Is it ok to have service valves fitted below the trv and lockshieldvalves on radiators to enable the rads to be shut off and the servicevalves too for rad removal when decorating? Save all that messy drainingdown

Er, why? You simply close the TRV (with the decorating cap...) and the lockshield (counting how far you turn it to within 1/4 turn). OPen the rads bleed valve, loosen one of the joints between rad and valve, drain just the rad. Loosen the other valve/rad connection and if the pipe work has enough slack lift of the brackets and hinge down. No, slack? You undo the joints then lift the rad off. Probably better to do that anyway so you can get at the wall easyly.Service valves will restrict the flow unless you get the fullbore type and aren't required anyway, see above or another recent posting using bungs to enable the change of valves without draining.

Easy radiator removal for dec?

Sep 29, 2004 24 Replies

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Set Square 21 years ago

I fear that you're confusing pipe thread size with *actual* size! Radiator tails have a 1/2" BSP (British Standard Pipe) thread, which has an *actual* OD of 0.8252"! [This is because an old iron pipe of this size has a nominal bore of 1/2"]

Likewise, 1/8" BSP - which is the thread on the outside of my adapter - has an OD of 0.383"

Bleed assemblies used to be made with this size of housing - to screw into the radiator - with a pin of the size you mention inside it. As far as I know, the pins in rads with integral bleed assemblies are the same size as the pins *inside* an 1/8" BSP removeable assembly. So, like I said, I can't use my device in rads where only the pin comes out!

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Ric 21 years ago

Was in Wickes last night and noticed thay had them - they did appear to be full bore as far as I could tell in the packet as the centre point where the valve is was a good bit chunkier than a normal tail.

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Phil Addison 21 years ago

You don't have to get 20 deg (is that F or C?). See my post a few days ago in a thread on balancing for an explanation.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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MikeT 21 years ago

They look just what I need, hadnt had time to browse the latest catalogue yet, many thanks!

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Dave Liquorice 21 years ago

Almost certainly, pipes is about the only thing I'm metric in but even that doesn't include thread pipes...

Ah light is beginging to dawn, thinking about the roll top rads here the bleed mounting is roughly 0.4" OD so you'd take the whole assembly out to fit you valve... Not standard enough for a kit and not as neat as just removing the pin, which appears to be a "standard" size irrespective of the bush that it mounts in.

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