Use a large container or wet and dry vacuum to catch the water that flows out of the radiator until there is no water left inside. Remove the nuts and adaptors on the new vave and smear the thread that joins to the radiator with the wrap the PTFE tape around clockwise about 8 times to prevent any leaks. If you think the task of trying to avoid flooding the room whilst changing your radiator valve is too much to handle, there is an alternative method to do the job without draining the system. To do this, hold the body of the valve with the grips and use an adjustable spanner to make an upwards turn and unscrew the cap nut. She enjoys keeping on top of the latest design and heating trends to ensure the Advice Centre has all the information and inspiration homeowners need to make the best choice for them.

If you are changing a couple of valves on a few radiators, it is probably best to drain the whole heating system down. If that’s the case, head over to our how to drain a pressurised system guide then come back here to learn how to fit the new valve. Please note:Our ‘How-To’ manuals are intended only as a guide to assist you with common home heating tasks. Once the old thermostatic valve or manual is open, air will escape and water will flow out of the radiator.Use a container underneath the valve to catch any drips but all of the water should have been drained from the radiator.

To do this, hold the body of the valve with the grips and use an adjustable spanner to make an upwards turn and unscrew the cap nut until water starts to flow out.Since this method of updating radiator valves doesn’t involve changing the pipework, make sure to check that your new radiator valve is an exact match in size to the valve you are replacing.

Finally, if you have any concerns and don’t feel confident changing the valves yourself, you can always rely on a gas safe registered engineer to get the job done for you. Place a container beneath the valve and turn it anti-clockwise to open it using an adjustable spanner.Since the radiator has been drained and refilled you will need to re-pressurise the system to ensure everything is working correctly. Whether the radiator valve is leaking or stuck in the same position, a faulty radiator valve can cause problems with your whole heating system. Since radiator valves play a significant part in how well central heating radiators operate, and as most of them are visibly on show in our homes, changing your radiator valves is a great way to improve the performance, efficiency and overall look of your heating system. But if you only want to change your thermostatic or manual valve then you can skip to the final maintenance section.

So draining it fully will mean you are throwing away these important chemicals which you will have to replace to replenish the system. Note down the number of turns it took to turn the lockshield off as you will need to make the same number of turns when you connect the new lockshield and turn it back on.Now use the spanner and grips and turn the nut anticlockwise to loosen the nut on the bottom of the lockshield valve that connects to the pipework and disconnect the old valve.