Towel Radiator Valve Cap stuck?

[whitp54]

Hi,

I cannot seem to remove the cap on the valve in the picture. Is it definitely just pulling it off that should work?

The radiator doesn't warm up at all, so trying to see if it is the thermostatic valve that is closed, as when bleeding it no air came out.

I managed to unscrew the end part of the cap off, but this didn't seem to achieve anything.

View attachment 222204
Thanks

 

[terryplumb]

Unscrewing and removing the end cap should allow the silver handle to pull off. That is not a thermostatic valve by the way.

 

[ianmcd]

when you take the end cap off there might be a screw in there holding the cap on but as has been said it is not a TRV

 

[whitp54]

Unscrewing and removing the end cap should allow the silver handle to pull off. That is not a thermostatic valve by the way.

Thanks, it's just called a valve then?

It definitely doesn't just come off after removing the screw cap at the end, I've applied a fair amount of force to it too.

when you take the end cap off there might be a screw in there holding the cap on but as has been said it is not a TRV

The inside looks like the below;

Should I be able to unscrew something further?

 

[terryplumb]

It just pulls off. Why do you want to take it off ? It should rotate ,to close or open the valve ?? Clockwise to close ,anti clockwise to open .

 

[whitp54]

It just pulls off. Why do you want to take it off ? It should rotate ,to close or open the valve ?? Clockwise to close ,anti clockwise to open .

Ah crap just been googling lockshield valves - I was definitely trying to do the wrong thing.

Just trying to get the rad to warm up. The valve was able to rotate with the cap on tho, not sure if that's meant to happen

 

[terryplumb]

Yes it will turn with cap on or off ,it's just a decorative cover. Is the other valve the same ? Does water come out of the bleed valve ( I know you said no air comes out )

 

[whitp54]

Yes it will turn with cap on or off ,it's just a decorative cover. Is the other valve the same ? Does water come out of the bleed valve ( I know you said no air comes out )

Yeah water came out. The other is similar but no decorative cap, and slightly smaller

 

[ianmcd]

No screw it just pulls off, but as said wont make any difference

 

[terryplumb]

Show us a pic. If both valves are fully opened ( anti clockwise) and the rad doesn't heat ,try turning off EVERY other rad ( only by its TRV do not touch their lockshields) This will concentrate the pumps efforts through the towel rad.

 

[whitp54]

Show us a pic. If both valves are fully opened ( anti clockwise) and the rad doesn't heat ,try turning off EVERY other rad ( only by its TRV do not touch their lockshields) This will concentrate the pumps efforts through the towel rad.

The one I've shown is turned all the way anticlockwise , I can move the other one at all. I'll try turning the other rads off in the morning, but theyre all run of separate pipes (not sure if it makes a difference).

Below is the other valve

 

[terryplumb]

That's probably the lockshield ,and you would need to pull off the knob to expose the spindle of the valve. If the rad worked in the past and that lockshield has not been closed ,it probably doesn't need to be touched.

 

[ianmcd]

turn all the other rads off and see if the towel rail now heats up

 

[whitp54]

So just tried turning the other rads off, didn't seem to work sadly.

I don't know if it worked in the past, it's pretty old, they just moved in.

Can't move/take off the cap on the right hand side valve/lockshield at all.

 

[terryplumb]

You need to make sure that right hand valve is open.
When you turned other rads off ,did either of the two pipes going to the towel rad get hot ?