Think my radiator temperature thing is broken.. any ideas?
from Oxymoron@lemmy.world to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world on 11 Sep 19:17
https://lemmy.world/post/19657989

You know the temperature thing you turn round from like 0 to 5 depending on how hot you want it to be? Well I think, in trying to turn it off I may have turned it too far. As the it just keeps turning but in a jerky movement and the number doesn’t change if that makes sense? Like there’s a little plastic arrow that points up at the setting it’s on, so that you know what setting it’s on. But now it’s like the whole thing is turning rather than just the plastic cover with the numbers on.

So I think (well I’m hoping cos the opposite would be worse) that it’s now turned completely off and there is no way to turn it on. But because the whole thing is turning and the numbers don’t change up or down regardless of which way you turn it, it’s possible it could be on any one of the 0-5 settings but only stuck as showing on 0.

Any ideas?

Cheers!

#nostupidquestions

threaded - newest

ptz@dubvee.org on 11 Sep 19:25 next collapse

Thermostat

If it is broken, they’re inexpensive and typically easy to replace. Usually it’s just one or two pairs of wires: one pair kicks your heat on when connected, the other turns your A/C on when connected. If you don’t have A/C (or have a dedicated thermostat for heat), then it’d probably only have one pair. Edit: Forgot, some have a dedicated pair for the fan. Mine doesn’t, so it slipped my mind.

They usually have a faceplate part that comes off (the part that you think you may have broken) and a mounted part that stays on the wall usually with two screws.

You might have better luck taking some pictures and posting the question to !homeimprovement@lemmy.world to get some more specific advice.

Edit #2: Just saw your new post in home improvement. I was way off lol. The last house I lived in that had radiator heating used a regular thermostat to control the boiler. The one you’re describing is totally different.

SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 11 Sep 19:50 next collapse

typically easy to replace.

Easier in older vehicles, it seems like modern vehicles want to put anything useful underneath about 50 different other things so you have to halfway disassemble the vehicle to get at it.

Fondots@lemmy.world on 11 Sep 19:55 collapse

Houses also have thermostats

SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 11 Sep 19:57 collapse

You don’t have to tell me how stupid I am, I’m aware lol.

ChapulinColorado@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 07:56 collapse

To be fair the description from OP was pretty bad. My mind shifted to cars at first too.

Oxymoron@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 22:10 collapse

Ahaha yeah a photo was definitely needed. I just said all the words I could think of that might give a clue or be correct lol. I didn’t even know you could upload photos, only been on here for about a week.

Also; I think it’s actually working again now lol. It’s not great, like I was able to turn the “dial” which I wasn’t able to last night, which I think was in part because I was getting burnt trying to do it. But once it was cool I was able to turn it like normal almost, but then the same thing happened again, but because this time it was cold; I was able to get it back into the off position.

So think I will replace it but least it sort of works for now.

Oxymoron@lemmy.world on 11 Sep 20:16 collapse

Cheers, just posted on there. I’ll just attach the picture here anyway as well.

I think it may not be the thing you’re thinking it is, cos yeah nothing to do with A/C, we don’t generally have that in most UK homes unfortunately aha.

Here’s a photo of what I was calling the thermostat (but might not be).

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/08685b4d-9cb6-4b64-a962-5f8e146fb706.jpeg">

ptz@dubvee.org on 11 Sep 20:27 next collapse

Yeah, thanks. I saw your other posted and added an edit to mine. I was way off.

The house I lived in that had radiator heating used the wall-mounted thermostats to control the boiler. That’s totally different. Hope you get an answer.

Oxymoron@lemmy.world on 11 Sep 20:34 collapse

Aha I think I get what you’re saying though. There is also a thermostat on the wall downstairs that controls the central heating. So if that is turned off, then my radiator wouldn’t heat up even if I turned the dial from the photo up.

It’s like the main thermostat has executive control (pretty certain of this anyway) but then each room has a radiator which its own controls so if I get too hot I can turn mine off while the rest of the radiators in the house stay on.

I’m guessing you’re not from the UK? The dial, as I’ll now call it, on the radiator is on every radiator I’ve ever seen.

Anyhow dunno why I’m telling you all this cos if you don’t have the same system you’re not gonna be able to help but just as an FYI I guess. Hopefully someone on the other channel is from the UK!

ptz@dubvee.org on 11 Sep 20:40 collapse

Yep. Mine didn’t have the ones on the radiators, just the wall controller. The only thing on the radiators was a valve which could adjust it a little bit but was mostly just on/off.

No, not from UK, but thought some of the credits would transfer since I’m kinda familiar with HVAC and have had a radiator setup lol.

i_am_not_a_robot@feddit.uk on 11 Sep 20:49 next collapse

It’s a TRV head. You can unscrew it with the ring under the black area - may need an adjustable spanner to loosen. When you take it off, see if the rotation works and that the pin inside moves up and down. You can also check the metal pin/valve where it attaches isn’t stuck (it may need quite a bit of force to check - could need whacking with a hammer if it’s actually stuck). If everything seems OK, re-attach the head and see if it’s working. If it isn’t, new heads are cheap. What you have looks like what I have - cheap generic TRV heads, easy to find online.

NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 03:08 collapse

www.amazon.co.uk/…/B07VGY3J6P/

Look here, just as an example.

You can easily replace it, but pay attention to the size of the thread (after you have unscrewed it). M30x1.5 is the most common, but there are other sizes, too.

Oxymoron@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 16:48 collapse

Cheers, if I unscrew it, it won’t suddenly start leaking will it? Like is there a way for me to accidentally do that or not? Cos if there’s a way, I’ll find it.

NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 19:40 collapse

Only touch the screw that is also shown in the Amazon picture. Then the water is safe from you.

Oxymoron@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 21:42 collapse

Cheers dude

[deleted] on 11 Sep 22:52 next collapse
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monsterpiece42@reddthat.com on 12 Sep 01:13 next collapse

I truly mean no disrespect; no one can be good at everything. But if this is the vocabulary you use to describe the object and the problem, it’s probably best to call a pro.

lastunusedusername2@sh.itjust.works on 12 Sep 02:33 next collapse

I just love this response so much

[deleted] on 12 Sep 22:02 collapse
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monsterpiece42@reddthat.com on 12 Sep 23:48 next collapse

I find your response baffling. I think it was completely out-of-pocket but I’m going to extend a one-time olive branch in good faith that there was some sort of misunderstanding.

I am open to a proper explanation as to how specifically it was hurtful or disrespectful. And if it was and I’m missing a social cue here, I would love to know how that equates to such an aggressive response. My absolute best guess is, that you read it as “you can’t be good at anything”, but I said “you can’t be good at everything”, which literally implies that you are good at other things.

I actually was a certified HVAC tech for a few years. I have seen people get seriously hurt not knowing when their system had steam in it or from not being able to control when the boiler kicks on (mostly renters) and steam starts shooting out of the hole mid-repair. I don’t have any way to assess your skills over the internet so I suggested the safe option. Similar logic to, if you don’t know if someone can work on cars, maybe don’t tell them to do their own brakes.

crashfrog@lemm.ee on 12 Sep 23:59 collapse

You really do need to call someone for this, if this is a thermostat valve on a radiator you’re going to burn yourself

linearchaos@lemmy.world on 12 Sep 03:00 collapse

Go look at YouTube videos about thermostatic radiator valves. You can replace the head pretty easily.