Gurgling radiator-is key thing necessary?

ampersand

Please be nice to all MoneySavers. There’s no such thing as a stupid question,(there is now, Martin- two of them) and even if you disagree courtesy helps.
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I have two Useless Woman ?s - the other's for the Techie Board, or may be here.

1. I understand trapped air causes the gurgling radiator and that I need a radiator key to fix it ........OR DO I? Couldn't I just use a pair of pliers very carefully?

2.(or for techie board) Have at long last bought a Freeview box(Technika cheap thing+500 pts chez Monsieur T). I don't understand how to to connect it. Yes, yes - have read everything, plusieurs fois. Unenlightened still. Have heard of co-axial thingy, but what sort of lead is it? If I read the instructions aright(and I wouldn't rush to William Hill)if I still want ordinary tv as well(I do),I have to have one. I need instructions which say Do this/Do that with pictures at each stage. There's only one of those Scart holes in the tv, but 2 in the dvd/video player(I can't really work this either-have tried recording FOLLOWING THE IMPENETRABLE INSTRUCTIONS TIME WITHOUT NUMBER - NEVER WORKS) Does this matter? So far, I've tried every variation possible of Scart plugs and all the orifices. Nothing goes. Is ordinary tv called 'analog'? If so, I have to 'loop through' the signal?????????by connecting the RF OUT socket(quoi?)of the receiver to the antenna input socket(was ist?) by means of an additional co-axial cable.

Can anyone help? Any 3-years olds still up? It'll only take them 14.2 seconds, probably fewer.

Gingernutmeg

No idea about the second question, but for the first I'd say get a radiator key. It will cost under a pound and you'll save so much time rather than faffing about with pliers - assuming that you can get a pair that fit anyway. Also, pliers will be far more fiddly, and bleeding radiators is a two hand job - you need one hand to hold the key and another to hold a cloth underneath to catch any water that comes out. You also need to be quick when closing the valve, and I can see that being a pig of a job with pliers.

I also find bleeding radiators really therapuetic (weird, I know), and having a key makes it so much easier to go around the house and do them all.

ampersand

Is the key a universal-size gadget then? Many thanks for your very fast reply.
My therapeutic catharsis 'til now is breadmaking(not with a machine)-shall see if I find the same effect.

Gingernutmeg

I assume they're all a universal size ... I bought mine from a Robert Dyas hardware shop, they had a box on the counter and I just bought one as I was buying some other stuff. We've got three different types of radiator and a heated towel rail in the flat and it fits in all of those, no problem.

I agree with you about breadmaking (the boyfriend knows I'm in a bad mood if I'm in the kitchen kneading something, and so stays away lol) but there's something really satisfying about getting the air out of radiators - it's so nice when they start heating up properly too

ariba10

When you do bleed the radiator make sure the pump is off.

(Turn the heating off)

cajef

Radiator Keys are all the same size, about 50p in B&Q.

Re your Technika cheap thing+500 points, it should have come with three leads, a mains lead with plug on, a thick one with the scarty things, and a thin one with that looks like the one that plugs into the aerial socket on your TV.

Await your reply with interest, if you can only count two we have problems.:rolleyes:

TornadoTom

I got a mixed bag with mine...
...upstairs, I can use a flat blade screwdriver or a square radiator key.
Downstairs, I need a different size square radiator key, plus some of the rads have the bleed hole in the back face of the radiator (as opposed to the end )...and that again is a different size square key.
Tom

ampersand

cajef wrote:

Radiator Keys are all the same size, about 50p in B&Q.

Re your Technika cheap thing+500 points, it should have come with three leads, a mains lead with plug on, a thick one with the scarty things, and a thin one with that looks like the one that plugs into the aerial socket on your TV.

Await your reply with interest, if you can only count two we have problems.:rolleyes:

Well cajef, I just took a pic of the Scart thing and the only other lead(contents of box, 5 items, all check off as present and correct)is something called 'pluggable power supply(AC/DC Adaptor)'.

Needless to say, when I try to do a normal copy/paste - it doesn't.
Point is - there are only 2 leads.
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Aaa, exciting times. Have just plugged the other thing in to wall and Freeview box bit(I thought it looked like my various battery re-chargers, in this case thought it was for the remote, so ignored it). Something is happening.
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Well, got as far as First Time Installation, but nothing else happens and I don't know what Choose TV Type means.
That's it.
Au lit - refund from Monsieur T demain.
Bon livre, bon ami.
Still don't have printer working either.
Loathe the lot of it - no, i don't. Just loathe things not working.
Am well aware that it's all down to me, but I DO get fed up.
Little things like this, endlessly, can seem lowering and debilitating.

Syman

the "TV TYPE" is widescreen(16:9) or normal(4:3) i would guess. so set this to whatever tv you have.

your aerial goes to the RF IN on the freeview box
FV BOX RF OUT goes to the video RF IN
Video RF OUT goes to TV Aerial socket.

Scart from Freeview box goes to video input scart ( look for a box with an arrow pointinig into the box)
the other scart socket in the dvd/vcr (look for a box with an arrow pointing out of the box) goes to your TV.


can you post the make adn model number of your items? it might make things easier.

Bossyboots

ariba10 wrote:

When you do bleed the radiator make sure the pump is off.

(Turn the heating off)

Can I ask why? This is a job I too like doing and I have never, ever turned the heating off to do so.

slade5x5

Hi

I wouldn,t bother bleeding the radiators, i would just turn the key a little bit and you will hear air escaping. Then as soon as a little bit of water appears turn the key back and it should be done.

I have done this on the radiators in my house and they are all fine now.

It also sounds like you have different radiators around you house so therefore you will need different types of keys, I bought the multi key one from b&q for about £1.50 ( it looks like a cross) and it is quite chunky and gives you something to grasp as you turn it unlike the flimsey little keys.