"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"spamlet" wrote in message
m...
Hi All: happy new year...

Over the last few months pin holes have started to appear in our ch
radiators - which are fairly old, but thought to have been well
maintained - inhibitor in system etc.

The holes have appeared in 3 different rads. In the first two I was able
to tap a screw and seal them, but now a third rad has developed a pin
hole but in this case it is between the two leaves of a double rad, where
I can't get at it.

If the radiators are starting to pinhole through the metal and the surface
paint then you either have a few very abnormally weak areas of metal in a
massive area of radiator or you are about to have a sieve.

Which do you think is more likely?

I am assuming this is much like the similar problems you get with car
radiators and heater cores.
Once they are rotten then you can kid yourself that a magic leak stopper
will cure all your problems long term or you can start budgeting for a
replacement.

I must say that I have never seen pinholing in radiators - even those 25+
years old.

They surely must be very rotten - especially as it is in more than one
radiator.

How old is 'fairly old'?

Sadly, I would write them all off and replace as soon as possible -
granted that a leak stopper may get you through the next month or so until
you can survive without the heating for a few days.

Even so, it should be possible to work your way round the house replacing
a radiator at a time without shutting down the whole system.

Comiserations.

Dave R

The rads actually 'feel' quite sound. I did replace one recently as it was
too big for the room once double glazed. It was v heavy compared with
modern ones but still of a similar design.

We are a bit short of cash at the mo, and not ready for a big refit, so stop
gaps are all we are after if they work at all. As there is a wide range in
price on the leak stopping and inhibiting chemicals I was just fishing to
see if anyone had any good advice on which worked and which to avoid. (We've
also got the b' motorised valve actuator packing up for the third time -
'pop' 'pop' 'pop' from the radio for ages every time ch and hw are on at the
same time, thanks to those infuriatingly fragile microswitches I've
complained about here before... yet more quids down the drain.)

He ho.

S