Isolation Valve on Central Heating!

[Redhotferrari]

Hi Guys,

Thought you might like this one! Just been to call out for a leaking isolation valve, when I got there it turned out that a few years ago someone added a radiator to the sytem and put isolation valves about a foot from the flow and return of each rad

Why, I ask myself

Any one have an explanation for this?

Never seen this before and seemed really odd to me.

 

[Bahco]

First fix

Plumber probably didn't want to drain down to solder piping to rad.

 

[bengasman]

I have seen iso valves on radiator pipes and have no idea either why they do it. personally I think they are good for nothing as most of them seize before the part that they are supposed to service gives up. If anyone knows a brand that does not seize, let me know and earn my eternal gratitude.

 

[andylu]

I was thinking of adding an isolation valve (in one leg only, not both - to allow for expansion) to my towel radiator because it is also heated by an electric element and I want to stop the heat flowing around the rest of the house in the summer.

Is that a good reason to add one?

Or is the problem of seizing and leaking too great?

 

[TicklyT]

IMO there's little point in using an iso. valve on a towel rad. If the heating is off, then the pump isn't running, so there's no circulation. The position of the electric heater at the bottom of the rail should confine the thermal convection from it's relatively low output to the towel rail.