my friend has asked me to move radiator why he plasters

[diamond geezer]

my friend is plastering a wall which has blown behind a radiator I SAID I WILL TAKE IT OFF BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS TILL PLASTER DRYS..... CAN I PUT 2 PLASTIC PUSH FITS ON THE END OF PIPE. or can I just close lock shield and valve as the person still wants to use heating
any ideas please

 

[woowoospanner]

i had to do this a couple of weeks ago so loosened the nuts at either end and swung the rad down through 90 degrees and balanced it onsome bricks and dust sheets so it was supported and not straining the pipes . probably not the correct way to do it though .

word of warning , we lost some water when we loosened , about a pint in total , mineral water bottles cut in half seemed to collect most of it . oh and remember to put something in the bracket holes otherwise it will break your heart once you've plastered over them .

 

[JohnD]

If you close the valves at each end you can then loosen the nuts at the ardiator (one at a time). The water will dribble out slowly then, you can catch iy in something low and flat like an emulsion paint tray. You can undo the bleed valve to help it run out. Then, when you undo the nut at the other end and lift it off, the remaining water will run out.

Your friend might like to paint the rad while you've got it off; the edges and back are much easier to do then.

As you've closed the valves, the rest of the heating system cab stay in use. The valves might dribble if they are old and worn.

 

[MANDATE]

If you're concerned about the valves dribbling then why not fit a blanking cap on each valve. there are a variety of types available, I have some similar to a solid 'olive' some 'compression' types and some plain caps with internal threads and rubber disc.