Brand new heating system

[MeldrewsMate]

Gentlemen, the OP has commented that he got full heat from the downstairs rads when he closed off the upstairs ones, so given the correct amount of pumping pressure all rads should be made to work properly.
OP. I suggest there are some things you can do to alleviate the problems yourself.
1. Start with all upstairs rads turned off at their TRV.
2. Confirm that, as before, all downstairs rads work properly.
3. Start by turning on one upstairs rad and monitoring its inlet and exit temperatures - you may be able to gauge this by feel. Adjust by closing this rad's lockshield valve by 1/4 turn at a time until you get a noticeable temperature difference between inlet and exit, nominally 15C. You will need to wait at least 15 minutes between each adjustment, so this exercise should be done over several evenings.
4. Repeat for subsequent rads, finally checking that each rad has a similar temperature difference.

The main cause of poor balance in a heating system, in my opinion, are towel rads which often don't have lockshield valves that can be locked.

 

[MNW67]

Gentlemen, the OP has commented that he got full heat from the downstairs rads when he closed off the upstairs ones.

Are you sure? (At the risk of making a fool of myself!) I thought that had been suggested early on as something to try but I don't remember seeing the result.

 

[Madrab]

the OP has commented that he got full heat from the downstairs rads when he closed off the upstairs ones

Erm....where has he said that? Must have missed it.

 

[Madrab]

Since this system has been fitted a majority of the downstairs radiators only get really hot at the top

The system has never worked properly since the installation. I've had the Hive replaced and (edit)(presume the system has been) balanced twice.

He tried to fob us off by telling us this was normal that radiators are boiling at the top and luke warm at the bottom in a new system but every person I know who has this kind of heating, has and even distribution of heat on the radiator.

the OP has commented that he got full heat from the downstairs rads when he closed off the upstairs ones

He's said everything but and has had the system balanced twice, so it seems that it may not be a balancing issue??

 

[Oops123]

Correct mate, the fitter has had 2 goes at balancing the system but it is still not achieving the heat what I'd expect to come from each radiator ( I don't really want to mess on with it incase he refuses to touch it after me ). Some absolute mad hot where I can't hardly touch them and some lukewarm at the top and cold at the bottom. Anyway it's D day next week as he is coming out to try and sort it again . If not I'm going to get someone else out to give it the once over and see if they can recommend anything. Appreciate all the help lads, some a bit technical for my abilities but it's interesting to read about these things incase I ever need anything sorting in the future. You may be a comrade down next week if he doesn't sort it. Ha ha.

 

[Madrab]

It may not be possible, given the information you have supplied, to get the system balanced properly and get those large rads to heat up properly

If I can give you a comparison - My system is 22mm with 10mm feeds to upstairs with 10mm drops to the rads that were downstairs.
I had one 1400x600mm K2 in the lounge, basically the last on the run and no matter what I did, I could never get it to heat properly and I've been doing this quite a while. I did drop the rad size to 1000x600mm and then it warmed up properly but then didn't have the output needed and the room was never warm enough.

Some of yours are much larger - So if we can rule out, restricted/clogged pipework, incorrect pump settings, an installer that just can't balance a system and if everything else is equal and the system is running as well as it can, then unfortunately it may never work properly.

 

[MNW67]

Appreciate all the help lads, some a bit technical for my abilities but it's interesting to read about these things incase I ever need anything sorting in the future.

Before he comes, you could try the very simple test that has been suggested by several experienced engineers on this thread. Just turn off all the upstairs radiators at the TRVs and see if the downstairs radiators get properly hot. It may give useful information.

 

[Oops123]

Worst thing about all this was, we asked him for his advice about the room size and what size rads we should get and and he said it would greatly improve the heating of the house.
I've got friends on the estate who've had new systems in and haven't had any bother at all. Suppose its just my luck though and what rads they have had installed. I'm not to to bad with it but the wife is the coldest person walking the face of the earth and it would be nice to get it fixed just for the sake of my ears, not being bent all the time.

 

[Oops123]

Before he comes, you could try the very simple test that has been suggested by several experienced engineers on this thread. Just turn off all the upstairs radiators at the TRVs and see if the downstairs radiators get properly hot. It may give useful information.

 

[Oops123]

OK I'll try that and report back with the results. Cheers.

 

[Notch7]

I'm not to to bad with it but the wife is the coldest person walking the face of the earth and it would be nice to get it fixed just for the sake of my ears, not being bent all the time

My boiler had a sudden terminal event on the 16th of Jan and today we have our new system commissioned.

My wife really feels the cold like yours, so you can imagine how my ears have been glowing red for 3 weeks.

 

[Madrab]

Before he comes, you could try the very simple test that has been suggested by several experienced engineers on this thread. Just turn off all the upstairs radiators at the TRVs and see if the downstairs radiators get properly hot. It may give useful information.

It certainly could but it could also kinda muddy the waters a bit.

As other have suggested, 10mm pipe can happily serve up to ~2.5kw so it can, just, heat the 1600x600 K2 sufficiently, so if the system draw is reduced by ~50% then the other rads may get hot but once the whole system is online then flow rates and available energy to each end point will change and then there may not be the capacity in the system, as it is designed at the moment, to cope with the larger whole, even when it is balanced.

There is certainly enough output from the boiler but the system design may not just be able to cope with the larger rads when everything is calling and in trying to supply everything, the whole system is being impacted.

 

[Oops123]

OK turned all the TRV valves to zero upstairs and the 2 problem downstairs rads were boiling at the top and warm at the bottom . I noticed the bathroom and en suite towel rails were still hot even when they were turned to zero. Think this system has been plumbed in by Ronald Mcdonald.

 

[Oops123]

Some knowledgeable people on here, where were you lot when I was getting quotes back in September. Ha ha.

 

[Bod ...]

Are there any Designer radiators?