Removing olive...

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I am changing a thermostat on one of my radiators, how can I remove this olive without damaging the 15mm copper pipe?
Cheers...
 
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Junior hacksaw. Pliers if its not mega tight with a twisting action as you pull it up.
You can buy olive splitters, but for 1 olive not worth it
 
There are tools for a few quid on ebay that will do it, maybe difficult getting it off due to it squashing the pipe though!
 
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I can often get them off using my large water pump pliars between top of pipe and bottom of the nut.

That assumes the olive will expand.

Usually works fine on copper olives but not so easily on brass olives!

Tony
 
As Tony mentioned, even if you get this off you may have problems given the olive has been overtightened and it's compressed the pipe. When you put the new olive on you will need to overtighten that just to take up the gap for the compressed pipe to avoid any leaks. If it was me I'd cut the pipe below the floorboards and solder a new piece in. If that's not an option and the nut will fit the new TRV, it may be better just to leave it where it is and use a good few few turns of PTFE tape over the olive.
If you are determined to take it off then a hacksaw and carefully cut diagonally across the olive, avoiding the pipe and when 3/4 of the way through use a screwdriver and twist it in the cut, it should snap.
 
All of the above but as said saw at a 45 deg angle to avoid hitting the pipe where it bulges, then before breaking through insert a small screwdriver in the cut and twist to snap the last bit.

If you want to get clever you can use the same principle as proper olive pullers, cut a small ring of pipe, say 3mm long and insert it in the valve, reassemble and tighten the nut it should pull the olive up the pipe. When the nut is fully home (don't go mad just nip it up) disasemble and put a 6mm ring in and repeat it got me out of trouble a couple of times!
 
You could always get a danfoss Trv which the same type of connection and possibly re use the old nut and olive.
 
Is there any play on the pipe ? If so, cut the pipe under the olive.
 
Thanks for all your help....much appreciated.
As you advised I cut it with a hacksaw and used a screwdriver to break it...then I cut the damaged pipe and fitted a new thermostat..."jobs a good un"...
Cheers......
 
I'll say it seems as nobody's jumped in,

Why bother removing the olive if you ended up cutting the pipe ;)
 
I would say the pipe is already damaged!

Squashed by over tightening the olive!

Tony

I could easily see that from your photo!

But I may have more experience of seeing them.

Also probably more keen to identify potential problems!

Tony
 

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