one radiator in the upstairs of the house is not working. the pipes are both cold as is the whole of the radiator. i have tried bleeding it but it has not solved the problem.

David J, January 2008

if you have a thermostatic radiator valve on your rad it is possible the pin in it is stuck you simply remove the head and work it free. if you have two lockshields make sure that they are both fully open. if this doesnt help you could have a problem with sludge in your system

daz, January 2008

You'll find that the system is probably full of sludge...if you want to have a go yourself, turn both radiator valves off - undo valves from the radiator (not from the pipes!!) and allow the rad. to drain down. Have a collecting bowl ready and turn one valve on at a time. If clear water runs freely then there isn't a blockage. When you're happy with this, reconnect the rad, open the valves and bleed in the usual way.

John, January 2008