Need to stop a radiator leaking...help!

[matmushroom]

Hi all.

A couple of weeks ago I emptied the system to change a few faulty, old, rusty, leaking valves..

All went fine, and the heating system works way better than before. But one radiator is causing a problem.

Basically I removed the old valve - which basically fell off in my hand, turns out that the actual pipe from the floor was cut to short and the previos valve was barely attached. When it came to replacing it I ended up using a valve with an extender....it's this extender that keeps leaking.

The leaking is mild, a simple cloth wrapped around the valve is fine, but I did try to tighten it further, but it's causing the pipe to bend, and I fear ill permanently damage the pipe and flood the house with water.

So I'm left with an option, figure out a way to stop the leak myself, but I don't know how, any advice..

Or....I call a plumber, any idea how much that should cost to replace/fix a valve?

Cheers!

 

[45yearsagasman]

If you post a pic that will help to understand what you're talking about, and don't mess with it until you know what to do.

 

[matmushroom]

here you go, hope this makes sense!

View media item 38986

 

[seco services]

The pipe going into valve is all on the p*ss pulling on the top nut causing that to leak to.

 

[matmushroom]

Defiantly othe ****... Don't know what I can do about it though. Most of our rads in the house are like that.

I cannot move the rad left or right as both sides the pipe is at an angle.

 

[mcmoby69]

doesnt look like 15mm pipe going into the bottom nut.
have you used a reducing set?
if so have you assembled it correctly?.
the ptfe should be on the olive and pipe not the threads.
is the tail from the radiator full socket into the valve?

if in doubt drain it all down again, disassemble the joints and start again.

 

[matmushroom]

doesnt look like 15mm pipe going into the bottom nut.
have you used a reducing set?
if so have you assembled it correctly?.
the ptfe should be on the olive and pipe not the threads.
is the tail from the radiator full socket into the valve?

if in doubt drain it all down again, disassemble the joints and start again.

Oh.....interesting...

There is a reducing set - took me an age to figure it out but it's in there.

As for ptfe on the olive - never did that! Was I ment to, currently it's metal on metal so to speak.

Maybe that's where it's gone pear shaped!?!?

 

[TicklyT]

In a perfect world a compression joint will seal without using any sealants, but PTFE tape, or a smear of your preferred sealant on the pipe olive will help.

PTFE tape around the threads of a compression joint does nothing at all, except make it appear to be wearing a pair of comedy white socks.

The only threads that need any sealing are the tapered male iron fittings that screw into the rad. panel, and they usually need either LOTS of tape, or PTFE string. Compression joints seal on the olive only.

Ditto the comments about the alignment of the fitting(s). I am surprised the valve will even sit at that angle unless the rad. tail isn't fully inserted into the valve body.

Consider shortening the rad. tail, so the valve sits closer to the rad, or forming a dogleg in the pipe to square everything up, and using a longer extension tail or extending the pipe as necessary.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Time to call a plumber, before there is a major leak when no-one is home.

Andy

 

[matmushroom]

Consider shortening the rad. tail, so the valve sits closer to the rad.

Can I purchase a new rad tail - A shorter one with ease?

The leak at the moment is very monor, so I doubt (tell me if Im wrong) that if I leave it it will collapse. Unless someone tells me otherwise Ill drain the system again on the weekend and add some tape to the olive....oh well :/

 

[ChrisOxford]

TicklyT is spot-on: Don't use PTFE tape on the threads, you might as well put up a "DIYer at work" flag. But one turn over the olive works wonders.

You can often shorten rad tails yourself... Measure up, remove the olive, then take a hacksaw to the plain bit that goes into the valve, rather than the threaded bit that screws into the rad. Square-off the end and remove any burrs with a file. Re-fit olive (new one if necessary), and do make sure that the cut end is pushed home FULLY into the valve, or else it could pop out when your back's turned and cause a flood.

C.

 

[matmushroom]

quick question regarding the olive -

As it was It is it was a lot of effort getting the olive over the copper pipe - by the looks of things the copper pipe was a little bent/deformed - In the end we did manage to get it on, but it was a pain in the rear.

Assuming I empty the system on the weekend, would it be okay to use the existing olive (already on the copper pipe) and simply wrap a few turns of PTFE around it and then simply tighten everything up again?

obviously the rad tail is another issue Ill also look into

 

[Charnwood]

You might consider using an insert in the pipe. A Kuterlite figure 690.
http://www.pegler.co.uk/en/ProductD...003c&Rid=69de41e0-a0a6-4ef3-8cbd-85464633995f

 

[hansthebear]

looks like a radiator tail used to extend the pipe, the threads on the tail are not for a compression nut, the reducing set wont be doing anything

 

[matmushroom]

looks like a radiator tail used to extend the pipe, the threads on the tail are not for a compression nut, the reducing set wont be doing anything

yes it was, but the leak is pretty mild, so it seems to have atleast half worked!

we had to figure something out as the copper pipe has been cut too short (not by us i might add)

Is there a way to extend the pipe easly?