Newly Installed Radiator issue

[kofi2003uk]

hi Everyone, i have had a new single panel radiator installed in my conservatory but have an issue am struggle to understand.

the rad is 500 x 1800mm. all the pipes in my property are the borehole plastic pipes and same was used to extend the heating to the conservatory. the heating was taken off the pipes feeding one of the radiators in the lounge. this radiator in lounge is the nearest to conservatory.

now the problem is that the new radiator gets hot at the top half but the bottom half only ever warms up.

i switched the rad in lounge off to force all the water to new rad in conservatory, but i found out the new rad heats up quicker but still only top half (it does get very hot though but only top half)

i know its not sludge at the bottom, as its a brand new radiator. also not one of the old rads already in the house has this problem. the TRV and lockshield valves have been checked and both ok with reasonable flow.

could this be due to the radiator being too big for the borehole plastic pipes?

also as the new piping was taken off the nearest radiator in lounge- there are about 4 elbows before it could get it to the conservatory.
could the 4 elbows/bends be responsible for the fact that the rad only gets hot at the top part?

Also the flow is from the lockshield side and return is TRV side- could this be the issue?

what does the 'K' sign on the lockshied valve mean please?

please see pics attached

 

[ianmcd]

Total cowboy job, no way are those pipe sizes and runs suitable

 

[dilalio]

Lash up of the highest order. No "plumber" did that!

 

[kofi2003uk]

sorry let me clarify, the line you see at the top of radiator is not the rad pipe. that is a disconnected tv cable. i suspect thats what you are referring to? or is there anything else i should be concerned about?

can the pipe size to the new rad be larger even though the pipe size in rest of the house including the rad in lounge is same small microbore pipes used for the new install?

@ianmcd, i guess you are saying the pipes are too small and that is the issue? rest of house has same microbore pipes though. thanks for the reply

 

[ianmcd]

i guess you are saying the pipes are too small and that is the issue? rest of house has same microbore pipes though. thanks for the reply

yes probably but you have Teed in to another small pipe so you now have two rads running off 1 10mm feed will never work

 

[kofi2003uk]

i see. doesnt look like i have a lot of options then as all the pipes are microbore so the only way i can extend the heating is by 'Teeing' off another small pipe. hmm am stuck. i may have to get used to only the top of the rad getting hot

 

[CBW]

K on the radiator is the least of your worries - possible branding like kuterlite. The rad is far too close to the floor, and like Ian said if you've teed off another rad in 10mm then no amount of balancing will sort it.

 

[kofi2003uk]

hi 'The Novice', thanks for commenting. unfortunately the rad couldn't go any higher due to a very low window ledge. to be fair plumber commented on that. but i get the point about the 10mm pipes being too small for 2 rads. seems am lucky to get even the top half heating up . and i guess i should have gone for a smaller rad. i will have to live with that then lol . many thanks

 

[CBW]

How are the lounge rads fed? Are they surface mounted? If they are then it might not be a long stretch to upgrade the piping to both rads after finding the 22mm run under the floor

 

[kofi2003uk]

all the rads including lounge are internally fed unfortunately. pipes go into walls behind every rad. house was only built in 99 so i guess it was all about saving money with these tiny plastic pipes.thanks

 

[Mottie]

I might be wrong but I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that you can’t have central heating in a conservatory if it comes from the house central heating? Is that right?

 

[RayCaister]

I might be wrong but I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that you can’t have central heating in a conservatory if it comes from the house central heating? Is that right?

https://www.conservatoryland.com/bl...ermission-for-a-conservatory-with-a-radiator/

 

[Madrab]

@kofi2003uk .... the issue you have, as other have suggested is that 10mm microbore can only carry so much heat (KW) and therefore will only properly supply a certain radiator output/size properly.
TBH your 'plumber' should have known and pointed that out if he had any experience with CH systems.

The only way to supply that size of radiator properly will be to track the pipework back to the main 22mm flow and returns and then tee from there to your new radiator. That can probably still be done in 10mm.The original install would have been done in 10mm as that wold have been adequate for the current size of radiators, it wouldn't however really be designed to feed more than one decent sized radiator. It would of course have been easier and quicker to install.

Another thing you 'plumber' should really have known, or at least found out is that when a rad is being installed into a conservatory, if it is connected to the main house's central heating, that can then change the designation of a conservatory into a proper house extension and thereby building regs may need to be applied and LA permission needed. Food for thought if the LA are ever engaged for anything you need to do in the future.

 

[kofi2003uk]

thank you Madrab. points very well made and clear. i will leave the rad as it is as it will be too expensive to start raising the carpet/floor to find the 22mm.

on the building reg issue, thanks for point out. am not concerned about that now TBH, as i will remove the rad if i ever come to sell the house and its an issue.
also i will probably in 2 or 3 years times, turn the conservatory into a proper extension anyway. similar to conservatory with all round double glazed but with a much better roof to keep the heat in. i guess i will need planning permission for that so that will cover the rad now installed.

thank you