Adding new radiator to heating system

[Ian Auckland]

Hello I would like to add a radiator to my current heating system and would like to take some advice on how to achieve this?

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

what heating system do you have

combi
cylinder

pressurized
open vent eg tank in the loft approx 1x1 foot

10mm to the rads or 15mm etc

 

[Ian Auckland]

what heating system do you have

combi
cylinder

pressurized
open vent eg tank in the loft approx 1x1 foot

10mm to the rads or 15mm etc

15mm pipe work to rads, header tank in loft and cylinder is this classed as a regular boiler system?

 

[Burger]

15mm pipe work to rads, header tank in loft and cylinder is this classed as a regular boiler system?

Yes and Aka Open vent system

 

[Ian Auckland]

Yes and Aka Open vent system

Thank you

 

[Burger]

Can you count how many rads you currently have, and how many panels they have? Also can’t remember from previous posts what boiler you have?

 

[Ian Auckland]

Can you count how many rads you currently have, and how many panels they have? Also can’t remember from previous posts what boiler you have?

Towel radiator In bathroom, 4 single panels, 2 double panels. The boiler is a valiant.

 

[Burger]

Towel radiator In bathroom, 4 single panels, 2 double panels. The boiler is a valiant.

Sounds feasible. Bungalow or house?

 

[Ian Auckland]

Sounds feasible. Bungalow or house?

It's a house. I'm pretty handy with tools, but need some guidance on where to start. Thankd

 

[Burger]

To be accurate and clear on the guidance, are you adding upstairs or down?

 

[Ian Auckland]

To be accurate and clear on the guidance, are you adding upstairs or down?

Down stairs.

 

[Rob Foster]

You will have to drain the system down after turning the f&e tank off turn off all the rads at both ends. Then hang your radiator after working out the best pipe routes for the flow and return. The rule is two medium sized rads per 15mm pipe run 3 at a pinch. Start at the rad or the t junction end and bang it all in. you can use copper ...best or plastic bit ugly if its on view. turn water back on , check your work then open new rad check again. open all the closed rads. go round and bleed bottom ones first. check again, switch heating on sweat in this heat. switch off sit down award yourself a few beers
already in the fridge. Simple who would get a plumber for this !
Rob Foster aka centralheatking

 

[Rob Foster]

You will have to drain the system down after turning the f&e tank off turn off all the rads at both ends. Then hang your radiator after working out the best pipe routes for the flow and return. The rule is two medium sized rads per 15mm pipe run 3 at a pinch. Start at the rad or the t junction end and bang it all in. you can use copper ...best or plastic bit ugly if its on view. turn water back on , check your work then open new rad check again. open all the closed rads. go round and bleed bottom ones first. check again, switch heating on sweat in this heat. switch off sit down award yourself a few beers
already in the fridge. Simple who would get a plumber for this !
Rob Foster aka centralheatking

Do it soon winter is on the way

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Bung the f and e tank to keep crap on bottom in place and to keep ball valve in place. Drain system and then find main flow and return or manifold and connect rads on to that. When refilling put enough inhibitor in f and e and fill back up.

 

[Ric2013]

Worth flushing the new pipework before connecting to the rest of the system. Sentinel tells me that flux (and oils inside the new radiator) often remains in the system and the dissolved copper it holds can actually prevent inhibitor from working correctly. And the oils can damage EPDM rubber in systems - quite a bit of rubber in some Valliant boiler models.

Best practice is to fill the whole system with new systems cleanser to get the flux out, circulate as per manufacturer's instructions and then drain. It is doubtful how many people will go to that length, particularly for a small modification such as yours, but if the labour's free, it's only the cost of the F3/X300 (etc.). Many people would be happy with an old-school cold flush, then hot flush, and then refill (i.e. refill the system and check for leaks, circulate the water and drain, refill again heat the water and circulate and drain, and finally add inhibitor and refill) and hope that gets most of the flux etc out.

You can use a hose to siphon the crud out of the F & E rather than drain it into the system. It can be one of the most satisfying plumbing tasks.

 

[Ian Auckland]

I think I have found the flow and return pipes to and from the boiler and these are 22mm would this be right?

Could I tee straight from these and then reduce the pipe down to 15mm. I will be using plastic pipe and fittings, this will not be on display its just for my fish room.

 

[Rob Foster]

You can get 22-15-22 saves a joint...do not put plastic too close to the boiler...sounds like a great plan...how old is the centralheating
system ...if old beware of 3/4 inch pipe looks like 22mm but you would need 3/4 t
centralheatking

 

[Harvest Fields]

Plastic shouldn’t be within 1 meter of the boiler. I would be using copper.

 

[Ian Auckland]

Perfect thanks, copper it is. The flow and returns are running around the top of the cieling so I will run the pipe work down from the top to the rad valves. Which end of the rad valves corrospond with which flow of pipe?

 

[Rob Foster]

Perfect thanks, copper it is. The flow and returns are running around the top of the cieling so I will run the pipe work down from the top to the rad valves. Which end of the rad valves corrospond with which flow of pipe?

just use lockshields and it does not matter, if wasting dosh on trv then the pipe that heats up first is the flow
centralheatking

 

[Harvest Fields]

Most trvs and bidirectional nowadays. Just check the one you buy is.

 

[Ian Auckland]

When I put the heating on the first pipe to heat up out the the two 22mm is the flow out and the other is the return?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Don’t tee into the boiler primary’s else you will get the rad coming on with the hot water

 

[ShaunCorbs]

When I put the heating on the first pipe to heat up out the the two 22mm is the flow out and the other is the return?

Does said pipes get hot when the hot water is on ?

 

[Ian Auckland]

Does said pipes get hot when the hot water is on ?

Not sure will test this evening, but if they do or do not what does this mean?

 

[Deleted member 32524]

If it heats up when you call for hot water only then it us on the hot water circuit. If you select central heating only if they become hot then it is only heating pipes.

 

[Ian Auckland]

If it heats up when you call for hot water only then it us on the hot water circuit. If you select central heating only if they become hot then it is only heating pipes.

Understand, So one of those 22mmpipes will be for the hot water circuit and one will be for the heating circuit?

 

[Ian Auckland]

If it heats up when you call for hot water only then it us on the hot water circuit. If you select central heating only if they become hot then it is only heating pipes.

If they are heating pipes then can I Tee off from that?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

In short if they heat up when either heating or hot water is on or both these are the pipes direct from your boiler

If you install the rad on these you will have it heating up anytime the boiler is on

Best to find the heating circuits even if it’s 15mm

 

[Ian Auckland]

In short if they heat up when either heating or hot water is on or both these are the pipes direct from your boiler

If you install the rad on these you will have it heating up anytime the boiler is on

Best to find the heating circuits even if it’s 15mm[/QUOT

In short if they heat up when either heating or hot water is on or both these are the pipes direct from your boiler

If you install the rad on these you will have it heating up anytime the boiler is on

Best to find the heating circuits even if it’s 15mm

Thanks. Where would you normally find the heating circuit?

 

[Scott_D]

I don’t think this is going to end well. Maybe time to get a plumber in?

 

[Ian Auckland]

Not at all, this is why I joined this forum
Some guidance and I will have it sorted.

 

[Scott_D]

Not at all, this is why I joined this forum
Some guidance and I will have it sorted.

Your questions have gone beyond guidance. Best of luck with it.

 

[Ian Auckland]

In your opion.

I'm doing research and learning and asking questions. I understand there is a heating circuit and hot water circuit so there must be a manifold that diverts the hotwater to the Rads. I've re read my question above and yes it sound dumb.

 

[Ian Auckland]

I also understand why you cant tap in to the boilers main supplies and you need to tap into the heating circuit only or it will be heated by both hotwater supply and heating supply. It makes sense. What I meant by question where my cylinder is would there be a manifold there where it diverts hotwater to the heating system?