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Miscellaneous Advice on radiator valves

Having our 15yr old inherited (been here 3mths) system boiler replaced next week
Worcester Bosch give a 10yr parts and labour guarantee on our new one, so check what you get with yours...
Vaillant the same but seem easier to work on. Tho if its a system boiler theres not mutch to it really. Just internal pump and expansion vessell..
 
While on the subject.
I have a thermostat sensor in the living room with two radiators with no TRVs and then all the other rooms have a radiator with a TRV.
I assume that as soon as the living room reaches the temperature as set on the control panel in the kitchen then the system stops circulating hot water regardless of whether the other rooms have reached the temperature of their TRVs.
Is that right?
yep that is correct, they are usually in the hall as its cooler. Thermostat works on air temp, so if in a room ( 1.5 m off the floor, not the room the stat) with 2 rads it may get satisfied quicker than the rads elsewhere get hot. Hence balancing. Or maybe upstairs and down on different thermostats and zone valves..
 
It’s most likely to be a heat pump, especially with the boiler upgrade grant.
Not sure it is an upgrade if im honest..tho havent looked into it to much..40 degree water running round the rads. A boiler is over 90% efficient at 60 degrees hence uprading the rads by 50% on a heat pump. Many of our customers compain in the winter that rads arent hot enough i explain I can turn it up by 15 degrees but it wont be as efficient.The resonse is always the same "Sod efficiency i'd rather be warm" lol..
 
Not sure it is an upgrade if im honest..tho havent looked into it to much..
It’s worth looking into. After installing a heat pump and solar our energy bill went from 3k a year to £600 with a six to seven year payback for the system.
Many of our customers compain in the winter that rads arent hot enough i explain I can turn it up by 15 degrees but it wont be as efficient.The resonse is always the same "Sod efficiency i'd rather be warm"
Something is wrong if people equate efficiency with being cold. We were warm along with the efficiency. Plus lower bills and it’s nice to know you are using renewable energy.
 
yep that is correct, they are usually in the hall as its cooler. Thermostat works on air temp, so if in a room ( 1.5 m off the floor, not the room the stat) with 2 rads it may get satisfied quicker than the rads elsewhere get hot. Hence balancing. Or maybe upstairs and down on different thermostats and zone valves..
That is why I can never get the bedrooms warm.
Easy enough to get TRVs put on the two radiators but can the thermostat be disconnected so it has no effect or is a new control panel needed?
 
That is why I can never get the bedrooms warm.
Easy enough to get TRVs put on the two radiators but can the thermostat be disconnected so it has no effect or is a new control panel needed?
Hi you need a stat..do you have a combi heat only or system boiler.. Could be anything simple, stuck pins on the trvs, lockshield valve not open enough, air, or if you have motorised valves it may be letting by..also although a boiler is more efficient at a temp of 60 degrees it may not be effective heating all rads due to circulatory issues. What happens if you turn off the rads in the lounge by the lockshield or wheelhead?
 
It's not Sutton it's Forest Hill near Sydenham.

No you don't need special rads for heatpumps, just a bit bigger than you would need for a combi as the water needs to run at a lower temperature for best best efficiency. In this case the rad has been approved by the installer as being suitable either for gas combi or heat pump so it just needs moving from one side of the room to the other. which I presume is reasonably easy as it's conventional (not T & G) floor boards and justs run inline to the opposite wall where it needs moving.
Hi, I dont know about heatpumps but am intrigued by how running colder water through a larger rad can give out adequate heat..Im going to look into it ..great financial savings tho👍and fair point re renewables..does the system still sludge up this causes heatloss..A mate went to a vaillant factory in Germany and they were intrigued re powerflushing they don't need it there. The system is filled with ionised water that doesnt turn gas to sludge.
 
That is why I can never get the bedrooms warm.
Easy enough to get TRVs put on the two radiators but can the thermostat be disconnected so it has no effect or is a new control panel needed?
You could disconnect and put an rf receiver in. The stat is battery operated and could be hung in the hall if colder. Youd need to remove the trv but could put it on one of the sitting room rads.
 
Hi you need a stat..do you have a combi heat only or system boiler.. Could be anything simple, stuck pins on the trvs, lockshield valve not open enough, air, or if you have motorised valves it may be letting by..also although a boiler is more efficient at a temp of 60 degrees it may not be effective heating all rads due to circulatory issues. What happens if you turn off the rads in the lounge by the lockshield or wheelhead?
I'm sure the radiators work all right they get hot at first but they just don't get enough time on to get the rooms warm because the downstairs room heats up.
You could disconnect and put an rf receiver in. The stat is battery operated and could be hung in the hall if colder. Youd need to remove the trv but could put it on one of the sitting room rads.
I take it the rf receiver would do the same job, I'm thinking of not having any controls other than the TRVs.
 
@eb424 I’m learning from this thread. I know about the systems in conversation here, but these don’t exist in Western US. We have the worthless forced hot air / AC systems.
Here’s my question. I know the radiators are sized to each area for output, but how do you calculate the overall BTU’s for the pump to the house size. Then compensate for the heat loss to pipe length to each radiator ? I assume these are run independently on some sort of manifold ? Not in series ? Does the system circulate ?
 
I'm sure the radiators work all right they get hot at first but they just don't get enough time on to get the rooms warm because the downstairs room heats up.

I take it the rf receiver would do the same job, I'm thinking of not having any controls other than the TRVs.
The rf stat would do the same job but in a cooler place..if the stats in a room with 2 rads it will get satisfied quicky and shut the boiler down. If ( ridiculous i know) it was in a fridge it would be mick Jaggered and not be able to get any satisfaction so would stay on longer. Or you can take the heads of the rad valves in the living room and use a small pair of adjustables to crank down the valves and see if that helps. Slowing the flowvthrough the valve will keep the heat further along. Also check the lockshields upstairs are opened enough. Lastly try turning up the boiler setting from 60 to 75 degs and make sure it hasnt been rated on the installs. I.e an 18kw boilers output can be range rated from between say 12 to 25kws.
 
@eb424 I’m learning from this thread. I know about the systems in conversation here, but these don’t exist in Western US. We have the worthless forced hot air / AC systems.
Here’s my question. I know the radiators are sized to each area for output, but how do you calculate the overall BTU’s for the pump to the house size. Then compensate for the heat loss to pipe length to each radiator ? I assume these are run independently on some sort of manifold ? Not in series ? Does the system circulate ?
There is a whole house calculatiom it's complex so most just oversize and stay with the heat output of the boiler i.e. the data badge will state max output in kws. I.e. an 18 kw boiler producers a max output of 18kw ( sometimes more ecotec 418 is almost 25kws) so if a house has say 7 rads you can safely say that each rad can be 2kw which leaves enough energy to heat the cylinder. Each rad is rated in btu or kw. For efficiency the system should work with a flow ( water) temp of 55 degs with the return 5 degs cooler. Circulation issues can/ will restrict the dissipated heat over time. Underfloor heating is usually on a manifold but most systems are in series just a flow and return to each rad. The systems are pumped and either a 3 way motorised valve ( y plan) or 2 xs 2 port valves ( s plan) determine whether the primary system sends hot water to the rads or the cylinder for hot water. The temp is controlled via a cylinder stat which shuts the valve of when satisfied. Same with a combi but all in 1 boiler which prioritises hot water i.e. if a hot tap is turned on heating will stop for the duration that the tap is running. I think this is my concern over heat pumps which operate at 40 degs through the rads. If a boiler putting 60 degs through isnt warming the space enough how does 40 degs even with a 50% larger rad that is required. Hense the requirement re insulation and triple glazing. Heat loss has to be kept to a min. Which in the uk is hard. Some houses have solid brick walls which cant be insulated, crittle windows, no underfloor insulation, underfloor pipes not lagged. I think people are better of with fossil fuel cost first i.e replacement boiler and spending the difference on becomming well insulated first. Heat pumps are fine in new builds insulated to the hilt. Houses need adventitious air if the fabric cant breath issues with condensation leading to mould occurs. The fabric of the building needs warming first before a room starts warming.
 

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