Snapped Screw!!!!

[Conan1302]

Hi folks,

I appear to have beggared my radiator!!!!!

I was bleeding it, tightened the bleed screw adn got a bit over-excited and managed to snap the screw in half!!!!

The square end dropped out but the other half is still stuck in the thread! It is not leaking or anything but I am stuck as to what to do??

Should I just buy a new screw (and where do you get them from?) and screw it in and push the other half through so it falls intot he radiator or is this a daft idea???

The radiator is a astandard single panel rad. with a towel rail round it and it is the towel rail which is the bust bit!!!!

Help please!!!!!

Chris

PS> I can post a pic if that helps!!

 

[oilman]

You won't be able to push the other half in as it seats on a conical seat to seal

But you may be ok. Does the radiator have a bleed fitting which looks as if it screws into the radiator? If it does, turn off both radiator valves, unscrew the bleed fitting and screw in a new one. They are available in several sizes.

 

[Conan1302]

It doesn't seem to have one!!

Although the screw does seem to sit in a little collar, could that be it!!

Is there anything else I could try?

 

[masona]

Yes,that's right undo the collar which hold the bleed screw in the centre,will need a big allen key and don't forget to use PTFE tape on the new collar when re-fitting.

 

[Conan1302]

Just realised I never posted a reply to this!!!

It turned out that the bleed valve wasn't removable!!!

In the end i used a tiny drill bit to drill three or four indentations next to each other along the centre of the snapped screw. A quick fiddle with a model makers file made them into a groove adn a screwdriver could then remove it!!

It is extremely fiddly to do but it worked!!!!

 

[AdamW]

Wish I had seen this one before you went to all that drilling and knuckle bashing!

You can get a tool for removing broken screws etc. The way it works is, you drill a hole in the centre of said screw, then screw in a rather tough steel thing (a bit like a "tap"). Now the steel thing screws in anti-clockwise, making it's own thread, so when it is in good and proper you carry on turning anti clockwise and because the steel thing is locked in place the broken screw will come out.

Doubtful it is the kind of thing you would use more than once but if anyone else gets in a pickle with broken bolts and screws it might be a last resort.

 

[oilman]

Trouble is, these screws can be around 1/8 inch core diameter, and finding someone to buy from who stocks a suitable size might be difficult.

 

[WalkingDisaster123]

Sadly I got carried away last night tightening the screw down after letting the air out of the radiator!!

I'm totally naff at DIY and haven't a clue how to drain these stainless steel type of rads down let alone where to get a new screw (If I can get it out, which looks unlikely!)

Can anybody help? I would post some photos to help the response, but I don't think that I can?!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[JohnD]

I would post some photos to help the response, but I don't think that I can?!

What's stopping you?

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