Stuck Drayton TRV

[ric...@my-deja.com]

Hi -

I'd like to seek some help...

I have radiators fitted with Drayton TRVs. Presumably due to being
closed all summer, one of them has jammed shut. I unscrewed the dome
bit (which was only finger-tight - I wonder if that means it's been off
before?), and see underneath that the brass stud attached to the valve
is moving quite freely, but presumably the whatever-it-is that the stud
operates doesn't want to play.

As far as I can see, the only way to resolve this would be to drain the
central heating, remove the thing and replace it. But this does sound
like something I'd rather avoid doing.

Is there a cunning way of unsticking the things once they're stuck
without removing them? Any advice gratefully received - the weather's
getting colder!

Richard

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Before you buy.

[steph...@my-deja.com]

Same happened to me last week. My plumber (sorry) took the top off and
waggled the nipple up and down to free it. Not much science but it did
the trick. H e suggest4d that the high hardness of the water round here
caused the problem.

In article <8u0tit$6mt$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

[Mark]

Tap the spindle with a screwdriver handle a few times, 99% of the time you
will find it springs back up.

Mark

<steph...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8u0uvk$7gc$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[Chris J Dixon]

ric...@my-deja.com wrote:

>I have radiators fitted with Drayton TRVs. Presumably due to being
>closed all summer, one of them has jammed shut. I unscrewed the dome
>bit (which was only finger-tight - I wonder if that means it's been off
>before?), and see underneath that the brass stud attached to the valve
>is moving quite freely, but presumably the whatever-it-is that the stud
>operates doesn't want to play.
>
>As far as I can see, the only way to resolve this would be to drain the
>central heating, remove the thing and replace it. But this does sound
>like something I'd rather avoid doing.
>
>Is there a cunning way of unsticking the things once they're stuck
>without removing them? Any advice gratefully received - the weather's
>getting colder!
>

I have attacked mine several times in the following way, without
draining the system, and no more than a dribble of leakage.

Having unscrewed the dome, prod the pin which protrudes from the
valve a few times. Mild jams can be cleared this way.

If it is still stuck, first get some old cloths or towels to
catch any spillage. Remove the circlip and lift out the plate
through which the pin passes. Beneath is a rubber diaphragm,
which may or may not come with it. Remove it, taking care not to
tear it. Water may start to well up in the valve body. Insert a
screwdriver into the body, of a suitable size so that it is a
fairly tight fit. A mixture of jabs and twists with the
screwdriver should result in it freeing the mechanism. You will
feel the spring release, and the valve will be free to move
vertically.

Now you have to get things back together. Replace the rubber
diaphragm, replace the plate with pin protruding through. Now
comes the hard part - get the circlip back. Some of my valves
have had this done so many times that I really don't want to
disturb them again.

If this still does not work, then you will have to drain down,
and get right into the valve to persuade the parts to move
freely.

Last year (having listened to all the arguments for and against)
I flushed my system and put inhibitor in, and so far this season
I believe everything is OK without further attention.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
chris...@easynet.co.uk

Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

[ric...@my-deja.com]

Hello again -

Well, I had tried tapping the stud, but evidently not hard enough.
Encouraged by the posts here, a couple of firm taps with a hammer (if
you're going to hit something, hit it properly is my motto!) resulted
in the stud springing up and the heat coming on :-)

Thanks for all the advice - I reckon you've saved me a lot of time and
effort!

[steph...@my-deja.com]

congratulations - how nice to see 'uk d-i-y' working at its very best!

In article <8u3k2q$4lv$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,