Bathroom radiator piped straight off the boiler?

[baggy99]

Firstly, this is not a question requiring a solution - its just to satisfy my curiosity....!
I am replacing a 20 year old oil boiler which had 4 pipes running to it - indiect cylinder coil F&R, CH F&R. I was powerflushing the system today and couldn't understand why the bathroom rad (immediately above the boiler) wouldn't flush.
To cut a long story short, it transpires that the bathroom rad isn't connected to the CH circuit at all - its T-d off the coil circuit.
So, my simple question is was it standard practice 20 years ago to fire up the bathroom rad at the same time as the dhw (presumably to dry towels, etc??) or is this a one-off?
Thanks!

 

[ChrisR]

Common.
Usually it goes off before Valves so BathR always heats.
I did mine like that!

 

[baggy99]

Thanks Chris.

 

[Terrywookfit]

If the system has previously been used with a solid fuel boiler this radiator will have been the heat leak!!
If you are fitting a new gas or oil fired boiler you will need to connect it onto the heating circuit, but that should be no problem as you will be converting to fully pumped any how!!!

 

[baggy99]

>> If the system has previously been used with a solid fuel boiler this radiator will have been the heat leak!!

Well, I wondered if I was going to get a technical explanation such as that, but no, it was always on an oil boiler, so I suppose its just for a permanently warm bathroom rad.


>> If you are fitting a new gas or oil fired boiler you will need to connect it onto the heating circuit, but that should be no problem as you will be converting to fully pumped any how!!!

Precisely. Its no problem to re-plumb it. I was just intruiged by the arrangement!

 

[JohnD]

you haven't got to have it on the heating circuits. it can be very handy to have a warm place for the towels even in summer.

You have to throttle it down on the lockshield so it doesn't steal all the flow, though.

 

[baggy99]

I had considered leaving it (though the layout has to modified to Y plan anyway) but the irony is that in 12 years I never even realised we had the option of having it warmed by the dhw circuit. Its fitted with a TRV, so it has spent every summer stone cold.........

 

[Dan Robinson]

I wouold keep it. I n fact my boiler has a "comfort" loop byuilt into it which i connected up to a towel rail that sists above the normal rad. Every time the boiler fires it warms up. Lovely dry bath mats and towels all year round.

 

[baggy99]

OK, I'll think about it ! As I said, I have to do a bit of replumbing to accomodate the Y plan layout, so we'll see where the existing pipework needs to be cut. If the rad can stay in, maybe I'll keep it "as is". Cheers again for the info.

 

[JohnD]

I've got one too, it's easy