How do I turn this radiator value off?

Small85

Small85

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Hi, I'm doing some decorating and need to take a radiator off the wall. I've done this a few times before however I've never seen a lockshield value like this one before where the spindle is completely round. Does anyone have any idea how to tackle this? Thanks in advance


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That is not a Lockshield valve, it is a Thermostatic radiator valve with the sensor missing, you may be able to remove the sensor from another TRV and use it to close that, the correct way is to use a decorators cap which would have come with the valve , but unlikely you will have one
 
Thanks for the response Ian.
Can I ask, why would someone put 2 thermostatic radiator valves on a radiator? Is that a common thing to do?
Without the cap I'm not going to be able to close the valve - does that mean I'll need to completely drain the system in order to take this radiator off the wall?
 
Its an odd thing to do- possible someone had a dead TRV in their bits box and chucked it on rather than fix the lockshield that should have been there.
2 choices;
1 Drain down, remove rad, do decorating, replace that trv body with a lockshield valve, refill.
2 Find a foolproof means of pressing and holding that pin down.

TBH I'd go option 1, that TRV looks a bit crusty & may well be stuck solid
 
The PTFE on the valve threads gives it away, whoever fitted that did not have a clue what they were doing
 
ianmcd said:
The PTFE on the valve threads gives it away, whoever fitted that did not have a clue what they were doing
Click to expand...

Yes - it definitely looks like a bodge.
Thanks for your help guys
 
Madrab said:
Push down on the pin, does it move down, if so then as @ianmcd suggests, get one of these .... a decorators cap .... cheap as chips

th
Click to expand...

Oh yeah it does. I can push it down with just my finger. So if I push that down with a decorators cap on it'll stop the water flow?
 
Small85 said:
Oh yeah it does. I can push it down with just my finger. So if I push that down with a decorators cap on it'll stop the water flow?
Click to expand...
yes , it is called a decorators cap , as it is designed to be fitted when you remove the radiator to decorate and it stops the flow of water to the radiator
 
Small85 said:
So if I push that down with a decorators cap on it'll stop the water flow
Click to expand...

Yup they're designed to allow the TRV head to be taken off the valve and then the cap's used to lock the valve down so it can't open.

TRV heads can be fickle and even when they're set to zero they can sometimes weep.
 
Mottie said:
Especially if it turns cold overnight - don't ask me how I know!
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Yup, learned the hard way with that too, more so with the ones that have a frost symbol and don't then turn along again to a 0.

Even if it does have a 0, I had that with one that did have a 0 but the spring must have been weak as it was an older head, luckily it just dripped. Always have spare 1/2" and 3/4" caps/stops with me now
 
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