Balancing radiators

[Roger Chapman]

You don't get large bore domestic heating systems these days. 1", 3/4" and 1/2" pipes were traditionally known as small bore which is why the smaller stuff got labelled micro-bore.

[thirty-six]

ote:

s around like this. =A0If your boiler can't heat all the radiators at once,= your boiler is too small for the system. =A0Even with all my radiators on = full blast, the boiler doesn't run continuously.

ve a correspondingly larger bore pipe from the boiler to feed them? =A0What= twatt designed that?!?

Do you know anyone using a large bore system in a small house? Do you alternatively mean minibore (22&15mm)? I would rather you get your terminology in order before hurling insults.

Ho-ho.

I said LEAKS not LEEKS.

[Roger Chapman]

These days you don't get much choice. Except for certain very limited exceptions condensing boilers are mandatory both as new installations and as replacements.

So do most people these days. You could well have a condensing boiler without knowing it.

I think you need to read up on the basics of central heating design which should include inter alia boiler types, heat output, circuit design, pipe sizing, etc.

Then there is the more sophisticated stuff - programmable thermostats, zoning, weather compensation, heat recovery ...

[ARWadsworth]

I did that and the next door neighbour had to tell me to keep the front door closed as heat was escaping from the house.

[Lieutenant Scott]

I wasn't talking at all. He was telling me what was ion the house when I was wishing to purchase it.

[Lieutenant Scott]

I don't understand how I can put 100 things on ebay and a further 50 on freecycle, and have less space than I started with.

There's a Murphy's Law in here somewhere.

[Lieutenant Scott]

Well what I meant was if you have 15mm pipe for the radiators, you should have much more than that from the boiler.

I have: 22mm from boiler and pump, Branches to 15mm for hot water, 22mm for house radiators (which splits into 8mm for each radiator), and 10mm for garage.

I can turn any or all of the above on and they all get piping hot.

When I say "turn on", it's all automatic - I just set the temperature I want the hot water at, the temperature I want the house at, and the temperature I want the garage at, and leave the system on all the time, all year round. If nothing needs heat, the pump and boiler shut off by themselves. I do have thermostatic radiator valves should I wish some rooms to be cooler, but I don't use them.

Boiler hasn't been serviced since I moved in in Feb 2000. Baxi rule!

[Lieutenant Scott]

around like this. If your boiler can't heat all the radiators at once, your boiler is too small for the system. Even with all my radiators on full blast, the boiler doesn't run continuously.

correspondingly larger bore pipe from the boiler to feed them? What twatt designed that?!?

Large in comparison to microbore ffs. You know perfectly well what I meant. So, answer the question, do you have a larger diameter pipe from the boiler than to each individual radiator? If not no wonder you need to do the silly balancing act.

So why have I never had a problem? I drained the system years ago and never put inhibitor back in. Are you cleverer than a Corgi registered professional?

I know. So what did you mean?

[Lieutenant Scott]

Worst case scenario it doesn't condense, so you get less efficiency?

And why does all the water going to one radiator cause a problem? The water would still cool by 15C or whatever it is. I assume a condensing boiler can handle only one radiator being switched on, which would have the same effect.

Mandatory energy savings - whatever next. It's MY money.

Ever heard of the acronym KISS?

[Lieutenant Scott]

Your neighbour is very intelligent, you should listen to his advice.

[Tim Streater]

Cos all the others are cold, perhaps?

[Roger Chapman]

For it to condense first get a condensing boiler.

With a natural gas fired boiler the difference can be considerable - up to 10%.

You seem to be making a lot of very strange assumptions. The heat loss in any radiator is a function of the volume of water flowing through the temperature drop across the radiator. The bigger the radiator the more scope there is to give out heat and the narrower the pipework the less water you can force through it.

If you actually want to get a 15C drop across the radiator you have to slow down the throughput and sacrifice some of the heat output you would have got had you the means to push water through the radiator so fast you only get a very small temperature drop.

With condensing boilers you need bigger radiators so you can get the return temperature to below IIRC 53C to get the condensing process started but you need the return temperature a good way below that in order to get a 10% advantage over a non condensing boiler.

You want to replace your window you have to have double glazing using special (ie) expensive glass. You want to improve the insulation of your has you can't take any half measures, you must do it to new build standards. Big brother is alive and well and living in your wallet.

Well if you want to be considered stupid I will oblige in future and not bother you with inconvenient facts.

[Lieutenant Scott]

A problem for the condensing boiler I meant.

[Lieutenant Scott]

I don't think I have one, there is no fan or condensate piping. It was fitted in about 1995.

I don't call 10% considerable. It's not even enough to make a pig stop you for speeding.

Sounds like a lot of hassle, one of these things where people spend 1000s of pounds to save a few pennies. Kinda like solar panels.

Do I hell. I replace it with what *I* want.

Really? Does he watch what I put in the loft?

I was trying to tell you that overcomplicating thongs is pointless.

[Tim Streater]

No problem until you come to sell your house. Then the prospective buyer wants to know what changes you've made - and then wants to see the accompanying paperwork. If the windows have been done and there's no FENSA signoff to show its to standard (if you get a builder to do it) or if you've got nothing from Building Control (if you do it yourself), then the buyer will evaporate.

[Graham.]

It's very reassuring to learn it's not just me.

[Lieutenant Scott]

Building a shed using breezeblock instead of wood. Am I mad or sensible?

[Lieutenant Scott]

Why would they know the window has been replaced?

I actually bought this house in 2000 with single glazing. What if I had never installed double? Are you saying I couldn't now sell it?

[thirty-six]

ote:

mess around like this. =A0If your boiler can't heat all the radiators at on= ce, your boiler is too small for the system. =A0Even with all my radiators = on full blast, the boiler doesn't run continuously.

have a correspondingly larger bore pipe from the boiler to feed them? =A0W= hat twatt designed that?!?

eant. =A0So, answer the question, do you have a larger diameter pipe from t= he boiler than to each individual radiator? =A0If not no wonder you need to= do the silly balancing act.

Rad feeds from the main flow and return are of different lengths, available pressure at each rad varies so balncing is tequired to get the furthest rad to spec. on heat output when all user controls are fully open.

If you don't know, you've been lucky. Your water was neutral with minimal mineral content the autovent has worked without fault and the system has remained tight.

you cleverer than a Corgi registered professional?

LEAKS !

[Tim Streater]

No. I'm saying that any competent solicitor, and their client, would want to be assured that any changes made since it was built comply with the regs in force at the time. So if you've (say) changed a window in the last 10 years they'd expect it to be DG. Of course, you could "forget" to mention that, but if the purchaser then got dinged themselves later, they could sue you.