One pipe central heating system

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Can someone please tell me about a one pipe central heating system.

Thanks
JamesEB
 
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They only have one pipe, that acts as the flow/return. So one long pipe from heating source to each heating panel in a chain, through rad valves, then back to heating source.
 
With a one pipe system, the radiators are connected to the same pipe that travels around the property in a loop. This means that the temperature of the water cools as it flows around the circuit, so the radiators at the end will be cooler than those at the start. They are generally quite old and have not been installed as new systems for 40 or 50 years. They were originally used to allow gravity circulation of hot water in solid fuel systems without the use of a pump, although pumps were added later to improve the flow.

With a two pipe system, each radiator gets a direct supply of hot water from the boiler and has a separate return pipe.

Capture.JPG
 
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With a one pipe system, the radiators are connected to the same pipe that travels around the property in a loop. This means that the temperature of the water cools as it flows around the circuit, so the radiators at the end will be cooler than those at the start. They are generally quite old and have not been installed as new systems for 40 or 50 years. They were originally used to allow gravity circulation of hot water in solid fuel systems without the use of a pump, although pumps were added later to improve the flow.

With a two pipe system, each radiator gets a direct supply of hot water from the boiler and has a separate return pipe.

View attachment 137403


Thank you and that is a great help. Can it be upgraded please?

Thanks
JamesEB
 
Yes it can, but generally to do it properly, it will involve replacing all of the existing radiator pipes.

Whilst one pipe systems are old they are no less energy efficient than two pipe systems in terms of the fuel they use, to the heat they give out. So don't expect to save any energy. A two pipe system may emit more heat into your home but will consume more fuel to do so.

I know of properly designed one pipe systems that are still working well and have modern controls added. Their biggest problem is that the radiators at the end of the loop may take a while to get hot, so may not heat your home as quickly as a two pipe system. However a poorly designed one pipe system may not be able to emit enough heat for your requirements.
 
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Thank you and again this is a great help.

Do the floors have to come up to do an upgrade?

My one pipe system was installed in 1977 when the house was built

There are 13 radiators. Would you please be able to give a very rough cost of an upgrade./

Thanks again for help.
JamesB
 
Yes I'm sure

With a one pipe system, the radiators are connected to the same pipe that travels around the property in a loop. This means that the temperature of the water cools as it flows around the circuit, so the radiators at the end will be cooler than those at the start. They are generally quite old and have not been installed as new systems for 40 or 50 years. They were originally used to allow gravity circulation of hot water in solid fuel systems without the use of a pump, although pumps were added later to improve the flow.

With a two pipe system, each radiator gets a direct supply of hot water from the boiler and has a separate return pipe.

View attachment 137403


JamesEB
 
Would stem reply to this please

Thank you and again this is a great help.

Do the floors have to come up to do an upgrade?

My one pipe system was installed in 1977 when the house was built

There are 13 radiators. Would you please be able to give a very rough cost of an upgrade./

Thanks again for help.
JamesB

Thanks
JamesEB.
 
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I'm not sure that I'm the best person to answer these questions. My plumbing knowledge comes from working with my father who was a plumber, but that was a long time ago. A plumber who does this for a living would be better qualified, but I'll give it a go as you asked me specifically. :)
Do the floors have to come up to do an upgrade?
That really depends on the layout of your home. You wouldn't necessarily have to lift floorboards if you are happy to have the pipes on show in your rooms, they could be run around the rooms just above the skirting boards. Although even then, it's likely that at some point, some floor boards will have to be lifted. To run the pipes between the upstairs / downstairs or past doorways for example. Bear in mind that plastic pipes come in long lengths and where there aren't any joists or obstructions, they can often be fed under floors easily without needing to lift a lot of boards.

There are 13 radiators. Would you please be able to give a very rough cost of an upgrade.
Sorry, I have no idea about that, and a plumber would probably have to see your property to see the work involved to run the new pipes. If the they were run under floors, plastic pipes could be installed fairly quickly and there would be little if any redecorating required, meaning it would probably be cheaper than installing copper pipes above the floors, with soldered joints and fixing the pipes in place. You would also have to redecorate.
 

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