How to Fix a Leaking Radiator?

Often times, you can find a patch of wet carpet or a pool of water around the bottom of a radiator. It can be a very annoying thing for you and your family too. These leaks indicate that there is a leakage in your radiator and you need to fix it. Fixing it is necessary not only to keep your radiator running but for your own safety as well. Here is a simple guide on how to fix radiator leakage:

Preparing to Fix the Radiator

Before you start fixing leakage in a radiator, you need to catch the water to ensure that it can’t cause any further damage. Place some towels and a bucket underneath the radiator to catch all the leaking water.

Identifying the Place of the Leak

You need to identify the place where the radiator is leaking from. First, completely dry off the radiator with a dry towel or cloth. Next place toilet rolls over the radiator’s fixtures. Whichever part of the radiator drenches the rolls are the source of the radiator leak.

Leaking from the Body

If your radiator is leaking from the body, this is due to pinhole corrosion. Unfortunately, there is no permanent fix for the issue and you will have to get a new radiator or a new body.

There is a temporary solution to this. If you have a feed and expansion tank, it’s possible to add a plastic resin sealant to stem the water flow. But this solution is not applicable for a sealed central heating system.

Leaking from the Radiator Valve

If you find that you have a leaking radiator valve, this is an easy problem to fix. This leak occurs when the valve is partly open and stops when the valve is closed. Here are a few simple steps with which you can fix the issue:

Step 1: Drain the leaking valve so that the water is below the source of the leak

Step 2: Turn off both the supply valve and the lock shield valve

Step 3: Locate the union nut and undo it using a spanner

Step 4: Open the bleed valve and pour rest of the water out

Step 5: Once empty, use PFTE tape to wrap the valve tip

Step 6: Use a spanner to retighten the union nut and then open the bleed and lock shield valves

Step 7: Leave your radiator to fill up again and then, when you’re sure that there are no more leaks, close the bleed valve

Leaking from the Spindle

First, you need to make sure that it’s a spindle leak, not a valve leak. After ensuring that, simply use a spanner to tighten the gland nut. If this doesn’t fix the issue, wrap some PFTE tape on the spindle and tighten it back.

If the leak still occurs, revaluate where the leak is occurring.

Leaking from the Radiator Gland

After fixing the leaky radiator valve, you might notice that the problem is persisting. The most likely cause of this might be that the radiator is leaking from the gland rather than the valve. Here are some steps to fix the leak from the gland:

Step 1: Turn on the valve and wait to see if any water leaks from under the plastic cap. If it does, turn off the lock shield valve

Step 2: Unscrew the gland nut.

Step 3: Wrap the valve spindle with PFTE tape.

Step 4: Use a flat-headed screw driver to force the tape into the body of the valve

Step 5: Screw the gland nut back on before replacing the plastic cap and turning the valve back on

Leaking from the Radiator Pipe Joint

These types of leaks occur when you have a compressed heating system where there are a series of joints that connect the pipes to your radiator. When these joints get loose, leaks can happen. Use a spanner to tighten the joints up. If the radiator still leaks after being repaired, then follow these steps:

Step 1: Drain your radiator to below the source of the leak

Step 2: Remove the nut from the leaking radiator pipe using a spanner

Step 3: Wrap PFTE around the joint that is leaking

Step 4: Retighten the nut