lost bleed valve

I'm throwing out a radiator that has a bleed screw. Radiator must be at least 20 years old so if you PM me with your address I'll put it in the post for you.

Surely they are standard items. You may have to buy the top radiator plug but I can't believe they are not available.

"tim(yet another new home)" wrote;

Just the screw out of a BES air vent might fit.

There didn't seem to be a top plug, it lookesto be tapped straight into the frame. The end has been painted over, but that doesn't usually hide such things!

But as others have suggested the same thing, perhaps there is a replacable plug. I'll have to look again (the rad is not in my current property) and post again.

thanks

tim

That doesn't sound right .Can you let us see a picture of one of the others so we know exactly what part you speak of. Is it the little square ended screw or the whole plug plus that part .?

Stuart

The square ended screw.

Presumably they come in different guages and lengths.

But even if I have to buy one of every available type I am still quids in over the alternative solution

tim

Not sure about the different sizes bit .Anyone I have seen has come as part of a radiator plug,the other plug at the other end being the asame but without the bleed screw.Are you sure there isn't a plug that the bleed screw screws in to .

Stuart

Go down the scrapyard and filch half a dozen from scrap radiators.

Best suggestion so far but dont forget your vice grips.

Well following this up, I received Steve's screw (thanks) but it didn't fit and neither did the one that I bought for 71p (including the plug).

I've investigated more and the whole plug did come out (easily) some had painted over it to make it look like it was fixed.

So off to the Plumb shop again to see if I can get a match. It's bound to be imperial, I hope that I don't get "They're all metric now mate" because if I do, even replacing the rad isn't going to help me, because the input/output taps on that will be imperial too.

For want of a nail.....

tim

Whilst the size(length) of the radiator may be different the connection holes will be 1/2" BSP even on radiator made in other countries. Maybe

If you really want to bodge this nicely you could see if you could tap the hole so ISO M4 and use a M4 brass electrical BESA box screw. If you use the taper or 2nd tap you should get something of a taper for the screw to lock up against.

That's good to know. It must be 3/4 it certainly wasn't 1/2 (it's sitting in my office at the moment)

tim

Ed Sirett wrote: >

Now hold on Ed, this is a diy group and we are all bodgers here. Tapping a new hole into a rad is a bit technical for us diy ers.

The size designation of Imperial threads bears a relationship to logic and dimensions that I've never tried to understand. The 1/2" NPT threads I'm nauseatingly familiar with from work are close enough to

This is the sort of thing that my dad used to do.

He had a whole set of taps and ? (dies??)

I've no idea what happened to them

tim