Rounded radiator bleed valves

Access

Is there an easy way of and can you replace rad bleed valves as i went to bleed rad in our room and i find whoever did it last tightened them to feck and rounded the bleed valves. They are mainly dual panel rads with the old inward facing bleed valves instead of the newish side mounted bleed valve ones.

Did a check of other rads and half the rad in the house have rounded bleed valves! :mad:

youtheman

I've had this problem, before. I tried to drill a small hole in the centre of the bleed screw and use an 'easy out' but it proved unsuccessful (hard to drill a hole in the exact centre of something so small). I ended up removing the radiator from the wall (closing the isolation valves on both sides) and taking it to a welding shop. The welder brazed some extra metal onto the end of the screw. Now I just use a pliers to grip it, and turn it, when I want to bleed the radiator.

meercat

you can drill the radiator at the top and screw in a self tapping screw with a rubber or nylon washer
there is a thread some where about it(quick search couldnt find it though)
http://www.wzjingyi.chinafastener.com/products/Self-tapping-screws-4581.htm

gdavis

you can do all sorts to the rad,drill new small hole and tap the hole giving u a thread for vent etc. but to be honest rads are priced very reasonably these days and if your ones are old then maybe an upgrade is best as newer ones use less water and give out more heat

kscobie

i have a small box of 1/4" sockets, fit a small socket over the rounded vent, squeze over the end with a plyers, and simply screw the lot out. Replace with a new vent;)