Cold return line on radiator

spacoli

I have an upstairs radiator that has hot water going to it, but the return line is cold. There is manual valve on the return and it  will open and close. I have bled it out and the radiators before and after this one are working fine.



What might be the problem, bad valve, blockage in the return line ? Can I close the valves on the other radiators to increase pressure to the other? Thanks

meplumber

What type of system?

Is this a steam or hot water system?

meplumber

Sorry

I read your post more clearly. 



It looks like a hot water system.  If you have one radiator on a zone that isn't heating, then it is most likely still air bound.  You could also have low pressure in the system.



Are you sure that the manual valve on the supply pipe is all the way open?  Is the radiator getting warm at all?



Could you tell us what your system pressure is or post some pictures of your radiator and the gauges and piping around the boiler?

spacoli

closed some valves on other rads

I closed the valves on the other rads and it started to flow. I guess I need to balance the system to get the proper flow to all rads.



 

Charlie from wmass

Those inlet valves are NOT for balancing

Photos please.

spacoli

Valves are on the return

The valves I adjusted are on the returns. There is a nut and flat head screw driver fitting on the supply side that I have not touched.



Here are some pictures of one of the radiators

Charlie from wmass

The slotted valves

are what we always use for balancing the handles we use for work valves. This way they are hard for others to adjust after a system has been balanced.

spacoli

Return valves open

So the return valves should be fully open?