Draining radiators (for fitting insulation)

I have some insulation to fit behind radiators on gas central heating system. The boiler is a condensing type and the timer an electro-mechanical has one channel but switch for HW & CH / HW only. May I drain only radiator piping circuit to remove radiators. Then while working on the insualtion and blasting and re-painting or radiators can I run the system on HW only with the radiator valves turned shut?

I'm not impressed wiith the range of insulations available for behind radiators I ended up going to Dodge City and getting polystyrene backed foil. Is there nothing better than this something with good insulating properties and a good fire rating (low smoke and fume, flame retardent, zero halogen etc.)?

Reply to
Z
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probably not .. too risky

Tell me, this post is surely a windup? What good would insulation be behind a radiator?

Reply to
BillV

The wall next to the radiator is heated to about the same temperature as the radiator. It's going to lose much, much, much more heat to the outside than the wall just next to it. Insulating extra behind radiators on outside walls can be a good idea in some circumstances.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

But could you get enough insulation behind the average rad to do any good? There's bugger all behind most of mine and if the gap was filled with insulation wouldn't that stop the convection effect?

Reply to
BillV

That is the other problem. A thin sheet of high insulation value stuff, with foil on the side near the rad probably won't hurt.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

I have some. It seems pretty effective. I have solid uninsulated brick walls. In winter, the walls behind radiators I have placed insulation behind are clearly much colder (i.e. properly cold) than ones without the insulation (warm to the touch). I suspect some of the effect comes from the silvered surface, which reflects radiated heat back into the room.

The insulation is very thin so doesn't affect convection. However, compared with solid brick, it probably more than quadruples the insulation value, right where the hottest part of the room is. As a final advantage, you can now repaint without removing the radiator, as you only have to paint up to the insulation, easily reached with a paintbrush.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

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