Lock Shield Radiator Valves

The term “lockshield” means that once adjusted, the valve is shielded with the plastic cap that prevents it from being accidentally changed. It needs to be adjusted when ‘balancing’ radiators in the various rooms. If a radiator is taking too long to warm up, it needs more hot water flowing through it. This means that the lockshield valve should be opened to allow the radiator to fill faster. If a radiator gets hotter quicker than others, then the flow through it may need restricting. To do this the valve should be tightened to reduce the flow of water. Each radiator requires an inlet and outlet valve for future servicing. It is the accepted norm that the top valve is one that can be easily adjusted while the bottom valve is a lockshield, which is adjusted by the installer only using an allen key.