B&Q Radiators - where to attach the in/out valves?

[Kieran]

I've bought 7 of the sods - standard hot water double radiators with a sort of matrix of conductive metal in between the front and back plates. Now, there's threaded holes either side at the top which I presume I put the blanking cap and air vent fittings into (at least their dodgy photocopied instructions suggest this), but either side at the bottom, where I had thought I could simply screw my valves in, there seems to be some kind of circular plug *welded* into the hole where the valves should go. It looks like an X inside an O. Has anybody any idea how I proceed? I must admit to being baffled. I've concidered whacking a screwdriver through to see if that shifts it, but don't want to damage them if I'm wrong. Thanks for any advice offered.

[Lee Blaver]

Are you sure it's not a plastic plug and only looks "welded" because it's been painted after the plastic cap has been screwed in?

Ours were anyway, and taking the pug out chips the paint as well. Would have sent them back, if I could have been bothered.

Lee

[Andrew Barnes]

Are you sure they are not plastic plugs in the threads which have been painted over?

[John Laird]

Use the screwdriver, but in the manner it was designed for. They are plastic plugs screwed into the thread for the valve tails. You could run a razor blade around the paint if you are worried about it peeling off, but it should be more firmly bonded to the metalwork than the plastic.

[Tony]

They are just plastic and screwed into the threads... just get big screwdriver or a coin and gently undo them anticlockwise, they should come out really easily

[Kieran]

Yes, thank you to all who answered. Just after I wrote that question I found a very big screwdriver and tried again to treat them as if they were screwed in plugs - this big screwdriver did the job fine! Out they popped! I feel a bit of a knob head now, but they were painted in, and looked very metallic and very welded. Just needed a bigger screwdriver. Maybe B&Q should add a little sentence to their instructions, as people aren't that happy about scraping around enamel painted radiators with a screwdriver unless they're absolutely sure that it's the correct thing to do - they're not the cheapest radiators money can buy. Ta very much though for such prompt and 100% correct answers.