Radiator Issue/DIY Question

Diskappear

Hi everyone
So this is the radiator in my bathroom. I turned the thermostat up to 72 to check it and the RIGHT side of the radiator gets warm but the LEFT side remains cold.

When we were looking to purchase this house the home inspector said they were steam radiators but others are saying they are hot water and just need a bleeding to clear air from the system

as far as ive been able to find this is the only radiator with this issue and my concern is can person like myself who has limited plumbing/heating experience remove/clean and/or replace the vent on this or should I call in professional?

The house doesnt have individual room thermos just the main one
I would assume i can just turn the valve on the right to off to work on it
I just dont want to create a larger problem for myself by doing so

pecmsg

If that home inspector said STEAM, get your money back. 

EBEBRATT-Ed

Looks like HW to me.

hot_rod

Bleeding would be a good first step.
You would want to make sure the boiler has a fill system working so as air comes out, water replaces it.

jesmed1

I'm not a pro, just a homeowner who does maintenance on our hot water system with old cast iron radiators like yours.

The first thing you'll need is a radiator bleed key. Get a 5-pack and put them on some spare key rings so you always have one handy.

https://www.amazon.com/Radiator-Bleeding-Valve-Chrome-Plated/dp/B01GF51VXI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=W5KCU188E0E2&keywords=radiator+bleed+key&qid=1705798619&s=hi&sprefix=radiator+bleed+key,tools,95&sr=1-3

The bleed fitting you showed in your close-up pic may have paint clogging the pinhole in the bottom where the bleed water comes out, so take a pin or thumbtack and clean the hole out first.

Then do as @hot_rod said above and make sure you know where the make-up water comes into the system near the boiler, and that the valve is open. Also look for the expansion tank, probably hung in the ceiling near the boiler, that allows hot water to expand without breaking the pipes. You'll need to get familiar with how that works.

Then carefully bleed that radiator into a bucket, until air stops coming out and you have a steady stream of water. Usually you only need to bleed a cup or two of water out, but in badly neglected radiators I've needed to bleed 1+ gallon of water. Don't bleed that much unless/until you know that make-up water will automatically flow into the system near the boiler, and only bleed that much when the boiler is cold, as a sudden influx of cold water can crack a hot boiler.

PS-Don't bother to turn the radiator valve off before bleeding, because water can still flow into the radiator through the pipe with no valve on it. Just be aware that the radiator will always have pressurized water in it, so don't open the bleeder more than a quarter turn or so.