Disabling TRVs

[bpk101]

I'm going round in circles on this one....

We're installing new column radiators and want to add some nice vintage looking valves to go with them - corner valves so we can run the pipework into the wall. I can only find one company that does traditional corner TRVs, and these are the valves we like:

https://www.castrads.com/valves/windsor-antique-brass-corner-trv/

My problem lies in the 1 rad in our system that we want a non-TRV fitting (thermostat room). The company doesn't do 'manual' corner valves in this same style... and of course we want all radiators to look the same with pipework into the wall not the floor (which rules out the angled manual valve which they do sell in this style).

As the lockshields are left mounting only, we can't even use 2 x lockshields for the room stat radiator.

Any suggestions? I can only think of somehow hacking the corner TRV and turning it into a manual... is this possible?

Or buying the angled valve and having the plumber put a 'u' bend to trace it back into the wall again before it reaches the floor... but i imagine this would mean the radiator would need to be fitted quite high??

 

[TeaTime]

Im sorry, I don't understand so I am hoping someone will clarify this for you.

I don't understand why you can only have the lockshield on the left?

 

[JohnD]

I don't understand why you can't turn the lockshield round.

Why are the lockshields left mounting only?

Edit
Oh because the pipe comes out of the back not the bottom. Don't they do one with the pipe out of the bottom?

If not, turn it upside down.

Edit again
Yes they do
https://www.castrads.com/valves/windsor-antique-brass-manual/

I think it will be very tiresome to have the pipe drilled through the wall in the precise spot where it meets the valve, especially when you remove a rad to redecorate, or need to replace a rad or a valve.

 

[bpk101]

Because of the geometry of the corner TRV/Lockshield set the company sells (see image of corner valve set):

https://www.castrads.com/workspace/images/valves/windsor-antique-brass-corner-trv-2.jpg

The lockshield – as far as i've been told by the comapny – is only made to fit the flow. Which sort of makes sense when you look at the picture no? With the 1/2" BSP on the right hand side, and the 15mm inlet on the back?

 

[bpk101]

Don't they do one with the pipe out of the bottom?

Yes they do... but we want all pipework to run into the wall, not the floor.

 

[JohnD]

I bet you a pound that the Manual Valve and the Lockshield Valve are exactly the same apart from the knob or cover on the top. Swap the tops.

 

[stem]

After your last post, I'm a bit hesitant to say this, but if you were to fit a TRV to the area where the room thermostat is located, it would be OK, provided that it was always left on 'maximum', and also that said 'maximum' setting was a few degrees higher than the temperature selected at the room thermostat. That way, the room thermostat still has ultimate control, and the TRV doesn't turn the radiator off before the room stat can operate.

It's not really good practice to do this, and two lockshields would be better. Fitting a TRV could allow someone to lower the TRV setting which would then stop the room thermostat working.

It does seem odd that there is no flexibility of mounting, you are forced into which side of the radiator the TRV and lockshield are fitted if they are, and that's not really practical.

 

[Gasguru]

You must have 2 lockshields on the room stat radiators...one valve to balance the radiator, the other to throttle it down if necessary to prevent a too rapid warmup of that area.

Have you contacted the company to find the supplier...apart from not wanting to there's no reason they could not make up a RHS lockshield. They are probably not aware of the requirement for 2 lockshields on a rad.

 

[TeaTime]

Have you contacted the company to find the supplier...apart from not wanting to there's no reason they could not make up a RHS lockshield. They are probably not aware of the requirement for 2 lockshields on a rad.

Agreed, I think you should contact the company. Although I think that if they are making corner rad valves, they must be aware of this issue.

I would be inclined to ask if you can strip the TRV down and rebuild as lockshield. Or if the inlet and outlet are removable, so you can swap them over.

 

[stem]

You must have 2 lockshields on the room stat radiators...one valve to balance the radiator, the other to throttle it down if necessary to prevent a too rapid warmup of that area.

Flow into the radiator = flow out of the radiator. Actual flow is controlled by the valve that is most restricted. As long as it is greater, the setting of the other won't have any effect.

 

[alan333]

When you take the cap off a TRV you see the operating pin. IIRC when the pin is fully extended the valve is open, and when pushed down it's closed. Wouldn't it be possible to simply cut a bit off the top of the pin such that it can't be pushed down far enough to stop the flow?

 

[sjmac]

These valves will be absolute XXXX. You/your plumber will end up unscrewing the tops just to get the F'ing things to work. So in essence they become manual valves.

 

[bpk101]

These valves will be absolute XXXX. You/your plumber will end up unscrewing the tops just to get the F'ing things to work. So in essence they become manual valves.

Right, based on?