Trying to balance CH system

[JamesAsus]

Had a new vertical rad installed, takes about 30 mins to heat up fully compared to other rads only taking 10 mins.

Ive tried the lockshield thing on the rads closest to the boiler, however even the tiniest turn seems it can take the radiator from off to fully open, you can hear the water suddenly gush in as soon as you turn it the tiniest bit.

Even with all this it still takes the vertical rad a lot longer to warm up, pipework has been extended slightly to fit it dont know if thats an issue but it is one of the further rads from the boiler i imagine.

 

[denso13]

Does it heat up ok if you turn the other rads off completely?

 

[JamesAsus]

Does it heat up ok if you turn the other rads off completely?

Still takes a while tbh, a good 25 mins to fully heat.

 

[Mottie]

Is it plumbed the right way round? I think some have to be plumbed in correctly.

 

[denso13]

Yea, sounds like rad problem, rather than system. As per Mottie, some need the flow and return to the correct sides, and baffles fitted correctly, or they won't work properly.

 

[JamesAsus]

Yea, sounds like rad problem, rather than system. As per Mottie, some need the flow and return to the correct sides, and baffles fitted correctly, or they won't work properly.

Well i assume the baffles are fitted correctly as the right side of the radiator gets hot, it then travels up the radiator, down each column and eventually out the return pipe, these panels get progressively colder as you get to the return. After 30 minutes the whole radiator is heated but the area closer to the return is cooler (last 2 panels bottom half).

 

[denso13]

Well i assume the baffles are fitted correctly as the right side of the radiator gets hot

Flow could be left or right. If you're happy it is fitted correctly as per MI's, and the system seems to be working ok, it could just be a restrictive/faulty rad. Depends how much you want to spend investigating?

 

[justigator]

Such rads are inherently poor - not just my DIY opinion but also that of a great Gas Safe engineer/plumbing guy whose services I have used for nearly 20 years. I replaced two in my house last year with ordinary horizontal Type 22s with an excellent increase in heat output, for no more fuel used.

 

[Madrab]

These columns can take that long to heat up fully, their design isn't very helpful when it comes to distributing the heat internally, convection allows the heat to rise but it can restrict the heat from permeating downwards, especially when these rads aren't the best at releasing their heat from the water which in a normal radiator promotes circulation throughout the whole rad.

 

[JamesAsus]

These columns can take that long to heat up fully, their design isn't very helpful when it comes to distributing the heat internally, convection allows the heat to rise but it can restrict the heat from permeating downwards, especially when these rads aren't the best at releasing their heat from the water which in a normal radiator promotes circulation throughout the whole rad.

Maybe its just that, and the initial panel gets boiling and it cools down as it makes its way through the rad, im guessing thats to be expected as its going from flow to return?

The flow seems to go in bottom right, up the first column to the top, then down all the panels until eventually going out the bottom left flow.

 

[Madrab]

The flow seems to go in bottom right, up the first column to the top, then down all the panels until eventually going out the bottom left flow.

Yes, that's as designed, there is a baffle in the joint between column 1 and 2 to direct the water up to the top of the rad, and the flow out of the return then draws the water down the other columns and starts to heat them but it kinda goes against the 'flow' as the HW wants to rise not drop so takes a long time to permeate around the rad, usually the bottom of the centre columns heat up last but slightly different in your case.

They can look good but have a really poor operating design.

 

[JamesAsus]

Yes, that's as designed, there is a baffle in the joint between column 1 and 2 to direct the water up to the top of the rad, and the flow out of the return then draws the water down the other columns and starts to heat them but it kinda goes against the 'flow' as the HW wants to rise not drop so takes a long time to permeate around the rad, usually the bottom of the centre columns heat up last but slightly different in your case.

They can look good but have a really poor operating design.

Fair enough if its just a design issue ill have to live with it, gets warm enough and so far seems to do the job so will just have to stick with it, cant imagine 10mm pipe helps.

And yes bottom of rad is cooler than the top overall even after 30 minutes.