Isolating radiators when decorating

It seems to be something of an FAQ here as to how to remove radiators for decorating without draining down and/or making a mess, and I just came across the following valves at Screwfix which I thought I'd pass on to the group as I've never heard of them before - are they new?

These replace standard radiator tails to allow the rad to be isolated and removed from the wall still full of water. Fantastic! I'm buying a boxful.

formatting link

Reply to
Lobster
Loading thread data ...

Reply to
Set Square

Can someone please explain the picture on the Screwfix site. There are 2 items illustrated, which are different. They both seem to have a 1/2" BSP threaded bit to screw into the rad - but one has a cone fitting at the other end and the other has what looks like a plain 15mm shank. I can appreciate that you might want one or the other depending on whether your valve to tail connections are cone or compression type - but this look like one of *each* sold as a pair!

Am I missing something?

Reply to
Set Square

One for the TRV, one for the lockshield. Admittedly this "pair" would not suit everyone, but all my radiators (bar one) would require one of each.

Andy

Reply to
Andy

In our situation we have cones on the lockshield valve and the plain 15mm compression tail for the TRV end. I guess they're thinking of the same situation - although it doesn't make it clear that they're two different fittings.

David

Reply to
David Hearn

It sounds as if they would suit your situation - but not everybody's. Most of my rads have cones both ends, and one or two have compression fittings both ends. It would make more sense in my view to sell the two types separately and individually.

One other point worth noting. A rad full of water - particularly a large one - is *bl--dy* heavy. Are you sure you want to lift it off full? You can also get tails with built-in drain points - which sound a better bet to me, allowing a rad to be drained less mesily than otherwise - although some types may increase the length a bit.

Actually Screwfix do one

formatting link
where the drain is beyond the end of the valve rather than on the tail. Does anyone know what the drain point connects to? I would *hope* that with the valve closed it would connect to the rad rather than the supply pipe - enabling just the rad to be drained. Is this what it *actually* does?

Reply to
Set Square

fortune but has just been declared bankrupt.

Reply to
Mike

I think the photo is showing two parts of the 'valve' each with their own check valve, which screw into each other (spigot and socket). I think one piece remains on the pipework and the other remains on the radiator. Turn of both check valves and you can unscrew in the middle and remove radiator without draining either rad or central heating pipework (for decorating etc.)

Of course putting them on in the first place means getting a bit wet...

Reply to
Kevin Brady

I'm not convinced you're right. You only need *one* check valve per side which stays with the rad, because turning off both valves will keep the water in the pipes. The two bits illustrated don't look to me as though they join to each other - but rather that you use one on one side of the rad and the other one on the opposite side.

So the question remains - why do Screwfix deem us to need one of each type, rather than selling them separately and allowing us to 'mix and match'?

Reply to
Set Square

Screwfix union/compression pair, no. 33123

Screwfix union pair, no 30364

Reply to
Cycle

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.