Balancing the System
- Thread starter fattony
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£250.00 sounds ok to me, I will call round next week?
Are you being serious?
You could do this yourself with a bit of guidance.
Shut all valves on all radiators.
Then start with the radiator closest to the boiler. Open the valve slightly. Then go to the next radiator. Open valve a little bit more then the 1st rad. Then go to the third rad, open that valve a little bit more then the second. Keep doing this, opening each valve a bit more than the previous radiators valve.
The last rad should be open more than the others.
See how the rads heat up and adjust the valves accordingly, you may need to open each valve a little bit more, or close some a bit more then others. This is balancing the system.
This will mean the hot water will be forced through the first rad, forced through the second etc etc. You need to force the hot water through to the furthest radiators.
If you were to open the first radiators valve fully, most of the hot water will simply circulate through that rad with very little going to the others.
If you are still unable to do this, get back to me.
You will not get far with a career in plumbing if you just tell your customers to do the work themselves!
An explanation of how to DIY is given in this site's FAQs. However many people still prefer to have it done professionally.
Usually either because they want it done professionally or there are difficulties because of system deficiencies.
Tony
I fully appreciate what you are saying Agile, but as this is a Diy site, i thought it would be worth asking the poster to try and resolve this simple issue themselves.
If they dont want to try it, or unable to balance it themselves, then by all means someone local to him can contact him to take the job on.
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I guess so
The guidance your about to give is apalling...
Why closest to the boiler? Perhaps I'm not doing it right?
Brilliant! The closest rad on my system in no more than 3 metres from the boiler and yet it needs a whole 1 turn on the lockshield to heat properly. I guess the pump position is irrlevant?
This bit makes sense - well done you!
Read How to balance a CH system.
The water is not "forced" though a radiator. It goes though because there is a pressure difference between the flow and return connections.
How far the LS valve has to be opened depends on the flow rate required though the rad and the pressure difference across the rad. The flow rate is directly proportional to the size of the rad.
The water is not "forced" though a radiator. It goes though because there is a pressure difference between the flow and return connections.
How far the LS valve has to be opened depends on the flow rate required though the rad and the pressure difference across the rad. The flow rate is directly proportional to the size of the rad.
The pressure diffrence being created by the pump, which pushes (exerts a force on) the water as it goes through the boiler. I guess its a moot point, you could forinstance say the water is forced the radiators, but not through each radiator.... Ok, im playing devils avocate, but hey ho!
Its certainly true that its something that can be done yourself, its not an exact science either, and certainly something that can be tweaked and ajusted once its about right.
Most student houses ive been in ive had someone complain 'my radiator is cold' assuming its not turned off (seen that before) closing all the others in the house a turn usally does the job as everyone has opened thered half a turn everytime its got colder outside and the boilers still set to only come on for an hour a day becuse everyones skint!
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