Radiator help

[CatherineCawood]

Hi I wonder if anyone knows much about plumbing?

I asked a plumber to remove 4 radiators as we want to replace them. We are also having the two rooms decorated and the floor re-sanded and stained.

We thought that the best plan would be to cap and remove the rads, have the floor and decorating done and then have new rads fitted.

Last Saturday the plumber came to remove the 4 rads. I was out, got back and he had only taken 3. I rang him and he said he forgot then back tracked and said he left it in case we needed heating there and he would swap it out when he fitted the other 3 new ones.

Sunday morning I walk into my home office and the has been a leak, brand new carpet got a big wet area around the radiator. Called the plumber he came back and said that it was an old radiator and something needed tightening up which he did. Carpet dried out and thankfully didn't stain. This rad is at the total opposite end of the system to the one that was removed. Plumber said it was nothing to do with him as he "didn't touch that radiator".

Moving on (sorry this is long...) and we have had the floor sanded and stained and varnished. Finished yesterday, paid a lot of money for it. This morning I put the heating on and when I went downstairs, the radiator he forgot to take off, has leaked green stuff on the brand newly finished floor. It has soaked into the wood and stained it.

Rang the plumber and asked him why this might have happened. Explained it is green stuff that has come out. He tells me in all his plumbing experience he has never seen green liquid come out of a radiator. Bit weird as Google shows me photos and other people's problems caused by it. In his 30 years he has never seen it....

Told me that its nothing to do with him. Again he "didn't touch that radiator". Offered to come round and take a look but frankly I don't want to pay him any more to mess things up again.

So, my question is this. If capping off rads do you need to bleed the system or do anything regarding checking the other rads in the system won't leak when it is is repressurised or the central heating turned back on. Or is it, as the plumber says just a coincidence.

I'm going to have to get the floor people back to sort out the stain. Wondering who should pay for it. Me or the plumber?

[Misty9]

From my limited knowledge, you have to drain the system before removing rads... Even a few.

[Daygloweyes]

When you want to cap off a radiator you have to drain the whole system. I think he either did touch that radiator maybe tried removing it but didn't have the right parts but forgot to tighten it properly or he's pulled the connecting pipes which have put strain on that radiator fitting causing it to leak. Either way his fault. It was fine before he did his work

[CatherineCawood]

Thanks both. I know very little about radators but do know that they are a whole/complete system. So, I can't see why doing something to one part would NOT affect other parts of the system.

He has texted and said that he thinks it is best he doesn't complete the job. Fine with me. He hasn't said how much he wants for the work he did. Should I just carry on and ignore or get back to him and ask how much I owe him? I feel like I should pay.him for the work he did but then again he should stump up for the damage caused.

Make things worse he is my colleagues husband! Never mix business and pleasure. I should know that but hey, you.live and learn. Years ago he did some work for another colleague and she moaned to me that he had left work incomplete and her brand new kitchen started to flood, luckily she was in and managed to stop.it but it could have been catastrophic as she was in a flat so.it would have come through her neighbours ceiling. She was livid but I don't think she said anything. This is about 10 years ago though and I had forgotten until this happened and it pinged back into my brain!!

Anyway, thanks for replying. I feel vindicated in my frustration.

I'm getting someone else in now to do the rest of the work.

[CatherineCawood]

@Daygloweyes

When you want to cap off a radiator you have to drain the whole system. I think he either did touch that radiator maybe tried removing it but didn't have the right parts but forgot to tighten it properly or he's pulled the connecting pipes which have put strain on that radiator fitting causing it to leak. Either way his fault. It was fine before he did his work

The rad that leaked the green stuff is on the other side of an internal wall to one he removed. So he could have well have pulled the pipe and caused damage or it to loosen.

[Eng123]

Hi OP. I'm afraid it's not down to the plumber. You don't have to drain the system to remove the rads, you can put in bungs or freeze, or just be quick!
If you are removing rads from an old system you are not going to survey or pressure test the system, why would you?

[CatherineCawood]

@Eng123

Hi OP. I'm afraid it's not down to the plumber. You don't have to drain the system to remove the rads, you can put in bungs or freeze, or just be quick!
If you are removing rads from an old system you are not going to survey or pressure test the system, why would you?

Thanks for the info. I dont know if you would pressure test, I know v little about it. All I know is that someone worked on the system and then I had 2 leaking radiators which had never happened before. Bloody annoying.