bleed valves into the radiator. If so loosen this a bit as it will work the same way to bleed the rad albeit a slightly larger and harder to work bleed valve effectively.

****** that when you have cold feet tho lol. Good luck!

Mine is covered in paint, so I cannot tell if it moves independently of the rest of the housing. I will have a hack with a blade and see what is underneath. The valve does sit inside what looks to be a hex nut. is that what you mean, that loosening this also releases air from the system

[Cottis]

How about a small socket from a 1/4 drive set, one that's a tight fit so you can tap it on?

Hmmm, that could work. Don't have tools here but will try that tomorrow.

Cheers John

[Christophski]

Mine is covered in paint, so I cannot tell if it moves independently of the rest of the housing. I will have a hack with a blade and see what is underneath. The valve does sit inside what looks to be a hex nut. is that what you mean, that loosening this also releases air from the system

That's the one. If I'm correct, this hex nut is part of the bleed valve so if the valve ever breaks you can 'unbolt' it from the rad and fit a whole new valve. Stands to reason that by loosening this you can bleed the rad itself.... In a more messy way. Larger towels maybe???

[newsh]

Even if it's got a lot of air in it should still be hot at the bottom. If not maybe it's just turned off, are there valves both ends where the pipes connect? Sometimes there's a valve with a knob or thermostat one end and a valve with a cover that just spins at the other end which is to set the system up so all the rads heat up the same. You should be able to pull the cover off and check that i's open. If you have thermostatic valves these tend to get stuck shut after a certain age, you can try taking the thermostat part off and tap the little plunger with a hammer, sometimes it will free off and start flowing again.

[Cottis]

The whole thing is stone cold. No heat coming from it, top or bottom. The pipes that feed into the rad are warm to the touch but not burning hot like I would maybe expect (not that I have touched them before) Maybe the whole thing needs replacing or maybe some valve inside the part that connects to the pipes is shafted. It looks pretty old and was here a long time before I was. Time to call my mate, the disappearing landlord.

All the other rads are nice and toasty. Bizarre.

[Tonybolony]

As previously suggested- there are almost certainly blanking plugs at either end of the top of the Rad. You dont have to remove them, but by just cracking one of them off, you'll allow enough trapped air out to bleed the rad.
I'm no plumber (my mate is, and I've helped him out on the occasional job) but I've come across the scenario where there is an airlock in the pipework, and merely bleeding the rad hasn't worked. What did work though, was disconnecting one of the bottom pipes and allow the water to run full-bore for a second or two, to blast the airlock out. This can get a bit messy though!!

[Cottis]

Cheers Tony, I will have a bash later if I have time. Might have to wait till after NYE as I am not home this evening.

[newsh]

Sounds like there's no flow, maybe a stuck valve or a blockage or as Tone says might be an airlock, have you tried both the valves at the bottom where the pipes connect? Are they both open? Of course it could be completely full of air including the pipes so bleeding would be the first thing to try.

If that doesn't work, and you're getting water out of the bleed valve, you could try turning all the other rads down or off for a few mins to see if it warms up then, if it's furthest from the boiler and all the others are turned up full they might be taking all the flow.

[Tonybolony]

If that doesn't work, and you're getting water out of the bleed valve, you could try turning all the other rads down or off for a few mins to see if it warms up then, if it's furthest from the boiler and all the others are turned up full they might be taking all the flow.

D'oh!!!
I should have suggested that

Just one thing to add to Newsh's reply- whilst trying that, go to the pump (prob a multi-speed Grundfos unit), and (Temporarily!!!) turn it to it's highest speed.
Might be worth doing this 1st, as at least your'e not disturbing the integrity of the system.
When you do this, check if you have any TRV's (Thermostatic Rad Valves), in which case turn these off (past 'Frost' setting). If you don't have TRV's, as above turn off one valve per rad, but note exactly how many turns to close it fully, so that you can re-open them in turn to exactly where they were to balance the system as it was.
Good Luck