Radiator stopper: what is it and what is it for?

shihab97

We have all seen a detainer thousands of times, but most would not know how to identify it. Normally we see the radiators in our house as a whole, without stopping to think about what their components are. The best way to detect breakdowns and do good maintenance of the devices we have at home is to get to know them piece by piece and know what each one is for.


A radiator stopper is essential for the proper functioning of heating in our homes. Let's see what its function is and how we can keep it in good condition.

Man changing radiator stopper

What is a detainer?
The stopper is the valve that regulates the water outlet of the radiator and is normally located at the bottom. It is a small stopcock that allows a single radiator to be emptied without having to remove water from the entire heating circuit.

What is the heating stopper for?
The detents avoid many problems when carrying out Honduras Mobile Number List maintenance or repair of the radiators and, in addition, improve the efficiency of the heating system. In short, they make our lives easier by allowing us to:

Empty the water from a single radiator , closing its outlet.
Regulate the amount of water that enters each device so that they all heat equally. The recommendation of our experts is that the radiators closest to the boiler have the tap more closed than those that are further away. This simple trick allows the water to reach all the devices equally.
How to adjust the stopper?
Having the heating controls perfectly regulated is one of the keys for the system to work in the best possible way. Although it is not excessively complicated, an expert professional is best suited to make the necessary temperature measurements to adjust them so that all the radiators in the home heat equally.



The key is not to do it on all radiators the same . Some radiators should have the stopper slightly open and others completely open. Of course, we will close a radiator  completely to empty it completely of water.

In the radiators closest to the boiler we must slightly close the valve by making a couple of turns to the right.
Devices that are further away tend to heat up less, so it is best to open them completely .
And remember this trick: sometimes it is enough to close the stopper of a radiator that is very hot a little more to get another one that was completely cold to work.

Disadvantages of not having radiators with a stopper
As you have seen, there are many benefits of having a stopper on your home radiators. Let's see what the disadvantages of not having them are:

Despite turning off the water inlet valve to the heating system, it will continue to circulate through the pipes from the return .
When making repairs, the circuit will have to be completely emptied . In cases of central heating, it will be necessary to empty the water from the radiators of all residents on lower floors.