Basic Radiator Valve Questions

[robsartain]

Sorry guys, Im sure this is basic but I can`t find anything on the web.

Im sure someone will now post a load of web links up.

1...Installing a new rad I got from Wickes does it matter which side the bleed valve goes. (e.g. IN feed on left hand side of rad, return on right side, so does it matter which side the bleed valve goes to get all the air out of the system ?

2...I have a TRV valve which comes with two metal inserts. One of them looks like it should fit where the TRV fits onto the rad. But the other joint is a standard compression, so what is the other insert for and what do they do ? Is it just a seal ?

3...On the lock shield side there is no insert and when I screw the lockshield in there seems to be no stopper or any seal. Do you just use PFT tape ?

Im sure Im making this 10 times harder than it actually is.

Thanks
Rob

[freecar]

robsartain said:

Sorry guys, Im sure this is basic but I can`t find anything on the web.

Im sure someone will now post a load of web links up.

1...Installing a new rad I got from Wickes does it matter which side the bleed valve goes. (e.g. IN feed on left hand side of rad, return on right side, so does it matter which side the bleed valve goes to get all the air out of the system ?

2...I have a TRV valve which comes with two metal inserts. One of them looks like it should fit where the TRV fits onto the rad. But the other joint is a standard compression, so what is the other insert for and what do they do ? Is it just a seal ?

3...On the lock shield side there is no insert and when I screw the lockshield in there seems to be no stopper or any seal. Do you just use PFT tape ?

Im sure Im making this 10 times harder than it actually is.

Thanks
Rob

1, No, it will get rid of the air no matter which side it's on, as long as it's at the top!

2, You may have a compression olive in case the pipe that comes out of your floor needs it, your TRV should have a lock off cap with it so you can isolate the rad (even on 0 TRV pass a small amount of water) which fits the thread where the TRV is screwed onto it's union (once installed you should have a spinny temp knob, screwed over a depressable pin which is in a plumbing union that connects your supply and rad together, does that make any sense to you?)

To recap the parts should be

a, olive

b, isolation "cap"

the olive goes over the supply pipe and tightens up under the nut to provide a watertight seal, a threaded end should have PTFE wrapped around it and screwed up tight to the rad. The isolation cap only comes in if you want to remove the TRV top and turn the water right off!



3, I'm not sure what you mean by lockshield, but if you mean where the valve screws onto the rad then yes, there is no stop, just wrap with PTFE and do up until (water)tight


Hope that helps!

[robsartain]

Freecar, what you have described is how I expected the TRV to work. Yep pack has one olive for compression joint feed and one Big White Temp (spinny) knob.

But the kit also includes two small metal pieces. Will need to get a photo as I can`t find a picture on-line of them. They appear to be machined to fit inside the pipework between the Rad and the TRV. Last thing I want to do is fit them and they drop inside the rad as I will never get them out again.

Im guessing they are for some special type of rad fitment ??

[freecar]

robsartain said:

Freecar, what you have described is how I expected the TRV to work. Yep pack has one olive for compression joint feed and one Big White Temp (spinny) knob.

But the kit also includes two small metal pieces. Will need to get a photo as I can`t find a picture on-line of them. They appear to be machined to fit inside the pipework between the Rad and the TRV. Last thing I want to do is fit them and they drop inside the rad as I will never get them out again.

Im guessing they are for some special type of rad fitment ??

I've literally just done one in my bathroom and didn't have what you describe. There were two metal caps that fitted to the radiator to blank the top off. The TRV was just as I describe. Do the fittings look like short pipes with a collar? They could be inserts for plastic pipe to use compression fittings (usually plastic though!)

IF all else fails, pics!

[robsartain]

Ahhhh...good point, they could be for plastic.

Im sure they are copper but will check tonight and get a photo.

Thanks

[Ferg]

The other bits may well be adaptors to 10mm, for use with microbore pipework. You use them instead of the 15mm olive.

[freecar]

Ferg said:

The other bits may well be adaptors to 10mm, for use with microbore pipework. You use them instead of the 15mm olive.

Thats a very good point. I have no experience with misrobore and the bits weren't included in the TRV's I've had. If one were to be suitable for microbore then there would have to be a small piece that goes around the outside of the microbore to make it up.

I think we've solved it! They are either adaptors for using compression fittings on 15mm plastic pipe or adaptors for convereting microbore to 15mm OD!

[thehos]

arrgghh ptfe tape

[V8mate]

One of my radiators stopped working over Christmas

The pipes to it are hot, the valve and pin are working fine and there's no air in it. It's 4 years old. Could the internals have died that quickly?

It's one of these

Has a very small water chamber running along the middle of the radiator which then warms the curved 'stone' face.

[Simpo Two]

That looks like a plasma screen that's been left on a parcel shelf...

[V8mate]

Well when it works it's great. It's in our hallway, so warms the core of the house both downstairs and upstairs. Its performance is missed!

Just hope I don't have to replace it, but I'm all out of ideas.

[robsartain]

Ok, just so the curosity doesn`t kill you, the metal bits where adaptors to 10mm and 8mm.

I looked on the box and it says it can be used for 8,10,15mm applications.
It didn`t say it in the instructions, but did say it on the box that I got out of the bin. Then closer inspection of the metal bits showed the holes in the end where 8mm and 10mm.

Thanks for all your help guys... feel a bit of a tt now so Im sure you guys won`t take the mickey to much :-)

[monthefish]

robsartain said:

Ok, just so the curosity doesn`t kill you, the metal bits where adaptors to 10mm and 8mm.

I looked on the box and it says it can be used for 8,10,15mm applications.
It didn`t say it in the instructions, but did say it on the box that I got out of the bin. Then closer inspection of the metal bits showed the holes in the end where 8mm and 10mm.

Thanks for all your help guys... feel a bit of a tt now so Im sure you guys won`t take the mickey to much :-)

Don't worry about it.

I rememeber a while back being delivered a pallet of radiators, heated towel rails, valves and all the rest of the gubbins for a whole house (the plumber ordered them for me but I was to fit it all).

Took me quite a while to work out what was what, and what went where (similar situation for yourself i.e. the boxes included bits for all sizes of pipework, and all different installtion configurations) but like most of these things, its easy when you know how.

[Ferg]

V8mate said:

One of my radiators stopped working over Christmas

It may well be air in the pipework to or from the radiator. Bleeding won't help since water is still coming down one or other pipe. Airlocks prevent proper circulation and often stop heat at the valve. Turn the hot water off and ALL the radiators but that one. You should be able to get the air into the rad.

[Ferg]

thehos said:

arrgghh ptfe tape

Are you OK?

[V8mate]

Ferg said:

V8mate said:

One of my radiators stopped working over Christmas

It may well be air in the pipework to or from the radiator. Bleeding won't help since water is still coming down one or other pipe. Airlocks prevent proper circulation and often stop heat at the valve. Turn the hot water off and ALL the radiators but that one. You should be able to get the air into the rad.

Thanks Ferg.
When you say 'turn the hot water off', where do you mean? We have a condensing combi boiler, so do just mean don't run the hot water tap whilst doing this exercise?

[Ferg]

Oh, right, yeah, sorry.
In that case just run the heating with all but that radiator turned off.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

V8mate said:

The pipes to it are hot, the valve and pin are working fine and there's no air in it.

I know this'll be messy but test how hot the water coming out of the bleed valve is. If it's hot and it's the highest place in the chamber I'm at a loss to see what is wrong?

[thehos]

Ferg said:

thehos said:

arrgghh ptfe tape

Are you OK?

yep I'm fine