Reply to: Balancing the radiators

[suityou01]

Aren't you looking for someone to install oracle for you?

Yes you can be my Oracle bitch.

Is your rate still the same or is it now two twixes and a hand shandy?

[Sysman]

there should not be a thermostat\valve on the bathroom rad, normally these are the end off the system and should be hot all the time when the boiler is on, is it cold at the top and warm at the bottom this would show it wants bleeding, also its always best to bleed all the radiators normally downstairs first then moving up upstairs and finishing with the bathroom rad assuming your bathroom is upstairs

If its not getting up to temperature when the rest of the system is on full blast the rad needs flushing or for the cost of a new one just change it

The bathroom rad in one house had the bleed valve a bit too low for the inlet pipe. so you couldn't actually get all the air out above that.

Had to bleed it every week. A new radiator would have been the real solution.

[doodab]

Get a job you layabout!

Aren't you looking for someone to install oracle for you?

[suityou01]

Hmm, it seems that the lack of controls might actually be in violation of the building regulations.

Get a job you layabout!

[doodab]

Hmm, it seems that the lack of controls might actually be in violation of the building regulations.

[suityou01]

I have bled them, as a precursor to balancing them. I did say this in the OP. They are currently cold pending me switching the boiler on and figuring out which order they are in.

The problem that I have is that the house is very unevenly heated. It's rented and it seems whomever fitted the central heating system left half of it out, so there is no overall thermostat and the radiators don't have thermostatic valves on. This means we have to manually adjust the flow temperature up and down to maintain a comfortable temperature.

INKSPE

[DimPrawn]

I'd phone the letting agent/landlord and say:

"Your central heating doesn't work properly, I suspect it never has. Can you call a heating engineer asap to see what can be done, perhaps adding some rad thermostats and a room thermostat. Thanks"

If it isn't fixed within a few days, I'm sorry I'd be calling one out myself, and deducting the cost from the rent.

[Freamon]

*Positively* shocking ITYF.

[doodab]

You didn't say what fuel you're burning.
If Solid then you'll find that the Bathroom towel-rail and possibly another radiator is on the same circuit as your hot cylinder and shouldn't be turned off under any circumstances.

I certainly wouldn't turn off all radiators unless I had a clear idea of the topology of the pipework.
If there were no bypass you could damage the circulating pump.

Gas.

It's a combi boiler so no hot water cylinder.

[norrahe]

Norrahe!!!!

This one's for you.

(but you know that you have to bleed them when cold, don't you?)

You rang?

[RSoles]

You didn't say what fuel you're burning.
If Solid then you'll find that the Bathroom towel-rail and possibly another radiator is on the same circuit as your hot cylinder and shouldn't be turned off under any circumstances.

I certainly wouldn't turn off all radiators unless I had a clear idea of the topology of the pipework.
If there were no bypass you could damage the circulating pump.

[doodab]

Oh remember to ratchet up the room thermostat so it doesn't interfere while you are adjusting

That's part of the problem. There is no room thermostat, or thermostatic valves. Only flow valves on the radiators and the flow temp.

I hope that is a joke

Unfortunately not. The "radiator" in the bathroom is inadequate, it's basically a heated towel rail good for perhaps 240W and the room has 2 external walls so it just doesn't get very warm in there even with the system flow temp cranked all the way up to 90C.

Get the effing landlord to sort it out.

We're going to have a word with them about fitting a programmer & thermostat & some thermostatic valves and perhaps a bigger radiator in the bathroom. The systems not actually broken though, it works just as badly as the day we moved in.

Is it possible to skip the room thermostat and just fit TRVs to every radiator? Presuambly this won't turn the pump on and off will it.

Exactly, for a renter its not your problem tell em you want it sorting ASAP or your moving out, spending time working on someone elses house, ARE YOU MAD!!!!!!

We don't want to move, it's been our family home for 6 years and our son is settled in school here. Plus we have managed to drive the rent down pretty low so moving would incur a penalty of ~ 150 a month + the cost of removals etc.

[Support Monkey]

Get the effing landlord to sort it out.

Exactly, for a renter its not your problem tell em you want it sorting ASAP or your moving out,

spending time working on someone elses house, ARE YOU MAD!!!!!!

[Troll]

Try turning OFF every radiator apart from the bathroom one.

This should get the bathroom nice and hot.

Once you have done that, you can start the fun of balancing........

Been there myself a few months ago.

What were you doing in doodab's bathroom?

[PRC1964]

I have bled them, as a precursor to balancing them. I did say this in the OP. They are currently cold pending me switching the boiler on and figuring out which order they are in.

The problem that I have is that the house is very unevenly heated. It's rented and it seems whomever fitted the central heating system left half of it out, so there is no overall thermostat and the radiators don't have thermostatic valves on. This means we have to manually adjust the flow temperature up and down to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Get the effing landlord to sort it out.