Help required with radiator.

[pilgrim1]

Hello,
I'm having some real issues with the radiator pictured below. The manufacturer (Jaga) supplied the valves and a T-Piece for the thing. They suggest that you just PTFE them and screw them in and it will be all happy. It's not, they leak and quite a bit. The T-piece is no where near the right angle when fitted, I spoke to the technical and they said to loosen it, I said it would leak, no it won't trust me says the man. And err...it leaks. I've tried everything from a little PTFE to so much it's difficult to screw it the valves in.

Any assistance would be appreciated. It's getting cold here now.

Cheers.

CC

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moderator

edited to correct image link

 

[ollski]

Take them out put a few wraps of gas ptfe tape round and also get some fernox lsx and spread it liberally on the female thread then do them up until they start to get tight and go round to the angle you need....don't loosen them off after it will encourage them to leak.

 

[pilgrim1]

Take them out put a few wraps of gas ptfe tape round and also get some fernox lsx and spread it liberally on the female thread then do them up until they start to get tight and go round to the angle you need....don't loosen them off after it will encourage them to leak.

Hi ollski, thanks for the reply, as I said in my post. I put buckets of PTFE on them (at least 10 winds at one point). They still leak, big time, especially the T-Piece. I put them in as tightly as was comfortable and still they leak.

Regards

CC.

 

[breezer]

you said

I put buckets of PTFE on them (at least 10 winds at one point)

but ollski said

gas ptfe tape

 

[Paul Barker]

Pilgrim 1, gas ptfe is much thicker.

The method which never fails is hemp and boss white, you are allowed to use it on heating. Buy a knot of hemp and small tub of bos white. take some strands of hemp and pull them through your boss white clad fingers, make a few of these then twist them together, wrap them around the male part. As the hemp gets wet it expands to seal the leak, give it time to work, a slight drip will bed in.

 

[pilgrim1]

you said

I put buckets of PTFE on them (at least 10 winds at one point)

but ollski said

gas ptfe tape

Hi ollski,
OK I missed that, however in mitigation it was 12.41 am and I'd been lifting 40KG of rad on and off the wall since 10am ;-( It's a real pain to fit this one.

Many thanks for the info, my apologies for missing the point, your advice is much appreciated. I'll go and pick GAS PTFE up!

Regards

ChrisC.

 

[pilgrim1]

Pilgrim 1, gas ptfe is much thicker.

The method which never fails is hemp and boss white, you are allowed to use it on heating. Buy a knot of hemp and small tub of bos white. take some strands of hemp and pull them through your boss white clad fingers, make a few of these then twist them together, wrap them around the male part. As the hemp gets wet it expands to seal the leak, give it time to work, a slight drip will bed in.

Paul,
many thanks, an original idea this one. Only one question, where the hell do you buy your hemp from? Phoned around this morning and no one in our local area seems to have it.

Your advice is very much appreciated.

Regards

ChrisC.

 

[Nige F]

Paul, you beat me to it I advocated the old school approach for a hot cyl. on another post...glad to hear another plumber doin` it right You can buy small amounts of hemp in a plastic container from a branch of PTS plumbers merchants. but you need so little, that if you buy a tub of boss white, they might tear off 150mm or so and give it to you FOC. PS. shall we tell them how to knot a hemp grommet

 

[ollski]

you didn't miss the lsx bit did you?....just to be 100%

Hemp yuck, will do the job but horrible, needs must on black iron, but why when you have a choice

 

[pilgrim1]

Paul, you beat me to it I advocated the old school approach for a hot cyl. on another post...glad to hear another plumber doin` it right You can buy small amounts of hemp in a plastic container from a branch of PTS plumbers merchants. but you need so little, that if you buy a tub of boss white, they might tear off 150mm or so and give it to you FOC. PS. shall we tell them how to knot a hemp grommet

Hi gents got some cross eyed looks at the local hardware shed, found a plumbers merchant open on Sunday, has the boss white, the hemp and the gas PTFE.

Excellent job gents, I'll post if it works.

 

[pilgrim1]

you didn't miss the lsx bit did you?....just to be 100%

Hemp yuck, will do the job but horrible, needs must on black iron, but why when you have a choice

morning ollski,
I've not ignored this one, picked up the LSX from my local hardware shop this AM, I plan to have every possible plan I can.

Regards

ChrisC.

 

[chrishutt]

ChrisC, are you sure you're tightening the connections enough in the first place? It's difficult for the amateur to judge of course, but it may be that they can be turned a fair bit further without damage.

 

[Paul Barker]

Hi Nigel yes I prefer hemp gromet to fibre washer. However ptfe makes good gromet also.

At least we have our old trusty technique to fall back on when necessary.

 

[ChrisR]

CC. Have to smile at the things different people get worried over. The leaks are just a question of using enough of the right goo, but that bent connection looks intolerable.

It LOOKS like it's a "Heater Tee", which means you're supposed to be able to screw a long thin immersion heater in the bottom, so it goes up the middle of the tube. But with an angle like that it would bend and may break!

Even if you're just putting valves on, it's still going to look hideous. Fair enough maybe, just, for something very cheap, but I bet that rad wasn't? I'd be demanding another one and that they collect the faulty one. I mean, you could threaten them that you'd put a picture of the vile thing on a diy plumbing website . Where did you get it, by the way? Call the wombat who said you could leave the connection loose and ask him for his boss's name, then speak to the boss, etc etc. Good luck!

 

[pilgrim1]

CC. Have to smile at the things different people get worried over. The leaks are just a question of using enough of the right goo, but that bent connection looks intolerable.

It LOOKS like it's a "Heater Tee", which means you're supposed to be able to screw a long thin immersion heater in the bottom, so it goes up the middle of the tube. But with an angle like that it would bend and may break!

Even if you're just putting valves on, it's still going to look hideous. Fair enough maybe, just, for something very cheap, but I bet that rad wasn't? I'd be demanding another one and that they collect the faulty one. I mean, you could threaten them that you'd put a picture of the vile thing on a diy plumbing website . Where did you get it, by the way? Call the wombat who said you could leave the connection loose and ask him for his boss's name, then speak to the boss, etc etc. Good luck!

ChrisR, don't get me started on this one As you can see from the instructions I posted with the link Jaga suggest you bring the pipes out at the same height on the wall, which I did, plastered and tiled them in. A fantastic job even if I say so myself. Then I unpacked the heating element to find the T-piece is 25mm higher and does not line up. I've spent the last month agast they don't have a solution. Apparently it's my fault because they supplied me with old instructions I should have known it was wrong apperently

I've threatened them with all manner of things, sale of goods act etc. However they don't care and the don't have a solution. I've been to every plumbers merchant in the north in the past month trying to find a better solution to the T-Piece. The only options I had were extenders (another thing to leak or don't fit the heating element) or have a T-Piece made. These are cast, so a bespoke tool is required. More than the radiator cost!

My other half is getting very cold now and other than sending the whole lot back (which is not really an option as I've put the pipes, anchors etc. in place to hang this monster) I'm stuffed. So I now have some really creative plumbing I'm compentent with solder for pipes, but that's the extent of my plumbing thus far, besides the odd bit of waste pipe and taps. The central heating is something new to me. When this didn't work the depression really set in.

I find it hard to believe that it's beyond the wit of the manufacturer to supply me with somthing that just works and fits! Hey but what do they care. Next time my missus chooses a radiator, unless it's flat and white it does not get purchased

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

Regards

CC