Can I turn my radiator off?

[Richard]

I thought I could because I saw a place to fit a key, but I'm not sure now.

Water pipe comes up vertically and fits to a piece which on it's opposite end (from the water pipe inlet) looks to be something like a nut. At a right angle to this piece the radiator is connected, but before the water enters the radiator proper, there is some kind of valve that you operate using a key. Directly below the key I can see that there is an opening.

Now it looks to me that turning this valve with a key might simply allow water to pass out of that hole below the valve. IOW, I'm not sure this valve actually turns off the radiator, but just drains it.

Anyway, does anyone know what that nut is for? If I screw that nut will I then be able to close off the radiator. I'm reluctant to try it yet, just in case water starts coming out if I mess with the nut. TIA.

[Richard]

The part looks simlar to P/N 17551 on the following page (halfway down page):

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:FoHbLY7V5DYJ:

's certainly a valve because it's to BS 2767 - 10.

Water inlet from bottom, feeds radiator to the right, that nut thingy on top.

I just don't know how to operate it.

[Bob Eager]

That's the lockshield valvle, and you're not normally expected to operate it. It's only used when adjusting and balancing the flow in the system as a whole. For example, you need differing flow for different radiators (that's a simplification, but it's adequate here).

The real control would be at the other end of the radiator.

[Roger Mills (aka Set Square)]

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:FoHbLY7V5DYJ:

> It's certainly a valve because it's to BS 2767 - 10.

Your description sounds more like 7506/7/8 than 17551. Can you post a photo somewhere, so that we can see what it is *really* like?

[Richard]

"Roger Mills (aka Set Square)" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:FoHbLY7V5DYJ:

>>> It's certainly a valve because it's to BS 2767 - 10.

17551 is pretty much as I can tell, the exact shape of the item and is a valve to BS 2767 -10. I know that because the BS 2767 10 is written on the top nut.

The part containing a valve that I think is used to drain, that's openable/closable with a key, is a seperate part/component.

So, on the R/H side of the radiator we have something like a 17551, which on it's left is a key-adjustable valve, which then connects to the radiator proper. The same component, i.e. something like 17551, is on the L/H side of the radiator, but that goes directly into the radiator. There is *not* a key-adjustable valve on the L/H side.

Surely if I wanted to remove this radiator I could shut of water at both ends, before removing it? Anyhow, what are those top nuts for? Do they not have something to do with being able to shut of the water?

[Richard]

To me there looks to be two (lockshield?) valves on the radiator, one on right and one on the left. Both look just like P/N 17551 on the web page I give. So there is no easy hand control. This radiator is at the bottom of the steps in the house, but I've moved the thermostat into another room so I don't want this radiator to heat up at all.

But, can I alter this kind of valve messing with the top nut, to close off the radiator completely?

[Bob Eager]

Other people are more knowledgeable than I about this, but there is usually one radiator in a system that (by design) is meant to be 'on' all the time (so that circulation through the boiler does not stop completely). This may be the case in your system.

[Roger Mills (aka Set Square)]

That's where I was confused, because I thought it was part of the same thing.

I've never actually seen a lockshield valve quite like that - the more usual sort has a spindle with a square end - to which a handwheel can be fitted for use as a normal manual valve, or a non-rotating cover can be fitted if it is to be used as a lockshield.

Anyway, what you have is apparently a dedicated lockshield - so the 'nut'

*must * be the bit you turn to adjust it or turn it off.

If you simply want to stop the flow of water through the rad, you only need to turn off one end. If you want to remove the rad, you need to turn off both ends and then drain it.

In your other post you mention about disabling this rad, and moving the room thermostat elsewhere. You need to make sure that the rad nearest to the new stat location doesn't have a TRV, and can't be turned off accidentally - so, ideally, *that* needs to have two lockshield valves on it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They are idenditical valves, but normally one has a handle which allows adjustment, the other an anti-tamper cap. Those both simply push on. If this rad has had both valves fitted with anti-tamper caps use one from another rad in the house.

[Richard]

"Roger Mills (aka Set Square)" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

Okay.

Those things that look like nuts are just caps. Once you unscrew them you see you have to use an allen key to turn something. I think I will turn the thing clockwise and that I think will shut off the flow.

If there must be at least one radiator that is not shut off, that will be in the room I'm heating where the thermostat is.

I'm not sure if the radiator in the room has a TRV.

I'm just going to turn the radiator on full, and control the room temparature by setting the thermostat on the wall.

Thanks for the input.

[Christian McArdle]

Radiators in the room with the room thermostat should have lockshields both ends to prevent them being turned off. You now need to replace one of these lockshields with a TRV and replace the TRV in the new room stat room with a lockshield.

Now, it appears you have a TRV body with a lockshield head. If you are lucky and everything is compatible, you can remove the TRV head (the dry part) from the new room stat room and swap it with one of the lockshield heads from the hallway. This doesn't even require you to drain down the system or buy anything!

Christian.