Radiator Tip (1).
All radiators come with two valves. What is called a lock shield valve and the other either a wheel head or a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV). The wheel head and TRV are used to turn the radiator on and off. The lock shield, on the other hand, are set for each radiator when the central heating system was first installed. They control the resistance to water within the radiator and as such ensure that all the radiators in the house get hot, as opposed to one or two getting desperately hot whilst the rest remain stubbornly luke warm or just plain cold. With this in mind the lock shield valves are usually covered by a lid that stop you accidentally turning them and altering the setting. When you do need to close the lock shield completely, for instance, when changing a radiator, it’s important that you count the number of turns you make so that you can set it back to the original settings afterwards. Pentonville Plumbers fit valves.

Radiator Tip (2).
As a general rule, don’t fit TRVs to all the radiators in your home, always leave at least one with a traditional valve, and leave this radiator on all the time. The reason for this is so there’s always an open circuit in the central heating system. The one most often chosen for the traditional valve is the bathroom radiator or heated towel rail. Hoxton Plumbers adjust TRVs.

Radiator Tip (3).
If you are fitting a new radiator and using the old valves you might as will use the old tails. To remove the tails fit a radiator spanner inside the tail and turn. In the old days these always used to work but these days the internal size can vary so much you might want to opt for the adjustable version. Also, many tails can now be unscrewed with an adjustable spanner on the outside.



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