Household radiators

[Kickstart]

Hi

Just looking at the radiator in the spare room which I want to turn off. There appear to be 2 valves on the radiators in the house, one at each end. But on most one has a knob to enable it to be turned and the other has a blanking piece over the top.

Can either be used to turn off the radiator or is there a reason only one has a knob on it?

Reason I ask is the radiator I want to turn off has at one end no knob or blanking piece (would be easy enough to turn with a spanner, if I should) while the other end is hidden behind a filing cabinet and I can see it let alone turn it if it has a knob on it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Raffles]

Domestic radiators are normally controlled by one adjustable valve. The valve at the opposite end is for balancing the flow and does not normally have a means of adjustment other than a spanner. As for completely shutting down the radiator then either valve can be used for this purpose.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Cheers. The valves on the radiators I can see look the same on both ends, just one has a plastic knob and the other has a plastic cap covering the bit the knob turns.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Raffles]

Just close the one that is the most accessable. It doesnay matter which one you choose as either one will stop the flow.
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A good loser will always be a loser.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Thank you. That is what I thought (and hoped), just wasn't sure if there was some reason not to do that.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Robby]

You can use either, one is the inward flow and the other is the outward. The reason to have one at each end is so that you can turn both off to isolate the radiator for removal.

[stinkwheel]

Although it must be said, I have found that if you turn them fully off using the outlet valve only, they can leak a little round that valve.

Doesn't happen if you turn them off using the inlet valve.

I think the pressure coming up the pipe tends to hold the inlet valve closed against its seat. If there is a little slack in the outlet one, the pressure tends to force it the other way and it can seep a little up round the shaft.

So I'd always turn it off using the inlet valve, which is the one with a proper knob on it or the one on the hotter of the two pipes when it's first turned on.
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[JonB]

Come on, who hacked The Oracle's account?
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Not hacked, just don't fancy flooding the house (I hate household DIY) and couldn't see any obvious reason to have 2 valves of the same type but only one with a knob on it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[TomCB]

Turn it off with the TRV if you want it off (the one with the numbers on)

as said before, the one with the cap is for balancing the flow. you dont want to be balancing the rad up later on when you can just turn the TRV off and have the same result.
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[Kickstart]

[swampy]

I'm just waiting for G to move this to Dear Aunty BCF...

Its gonna be like a golden blob clash of the titans...

Oh, and if you turn off using the TRV, isn't there a risk of the valve opening and flooding your carpet ?
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[herulach]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Only one radiator in the house has a thermostatic valve (one that was replaced a few years ago).

Don't want to take the radiator off, just turn it off when the room isn't in use.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[TomCB]

my bad, i was thinking you just wanted it turning off, not actually disconnecting
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[McJamweasel]

When you turn it off you might find that it leaks a little from the valve, if it does just tighten the nut thats on top of the valve a little and it will stop.
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