Odd radiator valves

[jsee]

Hi

I'm trying to balance some rads. The radiators have both the feed and return going into one valve on one side of the rads and the pipes look like microbore going into them. It appears that the only way to adjust is with the flow pipe which as I know is the wrong one to adjust for balancing. However I cannot see how to adjust the return one as it just looks to have a small round metal cap over it. Don't know if it's removable and don't want to try too hard removing the cap as it's my ex-wife's house!

Curiously the perceived return pipe that exits the coldest radiator is piping hot but the flow pipe(with large standard adjustment wheel on it) is cold. Possible someone has mistakenly switched the pipes???

Thanks for any advice if anyone is familiar with these valves I've described.

Jon

[John]

My house has this type of valve. It became obsolete (ish) by 1990.

If you remove the domed cap (it shouldn't leak) there is a coarse threaded screw underneath that is the lockshield adjustment.

The flow is taken by a long plastic tube to about a third of the way along the radiator - shooting the flow to the far end so that it circulates and returns coaxially back down the return.

See this:

[John]

They were made by Yorkshire Valves - called Twinfast I believe

[John]

Yorkshire Maxitwin is the name

[adder1969]

..and the cap itself screws off too.

[jsee]

Thanks for the replies. I'll have a go at screwing the cap off then and see if an adjustment of the return pipe makes a difference. As I said though I suspect someone has switched the flow and return pipes as the return is hot and flow cold! I guess it wouldn't make much difference with standard valves but these may be different. Thanks again

Jon

adder1969 wrote:

[adder1969]

Didn't seem to make much difference to one of my rads but sure it makes it harder to adjust and often the lockshield valve part will drip a bit if you're planning on adjusting it often. I've changed mine around now though.

I recently replaced a double rad with a newer one and when I came to put the feed pipe in I realised that the layout of the pipes meant I couldn't so I'm goign to have to run a pipe around the back and fit a tap either end.

[John]

Sorry - Maxitwin