Can radiators have too much flow through them ?

[hosburger]

Hi,

If when balancing my rads I find that ALL rads heat up nice and hot with both valves open is this ok ?

Or does the flow in radiators NEED to be restricted for any reason?

The reason I ask is that when balancing the rads with all valves open all rads are hot apart from one small one. I can get this one hot very easily by restricting a couple of rads up stairs. Is this good?

My concern is taht perhaps the water needs to flow through a rad slow enough to disipate the correct amount of heat ????

If i can measure the temp of all rads and they are all the same with all valves open is this ok ?

Hope someone understands what i am trying to get at !

Cheers.

 

[foxhole]

No , the fact yours heat up easily suggests you have a boiler with plenty of capacity, as systems get larger balancing becomes more important.
Any heat carried by water is not lost if it does not emanate from rad it just goes round again and boiler has less to do to keep it hot.

 

[D_Hailsham]

My concern is that perhaps the water needs to flow through a rad slow enough to dissipate the correct amount of heat ????

That is quite correct. The output of a radiator is quoted for a flow temperature of 75°C and a return temperature of 65°C. Assuming a 1kw radiator this is equivalent to a flow rate of (1x60)/(4.2x10)=1.43 litres per minute. When you balance the radiator you are adjusting the flow rate so the rad gives off the stated amount of heat.

If I can measure the temp of all rads and they are all the same with all valves open is this ok ?

It would be very unusual. You have to measure the temperature of the flow and return pipes adjacent to the rad. Measuring the surface temp of the rad is not sufficient.

How to Balance a CH System