Stripped Knob

Sarah_2

I heard the heat come on last night in my apartment. I went to the radiator and felt it, it was hot, but it was not radiating heat. You know how even when a radiator is off, it can still be hot? At least that's been my experience. So I went to recheck that the valve was open, and the knob kept spinning and spinning. I then noticed that the screw in the middle of the know seemed to be stripped. So I got a screw driver to fix the problem. But it didn't. I got to the point where the screw almost cam out, but I was afraid because I didn't want steam to shoot out and burn me. But when I tried tightening it, it would, but after I turned the know 1-2 times, it would become dislodged again.

How do I fix this problem? Do I need a new screw? A new know? How can I turn it on in its current situation? How can I turn it off to fix it? Do I need to call a repair guy? Can I buy a fix at Home Depot?

sootmonkey

none

Sarah, Call the landlord. I own an apartment building. If there is a problem in my building, I want to know about it and fix it, or I call someone who can. Soot

Sarah_2

Stripped Knob Update

I would except that it's a condo building and radiators are the individual's responsibility. Any other suggestions?

heretic

Consider replacement

You could try to turn the stem with a wrench, but I would warn you that it may start to leak even if it does break loose.

Difficult to repair these in most cases. Stems, washer plates, packing and other parts can be obscure or unavailable. Even when rebuild is possible, replacements are not that much money.
You would be surprised, but "Big Orange" really does offer up a decent assortment of 'far east' rad valves, at least in New England.

At a minimum, you will need a couple of big wrenches to detach, and some pipe thread compound for reassembly.

Tip: Buy the valve first, and see if it matches up. If it does not, you can return it without being heatless. If it turns out to be an unusual valve, you can make a rough sketch, and try a plumbing supply house, or online supplier.

Some old valves are SO unusual that creative adaptation may be required to fit a new one. One fellow I know installed a new globe valve in the basement to avoid messing with a very stange (and stuck) radiator valve.

Sarah_2

Thanks

I think I may just call the radiator repair guy that was out when it was new construction and the condo board was responsbile for repairs.

Too bad I didn't notice this 5 years earlier...or could have been a recent failure. It's hard to tell...it's always been cold in my house