Do I really need a radiator in the hall

[Albumen]

1920s Semi. 4 beds, 3 receptions.

Newish Vaillant Eco-tec Plus 831 Boiler. Every rad (apart from hall) has TRV on.

I've just taken the hall radiator off, for the decorator.

Do I really need one in the hall? That's where the thermostat is, but it's wireless, so could put it anywhere. Downstairs is hall, kitchen, utility room all without doors in between, and there's a rad in the utility.

I'm not bothered about the hall being warm, just seems like a waste of energy/money to me. And if it's permanently cooler than everywhere else then it means the 'demand' from the other rooms TRVs is always going to fire up the boiler. I've got to hang it somewhere and it'll always be in the way.

I read somewhere once about need at least one rad without a TRV on it. Is that true.

Thanks.

 

[TCCHeating]

No you don't have to have a rad in the hall if you don't want one. But you must move your thermostat to a room with a rad (preferably a room with no other heat source like a fire etc). the rad where the room stat is located must not have a trv fitted and it should also have 2 lockshield valves fitted so that it cannot be turned off.

 

[Agile]

I would never recommend removing a rad from the hall.

Its one of the most important in the whole house!

Apart from heating the hall and landing above by keeping the common areas warmish it reduces the heat loss from the other rooms allowing their rads to be more effective in cold weather.

Furthermore, the other rads will have been sized on the expectation that the hall rad will be contributing to the heat input to the house!

Because of meanness most houses have rads whose total output only just meets the whole house loss.

If you dont want it's heat output then turn it off! Then you can put it back on when its cold!

Tony

 

[Albumen]

Thanks for the reply.

There's a tall rad in the utility room, which is actually like a side hall. Is a TRV on full not the same as a lock shield?

 

[Agile]

A lockshield is for balancing.

A TRV is for controlling temperature.

Tony

 

[Agile]

A lockshield is for balancing.

A TRV is for controlling temperature.

Tony

 

[TCCHeating]

Is a TRV on full not the same as a lock shield?

No, but it will do the job! Best thing to do is to remove the head from the trv so that no fidget fingers can turn it off. Then its as good as having 2 lockshields on the rad

Basically the principle is the rad where the room stat is should not be able to be turned off

 

[Albumen]

Thanks chaps.

 

[St0rmer66]

Worth noting you can have TRV's on every radiator if you have an automatic bypass valve on the system. Still wouldn't recommend removing the hall rad though, but that would allow you to have a TRV on it and have it on a lower setting than just "on".

 

[Albumen]

Thanks. Would there be an automatic bypass valve internal to the boiler? It's a Vaillant Ecotec plus 831.

Or could I install one? I'll be installing a different radiator in the hallway anyway, probably in a different position. The pipework is under the floor and access is good, so it wouldn't be a problem. I've installed/replaced a few radiators before.

 

[St0rmer66]

There is a small bore bypass in the boiler but it doesn't replace the need for an external one on an "all TRV" system. Yes it can be retro-fitted very easily between the main flow and return from the boiler. Then a TRV put on the hall rad.

 

[Albumen]

Briliiant, thank you.

Yes, found a few on the internet. Presumably as close to the boiler as possible?

 

[St0rmer66]

If you're doing it in 22mm it should be OK close to the boiler but actually the inverse is true; the further away it is the better (longer = more heat dissipation). Needs to be accessible though which is usually the limiting factor on location (directly under the boiler is common, even if not ideal in terms of length of the bypass circuit).

 

[St0rmer66]

Actually, having just checked the installation instructions for an ecotec plus, Vaillant say they don't even require a separate bypass valve (some boilers they still are). Might be worth doing for "belt and braces" perhaps. Also it isn't adjustable by you (the user) as it requires case removal. So an external one is DIY'able.

 

[Albumen]

Even better. I've just read the installation manual too, so it looks like TRVs all round. I'll set the hall one to full for now.

The boilers just been serviced, but when he comes back to do it next year I'll get him to check the by-pass valve.

Thanks.