Balancing rads lock sheild

[denso13]

More or less, and all rads, all heat up evenly at the same time.

Same here, rarely need to intervene.

 

[BlueLoo]

Same as above.
Trvs do the load balancing. I just have the lsvs fully open and its grand.

 

[Ltnman]

That's the TRVs for you.

TRV’s can unbalance a system according to some heating experts

 

[BlueLoo]

TRV’s can unbalance a system according to some heating experts

Take my comments with a pinch of salt but you should look to see what trvs and lockshield valves do to the system from a functional standpoint.

A TRV by definition is a dynamic balancing valve. It's very purpose is to unbalance the radiator.

Imo. The concept of balancing radiator output is only valid for static radiator systems.

These days, modern ch systems are dynamic with individual control, zone control and whathave you.
Boilers are no longer under sized. Quite the opposite. Modulation is almost mandatory given modern heat output

The lockshield valve is now redundant.

If you have an asmatic boiler, wrongly sized rads and a one pipe distribution, yea, they are needed.

But if you have the above, you really should be looking to modernize.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

TRV’s can unbalance a system according to some heating experts

Just as soon as any TRV's begin to close, the balance of the radiators will be changed, yes.

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Rubbish - Balancing should still be done when TRV's are installed.

You could get away with it but it won't be as efficient.

 

[BlueLoo]

Rubbish - Balancing should still be done when TRV's are installed.

You could get away with it but it won't be as efficient.

Why?
And how?
And to what advantage?

 

[jurassic sparkk]

Imagine when the system starts up after a cold night and all TRVs are open. Then the system will need to be balanced to enable each rad to correctly heat its own area.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Imagine when the system starts up after a cold night and all TRVs are open. Then the system will need to be balanced to enable each rad to correctly heat its own area.

That, very much depends on the design of the system. Some systems might contain areas with restricted flow, where the areas with less resistance to flow will be favoured with better flow, and will warm up faster - if they have TRV's, the demand to those areas will soon decrease.

 

[BlueLoo]

Imagine when the system starts up after a cold night and all TRVs are open. Then the system will need to be balanced to enable each rad to correctly heat its own area.

Clearly, my statement can be challenging if you're not used to modern controls and designs, i understand that. It's not a statement of fact. It's just my reasoning of the system behaviour. You're not going to find the answers here in a well worn copy of the 1986 guide to domestic heating.

In answer to your question, you are deliberately modulating a modulating radiator. The TRVs does this far better, and in real time, than you can.

The correct way to heat a room is as fast as possible, not restrict the output of your heating because of incorrect or outdated logic.

The last 3 posters here all reflect the same experience. Let the trvs do their job.

Look at it this way, with a trv, the lockshield is only ever a reduction device. The only time you want to derate your rad is if you've designed the system badly. If you've a 4000btu rad in a box room, your heating controls are going to get into a tailspin dealing with the hysteresis.

I struggle to think if any other scenario where you want a manual throttling valve arguing with an automatic one except for grossly misdesigned systems.

As per the OP, you might want a zone to heat up as quickly as possible to the detriment of others, but thats a hard thing to do without hobbling the system.
Much better to have the system designed properly so that the capacity is adequate and even then, with trvs, the quicker rooms get to temp, the quicker other zones can use that heat capacity.

You are not "balancing" the system.
You're not even referencing other radiators. All you are doing with throttled lockshields is say that your radiator is to big.

Which is daft.

 

[tomsim]

This is a big system 14 rads and underfloor heating. I just wondered how far you are ment to throttle the rads down that are getting hot first.

 

[tomsim]

Is the hope to get 12 degrees across each rad. Does anyone used temp clamps to do it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is the hope to get 12 degrees across each rad. Does anyone used temp clamps to do it?

Just to keep an eye on the flow and return temperature at the boiler itself, I bought a couple of very cheap panel mount, digital temperature displays, from China, via ebay -which run on button cells. They show to an accuracy of 0.1C, with the sensor on the end of a wander lead. I clip them on the pipes, using a short bit of pipe insulation.

My original idea, was to mount the pair of them in a bit of panel, marked flow and return, then attempt to balance my radiators, but I simply didn't get a roundtuit.

 

[tomsim]

Thanks I have some temperature gauges. It's mainly 2 rads on the end of the system that are struggling. I have had all rads of and they get boiling so an air lock isn't an issue

 

[denso13]

I have had all rads of and they get boiling so an air lock isn't an issue

Typical balancing issue. Work back to the boiler and open them only a quarter turn and check. Leave the problematic ones fully open.