One Radiator always on!

[Redhotferrari]

Hi Guys,

Have a friend who has recently moved into house that has been renovated, the radiator in her bedroom is always on, even on the summer when only hot water is one, this rad is baking! The only way to turn it off is to turn both flow and return off, which as you can imagine is a right b*** ache

Any ideas as to why this is? I assume its a design fault in the system?

Any advice welcomed

 

[gas4you]

Did this room used to be a bathroom before renovation?

If so on old gravity systems it was often the norm to leave the bath rad on th gravity circuit for excess heat to get out of the system. Goes back to solid fuel boiler days when they couldn't switch off instantly with a boiler stat.

 

[Redhotferrari]

No Idea I am afraid, do not think so, do not think walls etc have been moved and the size of the room would indicate its always been a bedroom.

The whole heating and hot water system looks like it has been replaced with new.

 

[gas4you]

Well it sounds as if it has been teed in before it should be somewhere.

Could also be that it is picking up a return backfeed if the rad pipe work hasn't been taken back to the central point in the airing cupboard.

 

[Redhotferrari]

Where should it not be teed into before? If I was to lift all floorboards and chase it back, is it possible to cut the flow and return, cap off and tee back into where it should be?

 

[JohnD]

you might consider just fitting a TRV, then it will be shut off during warm weather without you having to remember to turn it off.

I would have thought it could be gravity flow and a 3-way valve that is not closing tightly.

p.s. It should never be necessary to "The only way to turn it off is to turn both flow and return off, " as turning off either one of the valves should stop the flow. Maybe the valves are faulty, or your friend is mistaken.

 

[Redhotferrari]

Thanks John, this is a strange one! She does have a TRV to the Rad, so maybe this is faulty.

I thought that in some circumstances (usually the bathroom) one rad will always be on? Are you saying that by turning off just the TRV on the rad it should stop the flow/return to not make the rad warm?

Cheers

 

[JohnD]

if a rad has a TRV, and it is working, it will shut off the flow in that rad when the TRV detecs that target temperature has been met or exceeded.

I am presuming there is not a solid fuel boiler.

 

[bengasman]

Yes, it is a design fault.
Impossible that you have to shut off both valves to turn off the rad. One of the two is not working

 

[gas4you]

In an extreme rare case I once had a rad getting hot with the flow valve turned off and the return pipe was acting as flow and return somehow. After re-piping all was fixed.

I can only guess that eg the water was split into 2 heat zones, hot going up the middle and cooler down the outside

 

[Redhotferrari]

Ok, thanks for all replies so far.

So, what you are saying is that irrespective of design fault if the TRV is working, it should stop the radiator getting hot if switched off?

Can only assume then that the TRV is knackered?

 

[Redhotferrari]

Hi guys,

Any comments on my last post regarding this?

What like to sort this out if possible.