Radiator Valves

sandyk01

Hi all

Moved into a new house over summer and just put heating on today. Some of the rads weren't working as the flooring guy who put the wood down had turned off the valves. I've managed to open some of them but 3 valves are stuck and wont move at all. The thermostatic side is fine- its the other side with the metal bit I cant seem to turn. Anything I can do to loosen them up? I'm using pliers but they're just not budging.

Thanks all

neilmcl

Why did the flooring guy switch off the lockshield valves on your rads, did he have to remove them?

Try some WD40 on the spindle, leave it for a few mins and try opening them again (turn anti-clockwise).

molerat

Is this a "new" house or just a new to you house ? If the latter it is possible the pins on the TRVs are stuck.

Ganga

Take the plastic caps off and use a small adjustable spanner to loosed them,take care,once they start to move use the plastic caps so you do not snap them.

nofoollikeold

They may already be fully open.
You are likely to have two valves per radiator. From your original post it sounds like one of these is a thermostatic valve. The other will be a lock shield valve. The lock shield valves are adjusted with a spanner to balance the flow of water through each radiator in the system. They should not be touched after the balancing is done.

Davesnave

nofoollikeold wrote: »

The lock shield valves are adjusted with a spanner to balance the flow of water through each radiator in the system. They should not be touched after the balancing is done.

^ is the correct answer, so if they have been tampered with, or are fully open, you might not now be getting the best from your CH.



Have you bled the rads? A radiator half full of air won't work very well.

Norman_Castle

sandyk01 wrote: »

Hi all

Moved into a new house over summer and just put heating on today. Some of the rads weren't working as the flooring guy who put the wood down had turned off the valves.

How do you know he turned them off, there's no reason to do this when fitting a floor. Did you test the heating when you moved in or is this the first time you've used it?

G_M

sandyk01 wrote: »

Hi all

Moved into a new house over summer and just put heating on today. Some of the rads weren't working as the flooring guy who put the wood down had turned off the valves.

So get him back to finish the job by turning them back on again.........