RFI: Radiator Valve Keys

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Is there a universal sort of key for bleeding radiators or do different types have different keys? I've searched the B&Q website but i couldn't find what i was after.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

yes there is, it's a square shaped key, usually with a wing nut style handle thing. About 50p from Walthamstow market.

― chris (chris), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

in britain there is pretty much a standard one yes. i asked my corner shop guy if they sold them and the person next to me in the queue produced one from her purse and said she'd just done hers and I could have it. marvellous

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Bleed keys are all the same shape (square inside), but I think there can be a bit of variation in size with older models of radiator. If you just get the standard one, it'll probably be fine.

― cis (cis), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks for everyone's help. I was confused because my mum's old style radiators have a square valve with a smooth surface and on my new radiators there's a channel down the middle like a screw - i tried using a screwdriver to turn it to no avail. Saves me playing the daft girlie card and getting my brother to do it.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

We got round to bleeding and repressurising our raidiators recently - what a difference! Can anyone clarify whether prior to this we were being fuel inefficient? Are our heating bills likely to increase now that the radiators are hot all the way through and the flat is so much warmer?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick, explain what you did! I just moved into a new flat in Brickstun and I have the slim-style radiators that have little slots for those keys. The place gets warm but as you can tell I fancy turning myself into some kind of UK household boffin for some reason. These radiators are very different from the clanky horrible radiators I know from New York. For one thing they don't dry out my sinuses like the NYC ones did.

The heating in this place is ancient. "How ancient is it?" It's so ancient that my landlord showed my a little trap-door with a plastic tub of water in it. That's where the steam for the radiators comes from. He said if the radiators ever stop working, I need to refill the tub. !!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't open that trapdoor.

BERK!! GET ME A RADIATOR KEY!

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

just turn the bleed valve until you get water coming out of it, that way you know that the air in it has been replaced by water.

― chris (chris), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

How do you repressurise?

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

But cis then the water will drip onto my nice clean floor. Wait a minute I think I have a plstic tub around here somewhere.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

You turn the right tap under the boiler.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, wrap a dishcloth or similar round the valve to soak up the water forced out (it may be filthy)

― chris (chris), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

my boiler has a little tap under it repressurise

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Dishcloth also useful because the water that comes out could be at a v. high temperature.

― cis (cis), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

It may also be radioactive.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you keep that tap turned (under the boiler)? Or do you just turn it that direction for awhile? I don't want to vaporize my neighborhood.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Just for a while, until the needle moves up to the red one.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

turn until you hear it hissing, then you know the air is escaping, then you'll see water frothing out, then stop.

― chris (chris), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I assume chris is talking about the radiator key turning, not the tap turning.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I think he's talking about the angry sex.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, yes I am

x-post

no, no I'm not

― chris (chris), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

We have some odd ELECTRIC HEATER system with the most ridiculously efficient energy insulating... walls or something. We have the windows wide open but it's STILL BOILING. Turn it off and it's STILL too hot for the next couple of days. Then freezing freezing cold.

I have grown rather fond of this system. Also I think it means no bleeding and such stuff. Ha as if I would EVER have thought of bleeding a radiator without someone telling me to. Idiot me.

For a moment I thought this might be about when you drop a library book down the radiator and can't get it back out until your flatmate gets bored of doing work and gets it out with... what was it Tom, Q? Modjo? Kerrang? Women's Own?

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Can anyone clarify whether prior to this we were being fuel inefficient? Are our heating bills likely to increase now that the radiators are hot all the way through and the flat is so much warmer?

Yes, you were being fuel inefficient. The heating bills should stay much the same, as the same volume of water, more or less, is being heated but instead of coming up against a big air bubble it's actually filling up the radiator.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Hurrah!

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they should run fuel efficiency ads focussing on the radiator bleeding issue.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I use a pair of narrow-nosed pliers to bleed my radiators.

― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 12 January 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

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