non cooperative radiator nut

[Brian Reay]

In general, you can just "nip it up" to cure a dribble here. I normally us an adjustable and you only need a fraction of a turn in most cases.

Brian

[JWBH]

We have small two storey terraced house in north London and the gas fired central heating radiator started leaking in the first floor bedroom at the tap. When it was opened up a bit the other day.

The nut on the top (not the two flat sided tap spindle) will not take a 13 mm spanner and the 14mm spanner slips around. Is there a special size spanner I should buy, or do I have to go to town with the stilson?

Being a complete novice, I'm not sure what my next move should be...try to tighten it? or undo it and replace. If so where should I be turning off the water? If I turn off the water and then undo it, am I likely to get much of a sudden flood? Any advice to a complete beginner much appreciated, thanks.

[Ron Lowe]

Try an imperial adjustable if the metric one doesn't fit. Ask at your local tool store for one, they are not always on display.

[Bob Minchin]

The nut is almost certainly imperial. Most plumbing stuff is. Use a whitworth spanner 0.525" a/f hex or an adjustable spanner. Dont use stillsons as this will wreck the hexgon and possibly crush the gland nut.

Bob

[Roger Mills]

The nut in question is the gland nut. It's actually more like a bolt - but with a hole down the middle - because its threads are on the outside. Tightening 'nut' this compresses some soft material round the shaft, and seals it.

If it still leaks after tighening, do the following:

• Turn the shaft fully clockwise to turn off the valve

• Fully unscrew the gland nut and slide it up the shaft (very little water will leak out)

• Wind 3 or 4 turns of string round the shaft, under the nut - and slide the nut down to push the string into the threaded sleeve where the nut fits

• Screw the nut down and re-tighten it

• Turn the shaft anti-clockwise to open the valve again

With a bit of luck, it will no longer leak.

[Roger Mills]

If it's adjustable, it doesn't *care* whether the nut is metric or imperial!

[John Rumm]

That would be a woosh then ;-)

[Ron Lowe]

Uhh, really?

Are you ***seriously*** answering my post? I still think it's worth the OP's time to ask for an imperial shifter at the toolstore...

[JWBH]

Many thanks to all ( even the cruel ones :) ) Roger very concisely put, thanks. Would it matter what kind of string? We have all sorts knocking around the house, some cotton type stuff and some kind of plastic type and nylon as well? thanks.

[John Rumm]

The cotton type stuff would be better - it swells when wet making a better seal.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Roger Mills submitted this idea :

Of course it matters, that's why they make and sell both types.

[Harry Bloomfield]

JWBH explained on 29/12/2006 :

If you mean the nut through which the spindle passes - Beg, steal, or borrow an adjustable spanner. The nut should not be that tight, it is only intended to clamp down on a gland just enough to provide a seal. Slack it off a quarter turn just to free it, then tighten it gently back up, but just enough to stop the leak and no more.

[mrcheerful]

the in between size is quarter whitworth, but that may be hard to find.

Use an adjustable or mole grips or small stilsons.

[Roger Mills]

If you're for real, I must be missing something! I'm talking about the type of spanner - usually F-shaped - which has a rack and pinion to move one jaw relative to the other, and so can be adjusted to *any* size within its working range.

[Roger Mills]

As others have said, use string made of natural rather then synthetic materials. Thinnish white string - like you might use on a small parcel - is fine. Better still is hemp - traditionally used by plumbers for sealing joints - but you probably haven't got any of that, whereas you will have some string.

[Matt]

A metric adjustable spanner might cover 0-12mm, an imperial one might range from 0 - 1/2 inch. The former might not fit, the latter just might.

[Roger Mills]

By the same token, a 0-15mm spanner would fit. It's the *range*, not the units in which it's specified, which matters!

[The Medway Handyman]

Whoosh.................................

[Ron Lowe]

Good Grief. Do you really believe that the 'outside range' was the point of my post? Or of Harry's? Or any of the other respondants?

Your ineptitude at reading the subtext in the post is little short of staggering, especially given the follow-ups. Do you feel uncomfortable at social functions, when other people laugh, and you can't work out logically why that was?

My original post was 2 lines:

1) Suggested than an imperial shifter was required where a metric wouldn't fit; 2) That the OP asked for same at shop desk, since it might not be on display.

If those 2 lines did not immediately say 'ho ho' to you, then I award you 85 cD ( Centi Drivels ) for sheer ineptitude.

That ought to have been an end to it. You ought to have seen the 'woosh' replies, and gone silent in embarresment. However, you have continued to dig! ( Are you a constant source of embarresment to people at social functions, but can't quite figure out why? )

You did not respond to either of the 'woosh' posts, which suggests you did not understand them. For that, I award you a further 15 cD.

And then, you continued on your original tack indicating that you have

*still* not got it, where everyone else on the thread ( including the OP ) has. For this, I award you a further 50 cD, and also 50 3ED points in recognition of the Earl would not stop digging in the Torque Wrench thread.

Currently, you are on 150cD, and 50 3ED. These points decrease with time, so your best option is probably silence.

[<me9]

Where do you get the F shaped ones these days? I've been loooking out for one for several years without managing to locate one.