Yes, did it just before fitting these TRVs. It was difficult, because I have a bungalow with 3 zones, Bedrooms/ Main house and water. I don't know the order of the rads in the chain, so just worked from the one nearest the boiler (in the garage) in zone 1 moving out from that to the furthest bedroom rad, then repeated with the closest rad on zone 2 and moving to the furthest.
Radiator TRV query
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Yes, did it just before fitting these TRVs. It was difficult, because I have a bungalow with 3 zones, Bedrooms/ Main house and water. I don't know the order of the rads in the chain, so just worked from the one nearest the boiler (in the garage) in zone 1 moving out from that to the furthest bedroom rad, then repeated with the closest rad on zone 2 and moving to the furthest.
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Some heads are better than others well maybe different would be a better word. There is a range at which they work at so set to 20°C mine (Energenie) work flat out until 18°C then they start to close, so to get from 18°C to 20°C can take 2 hours.
So I cheated, at 7 am set to 22°C then at 7:30 am set to 20°C so by 8 am it was spot on. OK these were programmable but if anything the cheap wax type are worse and start to close even sooner.
So simple test, remove the TRV head, this means that radiator is running flat out, does the room hit the temperature then? If so then problem is head, if not then first move is to open the lock shield valve a little more.
If house set to 20°C then with TRV head removed would expect at least 23°C may be more, I set all mine with two sensors one on feed the other on return so there was a 15°C drop in temperature between the two. However this is a start point, not final setting, if the room over shoots close a little, if not reaching temperature open a little.
The problem is as one adjusts one room, this alters other rooms.
What would really be handy when setting up is if some one said at X°C water return temperature the boiler starts to modulate. Or a gauge on the boiler 10% to 100% output. If you know boiler output is 100% then you also know nothing you can do will get rooms warmer, if at 50% then maybe radiators can be opened up a little.
I am an electrician not a heating engineer, but if some one said once return water hits 60°C the boiler starts to modulate one would know what to aim for.
So I cheated, at 7 am set to 22°C then at 7:30 am set to 20°C so by 8 am it was spot on. OK these were programmable but if anything the cheap wax type are worse and start to close even sooner.
So simple test, remove the TRV head, this means that radiator is running flat out, does the room hit the temperature then? If so then problem is head, if not then first move is to open the lock shield valve a little more.
If house set to 20°C then with TRV head removed would expect at least 23°C may be more, I set all mine with two sensors one on feed the other on return so there was a 15°C drop in temperature between the two. However this is a start point, not final setting, if the room over shoots close a little, if not reaching temperature open a little.
The problem is as one adjusts one room, this alters other rooms.
What would really be handy when setting up is if some one said at X°C water return temperature the boiler starts to modulate. Or a gauge on the boiler 10% to 100% output. If you know boiler output is 100% then you also know nothing you can do will get rooms warmer, if at 50% then maybe radiators can be opened up a little.
I am an electrician not a heating engineer, but if some one said once return water hits 60°C the boiler starts to modulate one would know what to aim for.
Thanks ericmark. Yes, if I totally remove the head, the rad works flat out and gets very hot. If I put the head back on with the dial at 5, then start to screw down, I can audibly hear the water flow restricting. So even at setting 5 (which I would have presumed would be 100% water flow, there seems to be pressure on the little spigot. I have to loosedn the screw collar therefore lifting the TRV up a bit to get full flow.
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Valve position Reference temperature Recommended setting for
* _ 6°C _ Frost protection
0-1 _ 12°C _ Cellar, stairs
1 _ 15°C _ Unoccupied room, laundry, recess
2 _ 17°C _ Entrance hall, corridor
2-3 _ 18°C _ Bedroom
3 _ 19-20°C Kitchen
3-4 20-21°C _ Lounge, child’s bedroom
4 _ 22°C _ Bathroom
5 _ max. _ Valve completely open
So should be looking at around 24°C at position 5, since I only have one mechanical head, not some thing I can emulate, but it would seem you have a faulty batch of heads. I have 9 new heads sitting under my TV but not really any help when you live in Belfast, it is some 20 odd years since I was there building the Schiehallion in Harland and Wolff.
* _ 6°C _ Frost protection
0-1 _ 12°C _ Cellar, stairs
1 _ 15°C _ Unoccupied room, laundry, recess
2 _ 17°C _ Entrance hall, corridor
2-3 _ 18°C _ Bedroom
3 _ 19-20°C Kitchen
3-4 20-21°C _ Lounge, child’s bedroom
4 _ 22°C _ Bathroom
5 _ max. _ Valve completely open
So should be looking at around 24°C at position 5, since I only have one mechanical head, not some thing I can emulate, but it would seem you have a faulty batch of heads. I have 9 new heads sitting under my TV but not really any help when you live in Belfast, it is some 20 odd years since I was there building the Schiehallion in Harland and Wolff.
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. and H+W specialise in Oil rig refurbs and Wind turbines nowadays. Anyway, back to topic. Im going to have another visit to this issue over the weekend, and measure the room temps of each individual room then have another go at the TRVs.
. and H+W specialise in Oil rig refurbs and Wind turbines nowadays. Anyway, back to topic. Im going to have another visit to this issue over the weekend, and measure the room temps of each individual room then have another go at the TRVs.It's pointless balancing before you fit the TRVs as the balance will be altered by the flow characteristics of the TRVs.
How did you check that a rad was balanced?
Buy decent TRVs.... Drayton or honeywell, would be my advice... as a heating engineer, I wouldn't stray from what I've known to be reliable, unless proved otherwise... By majority votes.
One of the TRVs causing the issue is a new Honeywell.
Didn't know that, Im going to re balance today. I have a laser thermometer, although tbh, I simply went to the first rad, shut Off the lock valve, and opened it a quarter turn ensuring there was still a good hot water feed and the rad was still hot, moved to the next and so on. I gradually opened the valve further for the furthest rads.
You need to remove all TRV heads before you balance as they could open/close which would alter the flow.
Lockshield valves are only effective over one turn from closed. So you need to make very small adjustments, say 1/12 turn, and wait a few minutes before checking what effect it made. Start with all LS valves open 1/3 turn then make small adjustments - 1/12 turn - and wait a few minutes for it to take effect.
How far a LS valve needs to be open is not determined by how far the rad is from the boiler but by the flow required through the rad and the pressure drop across the rad.
Has that solved your problem???
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