Req towel rads to come on separately from central heating

[K2harry]

I want to have my towel rads coming on in the summer. I know I can connect them to the flow pipe before the diverter valve so they come on whenever the boiler fires up. But should they be connected before or after the pump and does it matter where the return is connected

 

[ChrisR]

Flow from after the pump, return goes to the boiler after the CH and HW returns.
To be independent of the rest of the system, consider electric inserts.

 

[K2harry]

Thanks ChrisR, so just to confirm it's a system boiler so my return goes back to the boiler, I can't just feed into my main return. It has to be a separate circuit altogether

 

[JohnD]

on mine it joins on the thick side of the 3-port valve.

it has to be well-throttled down on the lockshield to prevent it stealing much flow.

 

[sambotc]

Hi,

As long as there are no tee's after the place you intend Teeing into the return it should be ok.

If there is anything else teeing off between where you tee in and the boiler you risk getting reverse circulation to whatever it is on that tee.

I think it was recommended that you take it back to the boiler to be sure that this was the case.

If you can connect it into the hot water return you should be OK too, providing none of your radiators come on at present when hot water only is being called for?

Do you have a 3 port valve or 2 zone valves to control h/w & htg?

Sam

 

[rssteve]

surely it is highly unefficent(sp) to supply acouple of towel rads but having the boiler running, although electric is more per KWH to buy, surely in the long run it would be cheaper and you would then save the need of the boiler and pump running all day?

 

[JohnD]

My boiler is of course controlled by timer and thermostats.

If the heating stat and the cylinder stat are satisfied, the boiler does not run and the towel rad is not heated.

However, if you run a bath, the cylinder calls for heat, the boiler fires, and the towel rad warms up with a small proportion of the water sent to the cyl.

Once the cylinder is hot the boiler goes off again.

So it is warm while you are having your bath and for a while after.

The boiler does not run all day just to keep the towels hot.

It has a TRV anyway so it is not hot during hot weather.

 

[K2harry]

Thanks all.

I have a megaflow on an S Plan hence 2 x 2 port valves. One more question though, what or where is HW return. If HW stands for hot water I have hot water leaving the cylinder to the taps - what return is there? Think I'll just go for branching in close to the boiler on the return

 

[JohnD]

HW return refers to the water between boiler and cylinder. It Flows from the boiler to the cylinder coil, and Returns from the cylinder to the boiler.

It doesn't go to the taps,

 

[sambotc]

Hi

Yer as John D has said your water is heated indirected via a coil inside your cylinder. The water coming out of your taps never travel's through the boiler.

The water which does travel around your boiler has 2 differant paths it can take, around the hot water coil or around the heating system hence having 2x 2 port valves.

Flow pipes are the hotter water leaving the boiler and entering either top connection on the side of the cylinder or the heating circuit. Return pipes contain the cooler 'used' water which are returning from the heating or leaving the bottom connection from the side of your cylinder to be re-heated by the boiler once again.

As you know you don't want your radiator to be dependant on hw/heating so the flow to your towel rail needs to come off after the pump but before either zone valves. The return from your towel rad can tee into the hot water coil's return.

HTH Sam

 

[K2harry]

sambotc and JohnD

Many thanks to you both, now makes perfect sense