Vertical radiator hung horizontally

Got a picture? It would help...

In message , Bruce writes

Yes, mounting could be an issue, the main thing is the water flow. Ideally you want it plumbed like a towel rad, with the flow and return at what will be the base - if it has standard 1/2" tappings for the bleed valve then you should be ok I guess - but not all these designery rads do I don't think. And of course you need to be able to have a bleed valve at the top

. Otherwise you won't get the proper flow through the rad, and would end up with possibly ugly pipe work

I assume you have assessed if it will look ok mounted 'wrong'

Given TIBO (top-in, bottom-out) fitting of pipes to a radiator is quite common, I don't see the issue with flow through/across the rad.

If flow goes in at the bottom & out at top, there's no problem there. And no need for bleeding with such an arrangement.

NT

Depends, if it's a 'designer' one turned horizontally, it might end up with vertical tubes, so the water could just flow straight up the nearest tube to the inlet and straight out, either never heating up other tubes, or taking ages.

traditional horizontal rads do much the same. Resistance to flow means at least some flow will occur in the other tubes.

NT

Except most are plumbed bottom in, bottom out, unless by 'traditional' you mean the column variety, rather than pressed steel.

Sure, but if it's being plumbed from scratch might as well make it top in bottom out, depending on the design, it might be fully flexible on which corners he can use anyway.

I meant with standard rads most of the water flow is a short circuit, with the water flow in the columns much slower. And that's not a problem.

Better to have water in at bottom, out at top, that way its always self bleeding rather than the pump & plumbing hindering bleeding.

NT

Except it's at odds with convection.

no it aids convection. Not that it matters, with water running through it there will be movement all over.

NT

Provided it does not convect up one or two pipes or channels, which was the point I was making. It's always been a rule of thumb that you don't do it that way.

TIBO will result in a radiator at a more uniform temperature.

BITO will mean that most of the bottom of the radiator will stay cold, as you say where convection aids circulation at the expense of filling the whole of the radiator with hot water.

A plumber once got the TIBO the wrong way round. I can assure you that

I don't know what you mean at all

NT

TIBO or BIBO

not

BITO

Do some image searches for "FLIR radiator"

Sounds like a fine idea. But all I see is rads with problems with all patterns of connection.

NT