Whacking a radiator

[Marijn]

Two of my radiators aren't working. Last year a plumber whacked them in a certain way and place and they started working again. can anyone tell me how to do it, please.

[DTCwordfan]

Plumber goes into a house to 'repair' a heating system. He spends 15 minutes there, going around and whacking radiators and, bingo, the system was soon in full flow. Then he presents a bill for £150 to the owner. The owner queries the bill and asks for an itemised breakout. "No problem, Madame"

A new bill is duly presented.

(i) Call out time and time present - 45 minutes £50
(ii) Knowing precisely where to hit the radiators with the hammer £100

Have you tried bleeding them to start with......?

[yogi-bear]

"Last year a plumber whacked them in a certain way and place and they started working again"

Did he look like this, notafish?.........

http://redriverautogr...om/2008/11/fonzie.jpg

[Marijn]

Yes, I have been bleeding them, that's not helping at all. I know the plumber whacked the valve, but whereabouts on the valve I don't know. Also do you whack it in an upward motion or downwards, and how hard?

[Marijn]

Yogi bear, "I wish!"

[wolf63]

When I was young I thought that all TVs were repaired with a thump and that chimneys were cleaned by putting burning newspaper up them.

;-)

[Marijn]

I remember thumping TVs to mend them, also having to put TV on a few minutes before programme started, to warm it up, cos it would take a while to get sound and then a few minutes more to get the picture

[woofgang]

And the test card and the National Anthem being played at closedown

[naomi24]

Notafish, your post really made me laugh. You sound just like me. Technically minded!! Haaa! (Sorry, I can't help, but I just thought I'd say that).

By the way, someone bought us a supposedly super duper clock once, and at the end of the 'how it works' instructions was a note saying 'if the timepiece fails to start, shake it'. :o)

[The Builder]

Respect, Notty .................. lo-tech solutions are often the best.................... sounds like you have TRVs (thermostatic rad valves), and the pin has stuck down. Unscrew the head of the valve (bit with numbers on it), take it off, and the pin should pop up.
If it's stuck, tap lightly 'til it comes up............ :o)

[DTCwordfan]

what a constructive suggestion, builder - notafish will be delighted no doubt!

[NazNomad]

"Last year a plumber whacked them in a certain way and place and they started working again."

Notafish, I'm thinking if he did that he was Notaplumber.

[alavahalf]

A few years ago I used to work in a nursing home ... it had about 200 radiators throughout the whole building.
The residents were always complaining that ''their radiator was'nt working''....
As a rule the TRV was stuck .. as The Builder has stated ... take the head off, and tap the TRV and it usualy frees itself.
I just carried a hammer and a pair of pipe grips with me ... place the hammer behind the valve body, and strike the front of the valve body with the pipe grips.
More often than not ... problem solved.
Definitely worth a £100 ... the other solution was to replace the TRV's and charge you a whole lot more money ... either way you have got your heating on again..!

[Marijn]

Thank you The Builder and Alavahalf.
See.....you non-believers. . . you are supposed to whack it!
Incidently, the plumber who whacked my radiators didn't charge me.
I thought he whacked the valve on the opposite side to the valve with the thermostat on. Is it definitely the numbered valve that needs whacking?
Thank you to everyone for your much appreciated answers.