Olive? No heating until fixed. Please help. It's cold.

[teacherphil]

I have recently found a leak in one of my radiators. I isolated this to the thermostatic valve. So I bought a new one. I have been having a nightmare trying to fit it. First it is an old radiator which means I had to replace the "tail" (this is what the man in the shop said it was called) to one with the correct size thread(15mm). Now the nut on the other end (downwards)is not corrent. In order to replace this nut I had to remove a "collar" from the copper pipe, which is now broken. As the collar is no more, there is to hold the nut onto the pipe and therefore onto the valve.
To recap. I have taken the collar off the copper pipe and need to replace it somehow but i can't seem to find any information about this. I have something in the kit which looks like a wedding ring. this will slide onto the pipe but not grip anything. Please help.

Phil

 

[ArtfulBodger]

I have recently found a leak in one of my radiators. I isolated this to the thermostatic valve. So I bought a new one. I have been having a nightmare trying to fit it. First it is an old radiator which means I had to replace the "tail" (this is what the man in the shop said it was called) to one with the correct size thread(15mm). Now the nut on the other end (downwards)is not corrent. In order to replace this nut I had to remove a "collar" from the copper pipe, which is now broken. As the collar is no more, there is to hold the nut onto the pipe and therefore onto the valve.
To recap. I have taken the collar off the copper pipe and need to replace it somehow but i can't seem to find any information about this. I have something in the kit which looks like a wedding ring. this will slide onto the pipe but not grip anything. Please help.

Phil

This isn't all that coherent. What does corrent mean? do you mean correct? as the collar is no more? what does this mean?

I'm guessing that the old nut does not fit the new valve. Take the olive off the copper pipe and remove the nut. Put the new nut over the pipe, then the olive, then screw onto the valve and tighten up.

This is the normal way of doing it, but I'm not sure if it is what you want

P.S. The wedding ring is the olive. Old olives usually need to be cut off (carefully) with a hacksaw.

P.P.S. What subject do you teach?

 

[teacherphil]

corrent means correct.
The collar is no more means I broke it pulling it off.
I have tried putting the olive on then the nut and tightening it, but it does not grip on the copper pipe and i can pull the whole thing off by hand.
Does the olive have to be soldered on or something like that?
The pipe is not bent or damaged.

 

[teacherphil]

I am a Physics teacher, usually competent with most things DIY

 

[ArtfulBodger]

The olive is designed to clamp onto the copper pipe as the nut is tightened up. Are you tightening the nut up firmly? Oh, I take it you haven't got a push fit rad valve have you? - if the chrome nut came and olive came with the pack then this isn't likely.

 

[ArtfulBodger]

I am a Physics teacher, usually competent with most things DIY

Well OK, just think of it like this .. for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Nut tightens, olive compresses

 

[teacherphil]

just refilling the system now.
fingers crossed

 

[teacherphil]

water everywhere. ****.
redraining now

 

[ArtfulBodger]

Where from?

 

[teacherphil]

It's coming from the olive, or at least that joint.

Taken it off again, the olive has now disappeared inside the valve and is jammed tight.
I have put it back together again and tightened it as tight as humanly possible.
One more try.

 

[ArtfulBodger]

Hold on a second ...

The olive shouldn't disappear anywhere. It should have compressed against the copper pipe and should be nestling up against the bottom of the valve. When you undo the nut it should just 'be there'.

Are you certain that you assembled the valve correctly? and did you remember to use either PTFE or some other sealant on the 1/2" radiator connector?

 

[teacherphil]

I've assembled it correctly but hadn't tightened the nut up enough.
Have done it now, and no more leaks. just about to try with the heating on just to make sure.

Thanks for your help.

If you ever have any physics questions, I promise I'm better at that than I am at basic plumbing.

Phil

 

[Nige F]

What is a BTU...British Thermal Unit is it a pound of water thru Xdegrees in y time seriously, and sorry if you`ve moved on to metric, and can`t answer