Frozen radiator pipe - how to deal with

[ifonly4]

Despite leaving the heating on last night, it seems our radiator pipe has frozen - it comes through an extension wall in a loft conversion on the north elevation, so fairly sure that's the cause. It was working yesterday evening but stone cold in the night despite all other radiators fully working.

Should I try and defrost this by putting a low heat towards the pipe coming out of the wall, leave it, turn radiator off totally and put on again in a few days hoping the pipe has defrosted?

If the heating was on all night it definitely didn't freeze. Could be trapped air or just generally sludged up?

If it's definitely frozen the a hairdryer aimed at the pipe should defrost it. The water inside will get warm and the warmth will spread to the area of pop you can't aim the heat at.

But I agree with the other poster. If the heating was on continuously it shouldn't freeze.

Thanks for your responses.

Our system doesn't run continually, it's always fired up for so long until temperature reached and gone off for the same amount of time, presently it's firing up for approx 90 mins to temperature and going off for about the same time. We'd turned it down to 17c when we went to bed for background heat when we went to bed and the heating had gone off earlier, so probably wasn't operating for four hours or so as temperature had to reduce to 17c before kicking back in. That's why I think it's frozen. Also on a north easterly elevation which has been blasted with cold winds.

I've got a low level heater so will put in on from a distance and hope it helps. Fingers crossed, not sludged up as heating completely replaced seven years ago and it's suddenly happened - by coincidence I checked the radiators the day before and all were hot all over.

I guess if its an airlock, will it release?

sounds like you have a section of pipe that is in an unheated part of the building and has not been lagged. Best move would be to rip the wall open and lag it well with "Bylaws" grade pipe lagging, including the parts that are difficult to get at, and cure any sources of cold draught. If you are lucky it will not have burst yet, but if it keeps freezing, sooner or later it will.

To keep the heating warm overnight, rather than turn the room stat down, turn down the boiler temperature. It will keep sending warm water round the pipes, but it will not be hot enough to overheat the house or use as much fuel.

"To keep the heating warm overnight, rather than turn the room stat down, turn down the boiler temperature. It will keep sending warm water round the pipes, but it will not be hot enough to overheat the house or use as much fuel"
Excellent advice. If you regulate your house temperature using the boiler water rather than the room stat that's the most efficient way.

Although here if the pipes are basically outside it wouldn't be the most efficient way!