Radiator Valve Help

[__mdc]

Hi All,

I've just moved into our first home, a 60s built maisonette and have a query regarding some radiators in the property that are currently not on, and the temperature is dropping! There is a new combi boiler, with older radiators. Some radiators work very well, and some require bleeding (I've bought one key, but it seems too big for some radiators so going back to the shop tomorrow!).

With the radiators that are currently off, I can feel warmth in the right hand side pipe, however all of the plastic thermostat style units for all radiators are broken. The valve on the right that is exposed is:

I've attempted to turn the very small pin in the centre anti-clockwise as per the broken plastic thermostat, however this doesn't appear to do anything. The inside of the broken thermostats are:

If the picture isn't clear enough, on the inside is a concave cone.
On the left side of the radiators is this lockshield valve, which has very minimal movement in it:


My main question is how would I go about getting these switched on? I've no plumbing knowledge and a search later has left me a little more confused - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Chalked]

It's an old danfoss trv. They are prone to sticking.
Make sure you heating is calling for heat.
Remove the small nut, ( you may get a small amount of water) then remove the pin from the nutput the pin back in the valve on its own, put all the way in and give it a firm wobble. The washer should pop if its seat.
Spray a little wd40 inside the vslve and reassemble. Then try pushing the pin in and out. It should now spring back. Oh, and should be getting hot !

 

[Rickster123]

I wouldn't pull the pin out. That normally ends in tears and a lot of water. Give it a few taps with a hammer.

 

[Chalked]

I wouldn't pull the pin out. That normally ends in tears and a lot of water. Give it a few taps with a hammer.

Not had one go yet.

 

[joni os]

As above, and make sure lock shield valves are open, sometimes with TRV broken rads are turned off at lock shield.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

on the opposite end take the cover off by unscrewing the screw and lifting off. you should be able to turn the part on the top of the valve with a small spanner or adjustable

 

[__mdc]

Fantastic all, thank you so much, taking the pin out and pushing back in loosened it! I'd like them all to have a new valve on at some point, but this has sorted for now!

Also thanks for the warnings re:taking the pins out, there was a bit of water when I pulled them out but they're so old there was very little water but thankfully the radiators are heating up.

 

[SimonG]

And dont put the head back on or you will be back to square one.

 

[Dsp]

Turn the system off drain it down replace the valves refill and use inhibitor all done 🙂 but in all seriousness valve swaps are a bread and butter job and don't cost the earth to have done

 

[Best]

That older type Danfoss valve can have the entire pin and its gland replaced. Not a lot of people know that I bet. That's if Danfoss still supply them. You just remove them at the brass nut of the gland & tighten new one in without any water coming out.
As to the photo of the lockshield, - it looks to me to be an old Peglers Belmont valve which has red O rings to seal the spindle. If it leaks, that's another job in itself, but easy enough.

 

[__mdc]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I'm considering replacing the old valves with new ones (including the lockshield valvues), more out of a little project for myself to get my hands dirty and it appears rather inexpensive.

Whilst i'm still at the beginning of building my toolbox, i've been looking at Radclamps (I can't post a URL due to forum rules) to tool up then get the valves from B & Q. There are several YouTube videos out there on this subject, including one by the guys who sell the Radclamp as to changing these valves - has anyone had any experience with this? The techniques they describe involves freezing the pipes going into the valve - my only worry would be that the pipes protruding from the walls into the valves aren't that long (i.e. would the length that I could freeze be too little to effectively stop the water?).

 

[Best]

No need to freeze, - just bung. One valve at a time replace. The water will glug out of rad, so temporary stick a rag in the tail. But you are better to turn both old valves off first and remove the rad before attempting to replace valves

 

[__mdc]

Thanks, i'm not too confident in regards to removing the rad - i'll do some more research and watch some videos to inject some bravery!

 

[joni os]

Drain down as Dsp says. radclamps are not necessary and will not prevent water coming out the pipes when valves are removed. Where there is flexibility in the pipework, turn off valves each end, slacken nuts, lift rad of brackets and rotate to floor prior to full disconnection will limit spillage.

 

[Best]

There will not be much movement in those pipes as they are coming out of a wall.
But both of those valves are the flange type tail and that means no sideways movement is required as the valve is just face to face with the tail.
All you need to do is put covers down and a drip tray below each valve. Then turn off each valve and open one of the larger nuts to let the pressure off the rad. Get someone strong to help you lift opposite end of rad, with you both putting your thumb over the end off the tails, or better still to first shove a rag in each side.

 

[__mdc]

Could I ask, as i'm a little unsure - If I turn off each valve and get to the point where i'm removing them, I assume the whole system needs to be off (assuming that means boiler off etc? Do I need to stop water coming into the property via stopcock?) - is there a separate valve between the pipe and the trv which stops water spurting out of the pipe?

 

[Dsp]

Never work on a live system if you can turn it off and draining isn't necessarily needed if your quick but a fully drained system is easier to work on as there is less to go wrong a fresh fill and new inhibitor can do the world of good to any system

Could I ask, as i'm a little unsure - If I turn off each valve and get to the point where i'm removing them, I assume the whole system needs to be off (assuming that means boiler off etc? Do I need to stop water coming into the property via stopcock?) - is there a separate valve between the pipe and the trv which stops water spurting out of the pipe?

if you have a tank you will need to isolate water to it I normally just tie it up on the ball valve rather than isolate a property find a drain cock at the lowest point start draining and then open higher bleed valves one at a time until the system is empty then do your work close all bleed valves and fill the system bleed from downstairs to upstairs then run the system and rebleed as needed and don't forget once all leaks are sorted and you are happy with the system add enough inhibitor to protect the system

 

[joni os]

This has the potential to go wrong. Identify system, pump, motorized valves etc. and understand how it works in your property. If open vented, ensure ball cock moves freely and F&E tank is free of gunge which could be drawn into system. When refilling also bleed pump. Add inhibiter to fill water so it doesn't just sit in F&E tank. On a closed pressurized system draining down is unnecessary provided you create vacuum and maintain by having only one pipe open at any time.

 

[__mdc]

I need to properly address exactly what the system is, understand it, then look at how to drain it.. The previous owners put in a combi-boiler however only completed half the work - the cold water was still coming from a tank in the loft and the pressure from the hot water was pushing it back meaning no cold water upstairs. I had two guys out to do some work, and they drained the tank upstairs and bypassed it to feed from the mains - now the pressure for cold water upstairs is good, and i've an empty tank in the loft ready to be shifted.