The locksheild valve. Why is it so important.

A vital component in setting your heating to maximise it`s efficiency. Save money by running a well set up heating system. Just requires a bit of your time.
See this video to set up your heating system to maximise efficiency. • How to accurately bala...
Visit Al`s plumbing shop for parts at amazon.co.uk/sh...
Donate with a press of the THANKS button.

[@simontemplar404]

Nice and concise thank you. Told me almost all I need to know. Just have to figure out whether it is clockwise or anticlockwise to close them down. Thermostatic on the other end so cannot tell from that. They are also tight having not been touched for decades and definitely not balanced as the chap who fitted the last boiler did not spend any time checking them.

[@dereton33]

Glad it helped The valves are clockwise to close them.

[@simontemplar404]

@@dereton33 Yes, thank you for that. I have balanced the radiators in my parents house (ongoing) and the dead radiator in the front room is now red hot. Amazing !!

[@cygnus108]

Very informative... I always thought they're there for a different reason.. thanks

[@dereton33]

No problem!

[@daveg6948]

Very helpful, Thanks Al. Thing is, I don't need a locksheild valve nor do I need to balance the radiators because the Nagging machine won't let me put the heating on! 🙂

[@loafersheffield]

"nagging machine"? Sincerest and deepest sympathies. My missus is like a jedi knight with the rolling pin and has the tongue of a chameleon.

[@daveg6948]

@@loafersheffield Ouch!!!!! Make you think men should never leave home 🙂

[@dereton33]

Ha ha never mind you two.

[@daveg6948]

@@dereton33 I do get my own way some of the time mind, like when I'm doing the washing up, I demand hot water, got to put your foot down now and again. Show her who's boss! :-) All the best. Take care

[@glennpowell3444]

Thats interesting but I was always taught to put the lock valve on the return side rather than flow side but in theory the other way around makes more sense ?

[@dereton33]

True Glenn.

[@worrun1505]

Hi Al I've been watching since your early days and would love if you did a video about gate valves and how horrible they can be cheers

[@dereton33]

Have done one all ready but ok.

[@worrun1505]

@@dereton33 never have too many videos from the great Al :)

[@pb6972]

I've got problem have I got to empty the cold water tank in the loft before I can fit a new tap on it..I turned it off last night as I fitted a new vanity unit in the bathroom with sink all went well but I turned the water off up in the loft but I think the tap on the tank is not opening back up as now I have a dribble of water coming out of my bathroom taps and cistern hardly filling up..I live in a bungalow..so I think I need to put a new tap on ..so do I drain it first ..all I did was turn it off and now its not working so I think it's gone ..I take full responsibility for any advice..many thanks paul 👍 ☕️

[@dereton33]

Hi Paul, yes drain the roof tank out with a hose and fit a new gate valve. The old one has a broken gate.

[@pb6972]

@@dereton33 ah bloody thing I did it all last night the old one had rusted out inside and ball cock nackered it was all black ..its now blue fresh water and put it new ball cock and the tap ..£48...pounds for that red round tap..I'm in jersey channel islands just moved in to this bungalow nothing has really been done..thanks for your advise buddy..it all seems to be fine no leaks new parts on and shower pump working after the air came out..its a new one I did....the only little issue is the bathroom sink water comes through put not lots or to fast .I did fit a water fall tap..but not sure if I can make it better..everything else seems OK.. wile the Mrs is in Sweden I'm up to my eyes balls hahaha 😆 any ideas about why the water is not coming through much on the sink I've kept running the taps ..the kitchen is fine on a different pipe or something..

[@SadisticStang]

really struggling to find a video on radiators with two lockshield valves and as you say they're the same. You once spoke on this past briefly though didn't discuss for example how to tell which side is the flow and which is return. Temperature test by hand or heat gun might help, but not everyone knows to do that. Also, should you manage to balance a system with the return lockshield valve, what setting should the flow be on? A lot persons say always open however balancing a system doesn't mean you get the heat in the specific rooms you want. My study might be the sixth warmest out of eight, when doing my initial check before a balancing. And I balance them but still want that study to be the most warm of all radiators. Logic would say then you have to have more flow on that e.g. all way open, and then if it's still not hot enough, restrict flow on the other radiators. Lastly, during winter, for any radiators you'd normally have off, how do you set the lockvalve(S) [remember there's two] to be in an anti frost setting? just close the valve then open a quarter turn on both?

[@dereton33]

Open both a quarter turn.

[@tr13090]

I am confused. I don't understand why the outward flowing valve is the one that need adjusting to allow all rads to get enough hot water it would make more sense in my mind for the intake valve to need adjusting i.e less going in to the nearer rads means more water available for the further away rads. So how does it work? The only thing I can think of is if the water is restricted going out of the return valve it means less water can get in through the inlet valve so therefore more water carries on to the further on rads? Am I correct at all or not? Trying to understand

[@dereton33]

That`s about it.

[@tr13090]

@dereton33 thanks for your reply. One more question if I may? You said both valves are exactly the same but obviously there is one difference between the two in that the trv opens and closes automatically depending on the room temp but the lockshield valve has to be done manually is that correct?

[@GK-qc5ry]

I've got a lockshield with a small plastic cap which you can pop off and there is a screw in the centre. Do I unscrew that to take the rest of the lockshield off?

[@dereton33]

Yes.

[@C4sp3r123]

Could you clear up a little confusion I have, I get the lockshield valve requires you to use a tool to turn it to open/close it and you use this when balancing your system. But the "normal" valve on the other end of the radiator, I don't have thermostatic valves, but a valve that has a cap on it that allows it to be turned by hand. What is the point of this valve? As I understand it it doesn't work like a thermostatic valve, it seems to just work in the same way as a lockshield valve, increasing or restring flow. So the only thing I can think off with this valve is to have it fully open and you use the lockshield valve to control the balancing. But if you for whatever reason want to turn off the radiator, you can do this with the "normal" valve, keeping the lockshield valve unchanged. So then say a week later when you turn the radiator back on via the "normal" valve, fully opening the "normal" valve, the system will still be correctly balanced as the lockshield valve was never altered. Is my understanding correct? Am I missing something? i.e. is a "normal" valve just an on/off valve. Thanks!

[@dereton33]

You have it about right on there.

[@C4sp3r123]

@@dereton33 Thanks, always wondered why I had them on my rads! Don't think I have ever turned them.

[@Adam-nd6lt]

Would you say it should be all the way open (to the plus sign) or all the way to the minus sign? I have this on my hallway radiator but the radiator is the coldest of the house so want to check it hasn't been adjusted incorrectly

[@dereton33]

Depends if it has been balanced for the system, I would say as it is cold to open it fully to the plus sign.

[@geecee8699]

Hi. One of my radiator doesn't work the thermostat valve is set on on the pin also moves easily. On the other side where you have the radiator locking shield valve, mine is square and doesn't have a cap on it. It's impossible to twist this. Any idea?

[@dereton33]

Use a small spanner on the brass square.

[@MsAltastic]

I’ve moved into a new house and the heating needs balancing. Problem is no caps on either side of some radiators! So how do I determine which side is the return pipe? Will this be the cooler of the two sides.

[@dereton33]

Exactly that

[@jimmybrown3380]

I open all my lock shields fully and do a quarter turn on them so that they are all the same,also the thermostatic radiator valves are on fully,all the radiators get hot,is this okay or is it not very energy efficient?

[@dereton33]

Its fine, except you should gradually open the lockshield valves more, the further you get away from the boiler. Use your TRVs as you need, to heat the rooms at a comfortable temperature.

[@malcb1864]

Can you do a video on BTU please? I've used an online calculator from a well known diy store to work out the btu for my bathroom. But the final figure seemed to me to be very high for a medium sized bathroom.

[@dereton33]

Will fit it in .

[@sandydogy]

Hi Al do you need to balance a cobi system? or just F and E? Do you have any videos on this for a combi Many Thanks Ian also in my house most of my TRVs the valves leak very old radiators but they don't leak would you chnage them or just TRVs they are rusty but don't leak Many Thanks in advance

[@dereton33]

Yes you do have to balance the rads for a combi the video link in the description is also good for combi boiler balancing. If your rads are not leaking then just change the valves. If however you want to install more heat efficient rads then renew them also.

[@sandydogy]

@@dereton33 thanks

[@loafersheffield]

I had a customer who despite my recommendations failed to supply TRV/ls pairs. Instead, he supplied all thumbturn valves, So, after balancing, I whipped the plastic heads off a thumbturn valve on the left hand side of each rad. "I don't like it! Put those plastic thingymajigs back on". Up down. On/off valve on right. DO NOT touch the valve on the left. Guess what happened? 🤣

[@daveg6948]

Customers always right eh! No, Almost never!!

[@dereton33]

You never win sometimes.

[@seery188]

Anti tamper I suppose you'd call so, to stop kids (big and small) from messing them when you've done the job ,

[@dereton33]

That`s true Dave.

[@georgerichards8144]

You beauty

[@dereton33]

Thanks, Iv`e never looked so good. Ha ha.