Bleeding radiators

[Vir Campestris]

... yes, I do know I shouldn't have to do it often, and yes, I know it's probably a sign of a problem. But the whole system is up for a rework next summer, so in the meantime...

(and I discovered this morning that the **** builder we had last year turned one rad off so hard I needed a spanner to get any water through it at all)

A bunch of our rads don't have a bleed screw. In the end where there ought to be a little square headed screw there's a stump. (perhaps that builder again...) And they seem to be the kind of rads. where the bleed screw is tapped into the end of the rad., not into any kind of fitting.

What's the best way of getting the accumulated air/hydrogen out? I'm toying with the idea of a small drill, followed by a self-tapper with a fibre washer around the stem.

Long term I think the rads are scrap.

Andy

[Bob Minchin]

It is difficult to understand how the system was ever commissioned without bleed screws. I have heard that some rads have them on the back (facing the wall)

Does this help?

Bob

[Chris French]

Yesh, I installed some single panel round topped rads in the old house, where the bleed screw was on the rear inside a little cutout

Our have these ones just been painted over at some point (some of ours had been)

[John Rumm]

A photo would be helpful...

Is there a blanking plug that could be removed and a traditional bleed screw added?

[newshound]

+1

But you would probably get away with that. Since you are likely to be drilling into thicker metal you need to get the right sized drill and the right sort of screws. Practice on "scrap" before perforating the system! Worth adding a dab of sealant?

Sometimes the blank end-caps are brass (check with magnet), these would be good to drill.

[DerbyBorn]

Use a stainless steel screw otherwise it is likely to rust and sieze and then leak.

[Vir Campestris]

Afraid not. The stumps were the bleed screws once, but someone has broken them off.

Andy

[Vir Campestris]

These are thin pressed steel ones - no end cap. I think the bleed screws were tapped straight into the steel.

Like these:

AKA

Andy

[John Rumm]

Anticlockwise drill bit then... (and possibly a stud extractor) and a new screw to replace them with once extracted.