Leaking pipe joint at lockshield valve - now too tight...

[relaxer7]

Can't find a specific answer to this so wondered what my options are...

[I have a sealed system with a baxi ecotech combi boiler ]

I've taken off two radiators in my front room whilst decorating and then noticed I had a small leak at the lockshield valve where the copper pipe attaches to the valve.

I tightened it a half turn and it was still leaking so I tightened it a bit more and the leak got quite a bit worse! At this point I panicked and isolated all radiators in the house.

This seems to have (eventally) stopped the leak as the pressure in the boiler dropped and it shut off. This was late last night so i went to bed with a plan to look at it after work tonight. Think these are the right questions to be asking....

1. Do I now drain the remaininig water out of the pipes (leaving the rest of the water in the isolated radiators)

2. What do i do with my boiler? Do i switch it off or just leave it with the low pressure error code and re-fill system later? Do i need to switch off any water supply anywhere?

3. Do I now just remove lockshield valve and replace the olive? What happens if (microbore 8mm or 10mm) pipe is deformed?

4. How do I correctly refill system not getting an airlock and add new inhibitor to it?

Sorry for the essay - just wanted to give as much info as possible.

Thanks
Rich

 

[powell30]

. Do I now drain the remaininig water out of the pipes (leaving the rest of the water in the isolated radiators) Upto you but i would drain out in full incase one of the valves is letting by

2. What do i do with my boiler? Do i switch it off or just leave it with the low pressure error code and re-fill system later? Do i need to switch off any water supply anywhere? Switch off the boiler before you drain down. If you have a sealed system then it isn't nessessary to turn off your water

3. Do I now just remove lockshield valve and replace the olive? What happens if (microbore 8mm or 10mm) pipe is deformed? Doubt it is the olive so you may have 'wasted' the pipe by overtightening. Cut out the pipework and refit. Use compression or soldered joints your choice

4. How do I correctly refill system not getting an airlock and add new inhibitor to it? If it's mains pressure you almost never airlock (pressure is too great), open up a rad blled valve (the whole 1/2 incj fitting not the nipple) and squeeze in the inhibitor or use a funnel and rubber tube.....then refill

 

[relaxer7]

Thanks for the quick response!

OK that all sounds good, just one more question... if i take the lockshield valve off and the pipework looks OK should i just buy a new valve or should i just put some tape on it and refit (got a new olive so will put that in anyway)

 

[Alz0r]

the olive may be too tight to get off. If the pipework looks ok, just wipe some jointing compound around the olive.

 

[relaxer7]

Got thome and had a look - the pipe was a little deformed and the olive was on way too tight to get off so I cut the pipe below the olive and fitted the new olive, reassembled the valve and it was fine.

Only thing was i found impossible to get the new 8mm olive and nut on to to 8mm pipe. I used wire wool for ages trying to smooth the pipe down engough for them to slide on. In the end i had to force them on which made me a bit dubious.... Anyway once the system was back up to pressure it was fine (after a very slight turn to tighten the nut!)

As i'm decorating i still have the two radiators off so i put the heating on checked my handy work again and went to bed. Guess what, woke up this morning and no heating was on... i feared the worst and expected a flood down stairs. It seem the TRV on the other radiator was just slightly letting the water out after the pressure had increased with the heating!! Floor was a bit wet but not too bad and boiler has shut off again due to low pressure.

Will cap off both TRV's tonight and hopefully get on with the decorating after plastering the wall which fell to bits after steaming the paper off!! Don't you just love old houses!

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Dont forget to put rust inhibitor back in the system when you have finished

 

[relaxer7]

yep will do - i'm looking at the sentinel X100 gel. screwfix do it for abou £25...