Cold heated towel rail

[Sus]

I recently had the plumber round because I had to have a new thermostatic valve on one radiator, another radiator wasn't working and the three way valve was faulty. It turned out the pump had to be replaced as well, but in getting the problem found all rads had to be turned off. I turned off the one side of the ancient towel rail the plumber looked at the other side but abandoned the idea of turning it as he thought it might break. Now the radiators are working well, but the towel rail hasn't heated up after I turned on the side I had turned off. I've tried bleeding it and each time a little bubbly water comes out before it runs easily, but it still isn't heating. I think it is connected to the hot water circuit.

 

[AMGasServices]

Have you tried to run the hot water circuit with the towel rail turned on ?

A lot of conventional systems were piped up with the bathroom radiator connected to the hot water circuit.

 

[Rob Foster]

I recently had the plumber round because I had to have a new thermostatic valve on one radiator, another radiator wasn't working and the three way valve was faulty. It turned out the pump had to be replaced as well, but in getting the problem found all rads had to be turned off. I turned off the one side of the ancient towel rail the plumber looked at the other side but abandoned the idea of turning it as he thought it might break. Now the radiators are working well, but the towel rail hasn't heated up after I turned on the side I had turned off. I've tried bleeding it and each time a little bubbly water comes out before it runs easily, but it still isn't heating. I think it is connected to the hot water circuit.

Does any heat get to the valve but not beyond ? Might be the valve was turned off and the gate or whatever has broken and got left behind but closed.
Or as Amg says domestic hot water goes thro rad on way to taps, old arrangement but cute
Rob Foster aka centralheatking

 

[Sus]

Thanks for your replies. I tried turning off the heating, leaving the hot water on, but that made no difference. After reading Rob's reply I managed to draw off a lot of water through the top valves and using lots of towels and that pulled hot up into the radiator past the valve I had turned off then turned on. So thank goodness that one isn't broken.

 

[Sus]

Also, have just had a bath, 10 mins max, and the towel rail is quite cool again.

 

[Scott_D]

Sounds like a stuck valve

 

[Sus]

You mean the one on the right, the one the plumber "didn't" touch?

 

[Scott_D]

You mean the one on the right, the one the plumber "didn't" touch?

Could be either
Cheap valves are notorious for sticking and leaking, I won't touch them if the look dodgy

 

[Sus]

The one on the left I have already said opens and shuts. Maybe these valves were cheap in the 1970s which is the youngest age it could be, but it has done pretty well for 40 odd years!!

 

[Scott_D]

The one on the left I have already said opens and shuts. Maybe these valves were cheap in the 1970s which is the youngest age it could be, but it has done pretty well for 40 odd years!!

The handle may be moving the but the inside could have broken off and be jammed in place.