About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and fitted
TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started whistling.
AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the flow either way.

Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones whistle.

Any ideas?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In an earlier contribution to this discussion, The Medway Handyman
wrote:
About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and
fitted TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started
whistling. AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the
flow either way.
Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones
whistle.
Any ideas?


Perhaps it's just happy? g
--
Cheers,
Roger
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checked.

Roger Mills wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion, The Medway Handyman
wrote:
About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and
fitted TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started
whistling. AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the
flow either way.
Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones
whistle.
Any ideas?


Perhaps it's just happy? g

I thought it was whistling because it didn't know the words :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:07:18 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and fitted
TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started whistling.
AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the flow either way.

Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones whistle.

Any ideas?

Try opening/closing the locksheild on the other end slightly, just to
change the flow of water slightly.

wrote:
On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:07:18 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and
fitted TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started
whistling. AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the
flow either way.

Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones
whistle.

Any ideas?

Try opening/closing the locksheild on the other end slightly, just to
change the flow of water slightly.

Good tip, thanks.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:51:14 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:
About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers and fitted
TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started whistling.
AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the flow either way.

Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones whistle.

Any ideas?

IME some of the "bi-directional" ones do make a noise if used on the
return - particularly as they begin to close down. I have had this with
a pegler one. The only cure I found was to swap it to the other side.


Just to diverse a little .... to place a TRV on a downstairs rad, do
you have to drain the (combi) system to avoid wet feet ?

Mike P

In an earlier contribution to this discussion, Mike P
wrote:


Just to diverse a little .... to place a TRV on a downstairs rad, do
you have to drain the (combi) system to avoid wet feet ?

Mike P

No, you need to:
* Drain the remove the affected radiator (turn off both valves[1], crack one
of the union nuts and guide the water into a bowl, using a re-styled
aluminium foil food dish. When empty, fully undo both union nuts, and lift
off the rad)[2]
* De-pressurise the system
* Open the valve which you are replacing, and collect any water which comes
out in a container - there shouldn't be much
* Remove the valve and fit the TRV to the pipe
* While the rad is off, give it a good wash out with a hosepipe (preferably
outside! g)
* If neccessary replace the radiator tail with the one supplied with the TRV
(depending on the existing valve, you may be able to keep the existing tail
if it is compatible with the TRV)
* Re-fit the rad, do up the unions, turn on the valves[1], re-pressurise the
system and bleed the rad

[1] If the system has been balanced, count the number of turns needed to
close the lockshield valve so that you can restore it to the same degree of
openness

[2] Use lots of old towels to avoid getting any indellible black gunge on
your carpets

--
Cheers,
Roger
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John Rumm wrote:
Mike P wrote:
On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:51:14 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:
About 18 months ago I had a new boiler fitted in Handyman Towers
and fitted TRV's (Wickes) to the rads.

The one in the spare/granddaughters room has suddenly started
whistling. AFAIK they are of the sort that can be fitted with the
flow either way. Loosening the TRV body stops it for a while.

Can't work out why its suddenly started and none of the other ones
whistle. Any ideas?
IME some of the "bi-directional" ones do make a noise if used on the
return - particularly as they begin to close down. I have had this
with a pegler one. The only cure I found was to swap it to the
other side.


Just to diverse a little .... to place a TRV on a downstairs rad, do
you have to drain the (combi) system to avoid wet feet ?

Depends on if you are replacing the wet bit of the valve and how brave
you are!

You can drop the pressure by draining a little water, shut off both
valves and undo a connection to the rad, and drain that into a low
profile dish (cat litter tray is handy).

First have the new valve to hand with its compression nut and olive
removed.

Now wrap a cloth round the pipe tail and loosen the locknut on it.
Then while applying some downward pressure to top of the valve undo
the nut completely - you may get some seepage.

Now the fun bit, swiftly take the valve off the pipe and stick your
thumb over the pipe end. Then do the same trick again to sit the new
valve on the pipe and apply downward pressure again (don't worry about
getting it at the right angle to mate with the rad at this stage). Do
up the compression nut finger tight, rotate the valve to its final
position and tighten. If the new valve body's pipe acceptance hole is
at least as deep as the previous, then you should get a good seal
with the old olive. You could smear some Fernox LS-X on the olive
mating face of the new valve before installation as a safeguard.

If you are quick with the above, you should lose no more than a cup
full of water. Take care though, it may contain black iron oxide
which will stain fabric like carpets.

I've used the patented John Rumm 'stick your thumb over the end & work
quick' ploy on several occassions, but I don't think I'd have the balls to
do it on a CH stsem :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:02:14 +0000, Mike P
wrote:



Just to diverse a little .... to place a TRV on a downstairs rad, do
you have to drain the (combi) system to avoid wet feet ?

Mike P

Thanx all for the info to the above .... I have removed rads before
and am aware of that oooh so nasty black sludge. There are no carpets
to wet or stain downstairs, so ............. practice makes perfect,
methinks ? :-)

Mike P

On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:13:05 +0000, John Rumm wrote:

I've used the patented John Rumm 'stick your thumb over the end & work
quick' ploy on several occassions, but I don't think I'd have the balls to
do it on a CH stsem :-)

Its easiest on a sealed CH system - you know there is only a finite
amount of water, and you have a good chance of getting hydrostatic lock
preventing much of it falling out.

(for the vented equivalent I have a pair of rubber pointy bungs[1], you
shove one in the vent pipe and the other in the outlet at the bottom of
the feed/expansion tank. That achieves the same lock effect).

[1] If you have not got those a pair of decent sized carrots can be
pressed into service!

Anne Summers is your 'friend'.
--
Peter.
2x4 - thick plank; 4x4 - two of 'em.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion, John Rumm
wrote:

Its easiest on a sealed CH system - you know there is only a finite
amount of water, and you have a good chance of getting hydrostatic
lock preventing much of it falling out.

(for the vented equivalent I have a pair of rubber pointy bungs[1],
you shove one in the vent pipe and the other in the outlet at the
bottom of the feed/expansion tank. That achieves the same lock
effect).

I don't even need those. When I did some work on my (vented) system a couple
of years ago, I installed full-bore lever valves in the main CH flow and
return pipes, so I can easily isolate the whole system. At the same time, I
fitted drain-off lockshield valves to all the rads. The combination of these
things makes changing a radiator valve a real doddle. It's easy to drain and
remove a rad and - with the lever valves turned off - it's possible to
remove a single radiator valve with virtually no spillage.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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