When balancing radiators which side?

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I’ve read some online guidance on how to balance radiators but they all refer to the lock shield side. My radiators don’t have any trv’s and both sides look the same.

Any advice you can offer me would be appreciated.
 
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The lockshields on every rad I’ve seen has been on the outlet side of the radiator. They normally have a smooth plastic head that you can’t turn. The inlet valves are the knurled caps. You have those fully open and after taking the smooth lockshield caps off, they are the ones you use to balance the system.
 
Thanks but what if the caps are missing, which side? The Flow or the Return.

I can figure out the flow and return with a temperature gun but without those plastic caps on I don’t know which side to balance.
 
The return side would be the conventional side to fit a lockshield and use to balance. In real terms ,if you have a wheel head valve on both ends of a radiator either can be used to balance. Some vertical / column radiators would be exceptions though.
 
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I’ve read some online guidance on how to balance radiators but they all refer to the lock shield side. My radiators don’t have any trv’s and both sides look the same.

Any advice you can offer me would be appreciated.
Any side.
 
Thanks for your response.

Does that mean I can use either side to balance?
Yes.The purists on here will come out with some long winded explanation of why it should be one or the other,,but it aint rocket science.
 
Balancing, simply put, is restricting the flow through the radiators that are piped closest to the boiler to ensure hot water gets to the further away rads at the same time ensuring the rads all heat up equally and to the same temp.
If you don't have any TRV's then either side of the rad will do. It's typically the lockshield valve that's used though, as they are usually more difficult to accidentally change once set.
 
Balancing, simply put, is restricting the flow through the radiators that are piped closest to the boiler to ensure hot water gets to the further away rads at the same time ensuring the rads all heat up equally and to the same temp.
If you don't have any TRV's then either side of the rad will do. It's typically the lockshield valve that's used though, as they are usually more difficult to accidentally change once set.

Cheers
 

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