Worcester Heatslave oil-fired combi boiler. There I was, sticking some tiles on the bathroom wall. So I thought I'd be smart and slacken the unions on the bathroom radiator, lift it off its wall brackets, and "hinge" it down flat while I tiled behind it...
...and now the unions won't seal again and it's leaking! Both inlet and outlet are 10mm copper pipes. There's a Danfoss thermostatic valve on one end and a lock shield valve on the other end. Not sure what the unions on the radiator itself are, but the nuts measure 24.5mm and 29.4mm across flats respectively (the larger one being at the lock shield end). The radiators are original and the house was built in 1995, if that gives any clues? As far as I can tell, the leaks are from where the 10mm pipes go into their unions, rather than the large nuts on the bottom of the radiator.
I've tried tightening them and I'm worried that something is going to break. I'm really heaving on the spanner but the leak persists! I don't think they're compression fittings with olives in them, I'm not sure how they seal, to be honest. Clearly, I'm going to have to undo them properly and have a look at why they're leaking, but my question is this:
Can I "half drain" the system so that the water is below the level of the upstairs radiators and towel rail and then use the central heating to at least warm the ground floor of the house and the hot water, or will "bad things happen" if I try to do that?
...and now the unions won't seal again and it's leaking! Both inlet and outlet are 10mm copper pipes. There's a Danfoss thermostatic valve on one end and a lock shield valve on the other end. Not sure what the unions on the radiator itself are, but the nuts measure 24.5mm and 29.4mm across flats respectively (the larger one being at the lock shield end). The radiators are original and the house was built in 1995, if that gives any clues? As far as I can tell, the leaks are from where the 10mm pipes go into their unions, rather than the large nuts on the bottom of the radiator.
I've tried tightening them and I'm worried that something is going to break. I'm really heaving on the spanner but the leak persists! I don't think they're compression fittings with olives in them, I'm not sure how they seal, to be honest. Clearly, I'm going to have to undo them properly and have a look at why they're leaking, but my question is this:
Can I "half drain" the system so that the water is below the level of the upstairs radiators and towel rail and then use the central heating to at least warm the ground floor of the house and the hot water, or will "bad things happen" if I try to do that?