Radiator Problem

[Barmaid]

Over the last day or so, we have noticed that radiators in 2 rooms are not heating up. Everywhere else they are blistering hot.

Mr BM has been round and bled them all and didnt get much air out. He has also made sure the pressure is up on the boiler (this is an oil system). The oil has not run out, nor has the system been off at all. Save for a very brief power cut earlier in the week.

Is there anything else we might try? He seems to think that there is an airlock in the loft (this house is stupid and in order to reach the bleed point in the loft one has to crawl under the damn tanks - which he cant do and I wont do). My view is it cannot be an air lock in the loft since the radiators that are immediately beneath that are hot. In my view, any air lock must be between the last hottest radiator in the loop and the cold one.

Any ideas? I dont really want to get an engineer out unless we have excluded anything we might do ourselves.

Ta

[alavahalf]

Do you have thermostatic valves on the radiators that aren't heating up ?

[Barmaid]

On 2 of them, yes. On 1 of them, no. (2 rads in one room, 1 rad in another).

[alavahalf]

What often happens on radiators that have had a long period of not being used (the summer). Is the TRV valves stick down and even though you have turned them right up the radiators stays cold.
What I do is remove the top or the TRV by unscrewing it. You will see a pin in the centre. Get a pair of pliers and gently tap this pin and then try to lift it up. Repeat this.. You are not trying to pull the pin out.. Only freeing it up a little. Refit the head of the TRV.

[bookbinder]

https://tmhughesandson.uk/how-to-fix-a-thermostatic-radiator-valve/

[Barmaid]

Ok, will try that, thanks, but they were working a few days ago!

[bhg481]

Try turning all the radiators except one of the cold ones OFF and make sure the last one is fully ON. All the pressure will go to the dead radiator and might just get it going. Repeat for the other two dead ones.
Incidentally, I never turn radiators fully off. If you want one off torn it off and then back 1/4 turn; that way it won't stick. It will only allow a very small flow of water, so no great loss.

[Barmaid]

As if by magic they have started working!!! We've done nothing apart from moan a lot!

[Buenchico]

>>> We've done nothing apart from moan a lot!

A career in politics beckons, I think ;-)

[douglas9401]

Amazing what can be achieved with a lot of hot air. :-)

[alavahalf]

They new you were talking about them and got scared .. take note of bhg .. never turn them off completely. Turn them off and then turn them back on a quarter of a turn .. then they wont give you any problems.

[Barmaid]

Alava funny you should say that. When I told him about your suggestion I said I would get some tools out and have a play. He reckons they thought "s***, we don't want her near us with tools"....

[alavahalf]

If you have Fear .. you have Power !

[woofgang]

once you have them by the valves their hearts and minds will follow

[Barmaid]

Some really useful answers folks, thank you.

But Woof's just made me laugh out loud.