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House Sale Agreed - Radiator problem

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  • 26-11-2008 10:07pm
    #1
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭


    Hello,

    We're in the fortunate situation of having our house go sale agreed. The engineer is due to visit fairly soon. Now, I'd mostly expect it to go pretty smoothly, though there is one possible hiccup that the engineer might pick up on.

    Two of the radiators don't heat up properly. This never bothered us before as the house is pretty warm in general, but has the potential to cause complications for the engineer so I guess its about time I took a proper look!

    The radiator has a thermostatic valve. The radiator has 2 pipes coming up from the floor, both on the same (right hand) side of the radiator.

    It heats up right at the top, but stays cold towards the bottom. The pipe going into the thermostatic valve gets hot, so I guess its not a problem with circulation of the heating system generally.

    We got the thermostatic valve replaced a year or so ago to no avail. The plumber went off the radar and never returned to complete the job, not returning calls. I guess he had better, bigger things to be doing.

    I tried bleeding the rads and water comes out straight away, so looks like there is no problem there.

    There is a tap like valve going to the hot water tank in the hot press, we have that basically turned off (no hot water in taps then, but we don't mind) and it helps, but it doesn't help much.

    I saw somewhere that "sludge" can be a problem in radiators. Could this be the issue? Is this a big job to sort out? Is it possible to do oneself or better to get a plumber in? typically how much?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated !!

    Thanks


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    #2
    willbur
    Registered Users Posts: 134 ✭✭willbur


    hi sent u a pm hope i can help its hard to solve these things easier to fix onsite


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    #3
    311
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,332 ✭✭✭311


    willbur wrote: »
    hi sent u a pm hope i can help its hard to solve these things easier to fix onsite

    That didn't cost you much.:pac:


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    #4
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,171 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    If the cold pattern is a triangle shape in the middle of the rad then its probbaly full of crap. How old are they? Might be easier to just get new ones, same size and be done with it.


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    #5
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭ravendude


    GreeBo wrote: »
    If the cold pattern is a triangle shape in the middle of the rad then its probbaly full of crap. How old are they? Might be easier to just get new ones, same size and be done with it.

    Well, the heat is mostly just across the top couple of inches of the rad. Hard to say if it is in a triangle shape. The rads are about 8 or 9 years old i'd say.
    Might be the best thing actually just to get them replaced. Any idea typically how much would 2 new rads cost, including installation?


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    #6
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,171 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    What size(length) are they? Are they double or single?
    Id say you are looking at €300 for the rads, if you can get the exact same size (which you probably can if they are only 9 years old) then installation is trivial, nixer for €150 or so. If you are anyway DIY you could do it yourself.


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    #7
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭ravendude


    GreeBo wrote: »
    What size(length) are they? Are they double or single?
    Id say you are looking at €300 for the rads, if you can get the exact same size (which you probably can if they are only 9 years old) then installation is trivial, nixer for €150 or so. If you are anyway DIY you could do it yourself.

    Think they're single, one about 4 feet long, another about 3 feet.
    Only thing is, I know they're a bit unconventional, - most rads have a pipe going in on one side and another going out on the other side. These ones have 2 pipes on one side only, with a thermostatic valve on top (same side).
    The other side of the rad has no pipes going in or out.


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    #8
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,171 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    "Ah".
    Then you need to try to find the same style/size (and probably pay more for them) or get a plumber in or both :)


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    #9
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭ravendude


    GreeBo wrote: »
    "Ah".
    Then you need to try to find the same style/size (and probably pay more for them) or get a plumber in or both :)
    I might just wait and see if the engineer picks up on them altogether. As I say, they're actually not a huge deal really, - we never bothered thinking of fixing them up to now as the house is pretty warm generally, just concerned that they might cause some messing in closing out the sale.
    Its probably easier to give the buyer a discount to repair if need be.


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    #10
    kmick
    Registered Users Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭kmick


    No engineer will pick this up unless he is a real stickler. Sounds to me like a lack of pressure in the system. If you can find the pressure valve - usually at the boiler or the hot press release it for 2 or 3 seconds to let more water into the system. Check rads again in 20 minute and and repeat if no difference. After that call a new plumber.


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    #11
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭ravendude


    kmick wrote: »
    No engineer will pick this up unless he is a real stickler. Sounds to me like a lack of pressure in the system. If you can find the pressure valve - usually at the boiler or the hot press release it for 2 or 3 seconds to let more water into the system. Check rads again in 20 minute and and repeat if no difference. After that call a new plumber.

    Could well be this actually, - my suspicion is that the 2 radiators are at the end of the heating system. Also, when I switch off the tap going into the hot water tank, they get hotter, - but still not quite up to scratch.

    What does the pressure valve look like? - is it a tap? Am I basically wanting to increase the pressure?


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    #12
    kmick
    Registered Users Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭kmick


    It varies buts its usually just a simple valve and it may have a gauge to show you the pressure (mine does not but the plumber says some do).


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    #13
    ravendude
    Registered Users Posts: 585 ✭✭✭ravendude


    kmick wrote: »
    It varies buts its usually just a simple valve and it may have a gauge to show you the pressure (mine does not but the plumber says some do).

    Thanks kmick, will see if I can track it down


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    #14
    sunnysoutheast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,072 ✭✭✭sunnysoutheast


    You're doing the honourable thing in trying to fix the issue for the new owners, but it's up to the buyers to satisfy themselves by means of their own surveys and inspections.

    If it comes up then just knock a bit of money off, the new owners might be thinking of building work etc. anyway so you could be buying a new rad. for no reason. It could even make people even more suspicious if they see one or two rads. replaced just before they arrive.

    If (God forbid) your sale falls through it won't be because the rads. don't heat up enough.

    SSE


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    #15
    JamesM
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭JamesM


    You probably have enough water in the system if there is no air in the rads.
    Turn off some of the rads that heat very well. The dodgy one will heat then. If the engineer asks you about the rads that are off - turn them on and they will heat up fine :D
    Jim.


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