Gravity Heating System Replacement Problem

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rockingrodders

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Had my gravity heating system replaced with a pumped system. The gravity system had an expansion radiator in the bathroom adjacent to the airing cupboard/hot water tank. The expansion radiator has been re-piped into the pumped system, (I was told as per requirements).

Now the the system is up and running it has become apparent that there was a second expansion radiator in the system in a bedroom adjacent to the bathroom, which is part of an extension. Apparent because this radiator heats up when only the hot water is programmed to be on. i.e. heating off.

The installer has now changed his tune and saying this is okay and can be overcome by just turning the thermostatic valve on the radiator off.

Is this acceptable? Is it allowed in a pumped system?
 
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It was common to fit some rads to coal boilers to act as a heat dump ( not expansion ). Perhaps your system was originally used on a solid fuel boiler?

Its also difficult to identify which rads are connected this way if the owner has not noticed before. I would always ask the owner but its surprising how many seem so oblivious of how their systems work.

Its fine for the TRV to be turned down to prevent the rad heating.

It would be quite time consuming/costly to rearrange the pipework. Perhaps 4-6 hours or more depending on the floor.

Tony
 
Agreed - and he's made an honest mistake, so please don't be too hard on him.
 
mysteryman said:
Agreed - and he's made an honest mistake, so please don't be too hard on him.
Click to expand...

I'm not even sure that it can be classed as "his" mistake. The rad, presumably, would have been getting hot when the old system was calling for hot water only. The installer obviously had the experience and knowledge to have a conversation about repiping the heat dump, and discussed it with the OP. Without lifting loads of boards, how would he have known about the 2nd one? BUT the client probably did and should have alerted the plumber.

I think.
 
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To be quite honest I didn't know or notice this before I had the system replaced.

What I'm trying to find out is, is it acceptable in a pumped system to have a radiator that is now not in the pumped system as such?

Because to be quite honest if its acceptable, and the installer told me it wasn't in the first place, I would rather have left the radiator in the bathroom working as it was so the towels dried in the summer!

I'm not giving him a hard time just trying to understand it that's all.
 
The whole system is now pumped even the old gravity primaries. personally discuss with the installer the extra costs involved in repiping the bedroom radiator, if you're happy with it get it done.

Mike
 
I can't think of a real problem with this set up, but it is probably technically wrong because it is not fully and independantly controllable.
 
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