Radiators in series - good or bad?

Question

I'm pricing up radiators right now - and there is a very good deal on " radiator packs" in the Stelrad Softline range.

Bascially you choose whatever you want up to a "total btu" figure

Downside is maximum length of any rad (in this deal) is 1200mm, and in some locations I need something a good bit bigger.

So - how practical is it to run two rads in series - i.e. straight horizontal copper pipe out of the first and into the second, with trv and lockshield at the respective further ends?

I figure it would only cost me two threaded male compression fittings (and bit of pipe) to jump between the two rads- and have the two function as one.

Any pitfalls here?

NT · Accepted Answer

no big deal. Historic CH systems often had *all* the rads in seriesNT

YAPH · Answer

I don't know how historic you're getting here. I've not come across any such. Even single-pipe systems don't put the radiators in series: each rad has a bypass pipe in parallel with it, and the rad+bypass combinations are in series with each other. This is quite different to what the OP is asking about, if you think about it.

Harry Bloomfield · Answer

brought next idea :I cannot think of any serious ones....The flow might be very slightly less, due to the extra restriction and the second radiator from the flow side will run a little cooler, due to the water having lost some of its heat in the first one.

Andrew Gabriel · Answer

If you link at top and bottom, then it's in effect exactly one radiator. I've seen that done to make a radiator folded around a bay window.

However, it's generally better to have multiple separated heat sources in rooms which require a higher heat input to give more even heating, so why not take advantage of the extra radiators by separating them?

Pete Verdon · Answer

My bathroom is heated by three smallish towel radiators ganged together exactly as you describe. Works fine; I treat them as a single radiator.Pete

Radiators in series - good or bad?

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