TRV Pin Leaking Water When Pressed In

[Liam2021]

Hi all,

Moved into a flat a few weeks ago, had some issues with boiler but it was quickly fixed. Some of the radiators' TRVs have come off due to wear and age. This hasn't been a problem as far as we've been concerned as we turn heat on and off regularly and don't mind full heat when it's on.

However TRV in bedroom has come off and this is causing a leak when the pin is pressed in. It also happens when pin is moved side to side. When not pressed in, some of the water just gathers in the metal cap and slowly leaks out hence the towel.

Not sure how to fix it. My experience with DIY is nil but I wanted to try and fix this without calling the landlord's repairman to come take a look. So any advice you guys give please bare with me.

Would a new TRV just fix the issue? Can I simply replace it? Is there anything I can do to fix the problem quickly so water stops leaking?

I've attached a picture for help. Thanks all!

 

[terryplumb]

You need a new valve ,that one is in danger of flooding the place . Put the actuator head back on to at least stop the pin from flying out.

 

[Liam2021]

You need a new valve ,that one is in danger of flooding the place . Put the actuator head back on to at least stop the pin from flying out.

Ok. I'll buy a valve and pick it up tomorrow. If I replace the valve, will water leak out when I take the old one off, or is there a trick to doing it without water leakage?

I suppose I would need to turn off the main water supply then replace the TRV head? Do I need to bleed any of the radiators?

An article and video I watched both said I need to drain off the radiator by using a hose and run it outside. It specifies I need to make sure it is below the radiator. I do not have any sort of drain I can connect a hose to... any advice?

Are most valves standard? I was looking at this one https://www.screwfix.com/p/white-ch...vJ1Gx9nJAOypP3_pgixoC63gQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[terryplumb]

It can be done ,if you know what you are doing, without draining down. But the safest way for you is to drain the system. As you are in a flat ,and its rented you really should contact your landlord and have a plumber carry out the work.

 

[Liam2021]

It can be done ,if you know what you are doing, without draining down. But the safest way for you is to drain the system. As you are in a flat ,and its rented you really should contact your landlord and have a plumber carry out the work.

Yeah, thought I would give it a go because actually replacing the TRV seems simple enough but as I'm not certain about draining the system I'll likely flood the place. Turned the radiator off in the bedroom and will call Monday morning and just have them take a look.

Thank you for your help

 

[ianmcd]

It can be done ,if you know what you are doing, without draining down. But the safest way for you is to drain the system. As you are in a flat ,and its rented you really should contact your landlord and have a plumber carry out the work.

And next New Years day find something else to mess around wit rather than an ancient TRV

 

[opps]

It can be done ,if you know what you are doing, without draining down. But the safest way for you is to drain the system. As you are in a flat ,and its rented you really should contact your landlord and have a plumber carry out the work.

As someone who isn't a plumber, I have always drained down the system when replacing rad valves. How do you do it "live"? Do you let some of the pressure out and replace it really quickly?

 

[oldbuffer]

1. If you fill a bottle with water, then hold it with the open mouth at the bottom, little or no water leaks out. This is because, as the water starts to leak, it forms a vacuum in the bottle, which stops it coming out.
2. If you repeated the experiment, but after drilling a hole in the base of the bottle, the vacuum would fail and water would come out.
3. You can imagine the heating system as a giant bottle. If no water can get in, then you can work on ONE point at a time with little or no escape of water.
4. If it is a pressurised system (no F&E tank in loft, expansion vessel in the boiler or external) you need to relieve the pressure.
5. If it is an open system, you need to "bung" the feed from the F&E tank, and also the vent above the F&E tank (which would otherwise let air in).
6. The tricky bit - you need to make sure there are NO other points where air can get into the system. Check such things as air admittance valves, particularly the automatic ones, and there may be an AAV inside the boiler.
7. If all is OK you can shut off one side of a radiator, and remove the valve on the other side. You will have to deal with the water inside the radiator which may come out, but you shouldn't have much of a leak from the rest of the system.
8. Always be ready with some stop ends (push fit and compression) - just in case, and have bowls, buckets and old towels around.
9. If you want to be safe:
9a. Drain the system down. OR
9b. Freeze the pipes as appropriate.

 

[MJN]

And next New Years day find something else to mess around wit rather than an ancient TRV

I can really relate to this.. Barely a Christmas goes by when I don't start twiddling with something that turns out to have a latent fault with it. It invariably is also something with a high dependency for the time of year - heating, cooking etc. The devil makes work for idle hands to do and all that...

 

[MJN]

8. Always be ready with some stop ends (push fit and compression) - just in case, and have bowls, buckets and old towels around.

As well as pushfit stop ends being really useful, I also find rubber bungs to also be for low/zero pressure situations - ideal for temporarily plugging virtually anything to allow an amateur like me to work out what next to do! Particularly good for radiator tails.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It can be done ,if you know what you are doing, without draining down. But the safest way for you is to drain the system. As you are in a flat ,and its rented you really should contact your landlord and have a plumber carry out the work.

If you flood the place and cause damage, then you can be charged with the cost of repairing the damage. You are paying your landlord rent, the rent includes the cost of the repairs I assume - inform them of the issue and let them fix it.