Manifold question

[kev999]

Hi,
My central heating is is feed from a 22mm loop that has 10mm manifolds that branch off to the radiators.
I had a heated towel rail that had an electric element in it. I have taken the element out and connected the towel rail to the manifold.
Does it matter where the flow and return from the towel rail is connected to the Manifold.
The radiators on the manifold came out of the side heading towards the radiators and back in via the bottom of the Manifold. The Manifold has 18 outlets, six on each side and six on the bottom.
I have connected the towel rail to the side of the manifold where there was spaces (top right in photo).
The left hand pipe gets hot and this gets hot right up to the towel rail radiator valve but the radiator will not get hot and the return pipe back to the manifold is cold.
I have turned the rest of the radiators down to try to force it round but it doesn't want to flow around.
Does any body have any idea if these manifold have a flow and return or are they just hollow as I thought they are?
Any tips for getting the towel rail to work?
I have uploaded a photo of the manifold, never uploaded one before so I hope it works.

Untitled

• kev999
• 17 Sep 2008
• 1

 

[gas4you]

Unless you have a manifold that is sealed in the middle there should be another one somewhere.

If it is sealed then one half will be flow and the other return. It sounds as if you have connected both pipes to the same side, so not getting any flow through the towel rail.

 

[kev999]

Thanks for the quick reply.
I do have another Manifold but this is servicing other radiators.
I'm sure that this Manifold has the radiators branching off it and returning to it, I can see the pipes.
So do you think the problem is I have the flow and return on the same side and the Manifold is sealed?
There is no other spare ports on the Manifold.
Any ideas what be the best thing to do?
Should I try to tee into one of the pipes going into the bottom of the Manifold?
Thanks

 

[gigz]

Drain down and connect one of the pipes to one of the connections on the left of the manifold. Swap it for one of the blanks.

 

[kev999]

Hi,
I'm not being funny, but what difference would that make? All six outlets on that side of the Manifold were blank, I just connected it into the first two.

 

[gas4you]

Hard to say without being there, but if you have another manifold I would think that one is flow and the other is return.

 

[spacethegas]

do as gigz said.

the six on the left are probably returns, top & bottom.

if that does not work you must run one pipe to the other manifold.

 

[kev999]

Just double checked.
The pipes from the radiators that the manfold feeds are coming and going from this Manifold, on looking closer some auctually come out and go back in the same side of the Manifold.

 

[waterworks]

Hi if you move the left hand pipe to one of the three top left hand blank connections i think you find it will work.

 

[kev999]

Ok thanks I will give that a try.
Did I mention that out of the two pipes I connected (Top right in photo) it is the left hand pipe that is getting hot.

 

[doitall]

If both pipes are connected to the same manifold it will not work You need a flow and return to/from the boiler.

 

[giblets]

That particular make of manifold is blanked off in the middle. It is a six-way model. Therefore the six connections on the r/h side would be the flows (assuming that end is connected to the boiler flow) and the six connections on the left hand side would be the returns. As waterworks said move the l/h of your connections to one of the l/h conns on the manifold.

 

[doitall]

That particular make of manifold is blanked off in the middle. It is a six-way model. Therefore the six connections on the r/h side would be the flows (assuming that end is connected to the boiler flow) and the six connections on the left hand side would be the returns. As waterworks said move the l/h of your connections to one of the l/h conns on the manifold.

Yes that makes sense Giblet, left side of the manifold is the flow and right side is the return.

 

[kev999]

Sorry for seeming a bit thick, but just to make it clear are you saying -
Looking at my photo move the left hand pipe (out of the two in the top right of the photo) and move it along the same side on the manifold but to the left hand end in the photo?
Don't forget there is six outlets under the Manifold as well.
Thanks

 

[waterworks]

Hi yes move one of the pipes to a left connection.