Fixed Radiator

eastriggs · 22 May 2005

I have recently had a new central heating system installed - valiant combi boiler.
The plumber advised that I would not be able to adjust one of the radiators and suggested that this should be the one in the bathroom to which I agreed. However not only is this radiator on permanently whenever I use the central heating system, but it has been set at a very high temperature.
I am a senior citizen, have to watch the pennies, and while we are now in early summer I fear that, when winter comes, and I want to enjoy the downstairs/bedroom radiators I will be deterred from doing so, because of the expense of the radiator blazing away at full volume in the bathroom. Is there really no way that the temperature in this radiator can be reduced without affecting my hot water supply? In my previous home I had a Bosch Worcester and there was not a problem of this kind.

breezer · 22 May 2005

i am not a plumber or heating engineer, but we have that it is quite common. all rads in the house have a TRV (Theromstatic Radiator Valve)

as i understand it the reason is if all the trv's close down (because the room is warm enough) the hot heating water would have no where to go and presumably damage the sytem, but as the bathroom rad has NO trv the water can flow through this rad so all is well.

Only thing i can suggest is turn your water temp on the boiler down, the bathroom rad will still get hot, but not as hot.

I used to have a back boiler in my previous house and the rads never got that hot, unlike they do here with a combi boiler

Bahco · 22 May 2005

The bypass rad will be no hotter than any other of your rads.
You should have had a roomstat fitted which will turn off your boiler when it reaches a set temp. If this rad is always on I suspect you do not have one fitted.

If not, I strongly suggest you get one fitted as your boiler will be permanently on until you switch it off manually. The other rads will turn off via the Trvs but the bathroom one will keep pumping out the heat and draining your wallet.

breezer · 22 May 2005

i forgot about the room stat

gazthepottertonengineer · 22 May 2005

i didnt think this particular boiler needed a bypass ?? might be worth a phone call to manafacturers ?? if it does then you could always have an automatic bypass fitted elsewhere in system !!!

doitall · 22 May 2005

gazthepottertonengineer said:
i didnt think this particular boiler needed a bypass ?? might be worth a phone call to manafacturers ?? if it does then you could always have an automatic bypass fitted elsewhere in system !!!

All Boilers require an auto by-pass of some sort when TRV are installed on all the rads.

The thing that has escaped the professionals notice so far is why the rad is hot, Perhaps the heating is still programmed ON or it has a faulty divertor valve, either way the rad should be as cold as the rest.

Suprised trainee hasn't picked up on this yet.

gazthepottertonengineer · 22 May 2005

hello this is a combi boiler and not all combis require a bypass as they have ones built into the boiler as all of ours do !!!!
and it would get very hot if its the only radiator on after all the trvs are shut down as it would have about 100,000 btus heating it ??

just get them to fit a bit of 22mm between the flow and returns somewhere with either a gate valve slightly open or preferably an auto by-pass !!!

eastriggs · 22 May 2005

Thank you very much. Your help has been very much appreciated.

doitall · 22 May 2005

gazthepottertonengineer said:
hello this is a combi boiler and not all combis require a bypass as they have ones built into the boiler as all of ours do !!!!
and it would get very hot if its the only radiator on after all the trvs are shut down as it would have about 100,000 btus heating it ??

just get them to fit a bit of 22mm between the flow and returns somewhere with either a gate valve slightly open or preferably an auto by-pass !!!

Perhaps I worded it badly Gazthepottytonengineer.

All Boilers Require an auto by-pass when TRVs are installed on all the radiators, including the rubbish that Baxi/potterton chuck out.

And I know it said Combi, and I know Baxi/Potterton build them in

, and I know I get easily convused but does that mean they still have one albeit not remote, but then again did I say remote, or they must have one

Also assuming the radiators are sized correctly and the system is installed within the scope of new regs, the boiler will shut down with the room stat allowing only the pump over-run to dissipate cooling water through the one radiator, it must certainly wouldn't increase it's temperature.

On the subject of regs, a gate valve stuck in a length of 22mm pipes is unexceptable as a by-pass.

gazthepottertonengineer · 22 May 2005

"the rubbish that Baxi/potterton chuck out."
sorry but you obviously dont know alot about boilers and yes you do get very confused

as our boilers are the best on the market and are the best selling as well

and i did say preferably an auto bypass didnt i

Bahco · 22 May 2005

Gaz

Do a search on Baxi on this forum and you will see why they have a poor reputation

I'll stick to my Valliant thanks

Welcome to the forum by the way

gazthepottertonengineer · 22 May 2005

i must agree the old baxi combis ie the Bahama were rubbish but since we brought a company out in Italy that now make them called SPa they are loads better and your always going to get more people having problems when there are more boilers out there than anyone else its logical

and thank you

eastriggs · 22 May 2005

Must say that, before I moved house, I was very happy with my Bosch Worcester, but my new ch installers were agents for the Valliant, which they assured me was, in their opinion, every bit as good.

gazthepottertonengineer · 22 May 2005

i agree valliants are quality !! as are Worcester Bosch

doitall · 22 May 2005

gazthepottertonengineer said:
"the rubbish that Baxi/potterton chuck out."
sorry but you obviously dont know alot about boilers and yes you do get very confused as our boilers are the best on the market and are the best selling as well

and i did say preferably an auto bypass didnt i

Probably know more about boilers than you ever will, and as far as I'm concerned a Bad reputation is hard to shake off rightly or wrongly. Take the Suprema as a good example of ripping the public off, in the States it would have been recalled years ago.

Dare I say but Ideal domestic boilers have the same problem and I wouldn't fit them for love nor money, whereas their larger boilers are good but outdated when compaired to real quality like the "Grant"

Pssst you also said your boilers don't need a by-pass but they have one fitted internally as do others or don't that count

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Fixed Radiator

breezer

breezer

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