Radiator plumbed in to hot water circuit

[jon92]

My bathroom radiator is plumbed into the hot water circuit (2 x 2 port system), which I think is not unusual but I would have thought it should be connected before the 2 port valve so it is always on when hot water is on. As it is in fact fed from after the valve, when the hot tank is up to temperature and the valve closes, the bathroom radiator goes cold. Is that normal? It means the better insulated your hot tank is, the colder your bathroom is!

 

[jackthom]

I suppose if that's what you want it could be plumbed in so that it acts almost as a partial boiler bypass between the main flow and return pipes. Then whenever the boiler was fired up the radiator would get some heat.

 

[Roger928]

That's how it should be plumbed. So it will operate with any zone or on its own.

 

[Agile]

In my experience it is rather more common to only fit them to the HW heating circuit.

My preference is to fit them as always on if the boiler is on.

Tony

 

[jon92]

Thanks all, thought it was a bit odd. I think I can at least move the HW valve so the radiator will be on when HW circuit is on. To replumb it directly across flow & return would be too big a job I think due to the layout of the current pipework.

 

[Jmr heating]

If you have 2 x 2 port valves (s plan) you need to check if you have a bypass fitted between the pump and the two 2 port valves. If not then the bathroom rad is acting as the bypass. I would in that case fit an auto bypass and re pipe bathroom rad to heating. This should of been done when the system was changed from gravity to fully pumped. If you've got a bypass. Just re pipe rad to heating.

 

[jon92]

I did wonder why the writing on it is upside down! It was installed before I bought the house so I don't know if I can track down the culprit. I wonder what else is wrong.
Dilalio, can you explain your question please? You mean it shouldn't be in the garage where it could freeze?

 

[ianmcd]

sounds like your home was origionally heated by solid fuel and that is why the bathroom rad was plumbed that way it was the heat bleed radiator then when it was changed to gas it was made into s plan and the installer missed the pipe layout

 

[JohnD]

It is quite normal to plumb the bathroom radiator or towel warmer so it comes on when the cylinder is being heated (though Agile's method is better, I did mine like that).

It means it heats up typically during and after running a bath, which is the perfect time.