Case study · Princes Risborough
A cold bedroom radiator, fixed and moved to a better spot
A homeowner in Princes Risborough had one bedroom radiator that just wouldn’t warm up, even though the rest of the heating was working fine.
We tracked the problem down to a blockage under the floor. While we were fixing it, the customer asked us to move the radiator under the window, which made the room much easier to lay out.
At a glance
The problem
The bedroom radiator stayed cold while every other radiator in the system heated up as normal. With the radiator valves fully open, our investigation pointed to a blockage in the pipework beneath the floor.
Before
A cold bedroom radiator
Valves fully open, but no heat getting through because of a blocked pipe under the floor.
After
Working again, in a better spot
New pipework to a new position under the window, with the system refilled, bled and balanced.
What we did
Getting under the floor
We explained that we’d need to get under the floorboards to remove the blocked section. We carefully pulled back the carpet and lifted the floorboards to get to the pipework.
New pipework to a new position
We cut out the blocked pipework and ran new pipework to the radiator’s new position under the window. The floorboards and carpet were then put back and the work area cleaned.
Refill, bleed and balance
The system was refilled with quality inhibitor, bled and tested. The radiator heated up properly, and we balanced the system so the heat is shared evenly around the house.
Good to know
Radiator not warming up? A few quick checks
- Cold at the top, warm at the bottom: usually trapped air. Bleeding the radiator with the heating off often sorts it.
- Warm at the top, cold at the bottom: often a sign of sludge in the system, which may need a flush.
- Cold all over: check the valves are open and that the pin on the thermostatic valve hasn’t stuck.
- Still cold after all that? The problem may be in the pipework, like it was here, so give us a call.
The result
The customer now has a repaired heating circuit, a bedroom radiator that heats up properly and a more useful room layout.
Frequently asked questions
Can you move a radiator to another wall?
Yes. Moving a radiator means running new pipework to the new position, sometimes under the floor. We’ll explain what’s involved, and what we’ll need to lift, before we start.
What is inhibitor and why is it added?
Inhibitor is a treatment added to the water in your heating system. It helps protect your radiators, pipes and boiler from corrosion and the sludge that causes cold spots.
What does balancing the heating mean?
It means adjusting the valves on each radiator so hot water flows evenly around the system, so the rooms furthest from the boiler warm up properly too.
Radiator or heating problems in Princes Risborough?
From cold radiators to moving pipework, our heating engineers can help. Get in touch and tell us what’s going on.
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