Re-plumbing towel rad to heat when HW on rather than just CH

[gtd.]

I recently changed my old leaking towel rail to a modern curved towel radiator.

I have a back boiler and a programmer that only allows heating to work if the hot water is on too.

The back boiler backs directly up to the airing cupboard where the water cylinder is there are 4 pipes that go through the wall to and from the boiler 2 go to the cylinder and the other 2 are for the central heating which I think is a pumped two pipe system.

There is one F&E tank upstairs (bungalow, loft directly above cylinder).

I'd like the towel radiator to work when the hot water is on so it works all year round instead of just working in the colder months when the central heating is on.

Is this OK to do and if so what is the best way to do this?

Do I just use the pipes going to and from the cylinder hot water heating coil?

Do I just fit a pair reducer tees in the cylinder supply and return pipes and plum the rad off those?

Will that work or would that be like an old one pipe system so the towel rad wouldn't heat up very well?

 

[echoes]

Sounds like a gravity HW / pumped CH, so yes: just tee off the flow and return for the HW to supply the towel warmer.

 

[Nige F]

would that be like an old one pipe system so the towel rad wouldn't heat up very well?

You`re getting warm

 

[slapper]

I recently changed my old leaking towel rail to a modern curved towel radiator.

I have a back boiler and a programmer that only allows heating to work if the hot water is on too.

The back boiler backs directly up to the airing cupboard where the water cylinder is there are 4 pipes that go through the wall to and from the boiler 2 go to the cylinder and the other 2 are for the central heating which I think is a pumped two pipe system.

There is one F&E tank upstairs (bungalow, loft directly above cylinder).

I'd like the towel radiator to work when the hot water is on so it works all year round instead of just working in the colder months when the central heating is on.

Is this OK to do and if so what is the best way to do this?

Do I just use the pipes going to and from the cylinder hot water heating coil?

Do I just fit a pair reducer tees in the cylinder supply and return pipes and plum the rad off those?

Will that work or would that be like an old one pipe system so the towel rad wouldn't heat up very well?

If you dont get the bottom of the Towel rail higher than the return,and the flow rising also,it wont work,if your gonna use the Circs that is

 

[gtd.]

The boiler and cylinder are next to each other, there is probably less than 6 inches of pipe between the wall of the chimney where the boiler lives and the cylinder in the airing cupboard.

The lower pipe between the boiler and cylinder has a a drain for emptying the system.

The towel radiator inlet/outlet will be lower than the cylinder.

I was going to put a tee in the upper pipe between the boiler and cylinder and use two tees in the lower pipe so I can still drain the system.

Or will I need a pump or something else to make this work properly?

I've done a diagram

Top diagram is how it is now bottom is how it would be if i used 3 tees so I still have a drain cock

 

[slapper]

that wont work either,you cannot drop pipes on a gravity system before they rise. You will have a constant air lock with no circulation.

Pipework should rise to rad from point of take off, otherwise it wont circulate.