Radiators Problem

[Spinny]

Not been able to get all 4 downstairs Rads running at full temperature.

 

I have 4 new rads that were installed downstairs as part of our new heating system using plastic press fit pipework (copper upright stems). Two modern panel type radiators - one medium - one small, and then two old fashioned style column radiators - one 4 column medium size, one 3 column medium size. Builders plumber came 3 times to rebalance them and couldn't get tham all fully up to temp, eventually resorting to going behind my back to turn the boiler temp up to 65C and then claiming he had fixed it (not).

 

Have had suggestions it is likely a pipework/flow problem and column rads take more flow to drive them.

 

Replacing all the pipework not an attractive option as much of it is now under glued down boarding. I do have two lengths of empty conduit going back under the floor to the boiler location that were put in in case of future desire to extend the underfloor heating. So if an additional pipe loop was created via this conduit to take a column rad off the current loop, and put it on a second loop of its own - is this going to provide a solution to the problem ?

 

 

 

 

 

[John Carroll]

Some column rads must have the flow at one particular end because they may have a flow diverter, they may have a arrow somewhere, if not you could try one of these, of suitable length, it  force the water up through one column, it will then flow down equally through the remaining 2 or 3 columns. Are they (column) hot along the bottom and cool along the top??.

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by John Carroll

[marshian]

1 hour ago, John Carroll said:

Some column rads must have the flow at one particular end because they may have a flow diverter, they may have a arrow somewhere, if not you could try one of these, of suitable length, it  force the water up through one column, it will then flow down equally through the remaining 2 or 3 columns. Are they (column) hot along the bottom and cool along the top??.

 

 

 

 

Just a word of warning on the diverters above - if you are running TRV's on the majority of the rads when TRV's shut down it is possible to invert the diverters above - no need to ask me how I know this!!!