How to Turn a Radiator off

There are many reasons why you may want to turn a radiator or two off from time to time. Maybe you have a rental property that’s going to be unoccupied for a while, maybe you live in a large property and don’t want to heat empty rooms, or maybe you’re about to go on an extended holiday during the winter. If this is the case, then lucky you! But you’ll also want to consider de-pressurising your heating system, along with turning your radiators off, if you’re about to set sail on a six-month winter cruise.

So, whether you’re leaving your UK home for somewhere sunny or one of your radiators has suddenly sprung a leak, follow our straightforward steps below to successfully turn off your radiator.   

Your radiators are turned off and on with the radiator valves. You may have thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) or non-thermostatic valves, depending on the age of your radiators.

Thermostatic valves

Step 1: You’ll usually find the valve on a TRV radiator on the left side. The valve you’re looking for will have a numbered dial on it, to adjust the heat the radiator gives off, and is usually found on the bottom of the radiator.

Step 2: To close the valve, turn the valve clockwise to 0 on the dial. With the dial set to 0, your radiator won’t produce any heat and will be turned off.

Step 3: On modern systems, you’ll see there is another valve on the opposite side of your radiator, without a numbered dial. If work is being done to your system, you will need to isolate the radiator. To do this, turn this valve clockwise, as far as it will turn, to close it. When both valves are closed, your radiator will be completely isolated.  

Non-thermostatic valves

Step 1: Also known as a manual valve, find the non-thermostatic valve on the left or right side at the bottom of your radiator. The other valve on the radiator will be fixed or will be capped.

Step 2: To turn your radiator off, turn the valve clockwise as far as it will go.

Top Tip!

Turn valves clockwise to turn your radiator off and anticlockwise to turn it back on.

Turning your radiators off is easy. But if you don’t fancy facing something more serious potentially happening to your heating system than a leaky radiator, you may want to consider the peace of mind that having boiler and heating cover brings.

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Our boiler and heating cover plans start from as little as £11 per month and include repairs to your heating system, covering your pumps, motorised valves, radiators, pipes, fittings, hot water feed and expansion tank. And as all our plans include a free annual boiler service, all parts and labour, a 24-hour helpline and the option to fix your cover price for 3 years, you’ll never need to worry about any serious issues with your heating system again.

To discover more about our boiler and heating cover, call our friendly team on 0330 223 4422 and find out which plan will work best for you.