Best device for balancin radiators

[gmac]

What do you guys use for balancing a heating system?? i.e differential thermometer, infra red etc
Aways done it roughly by touch but have to make up a certificate for this perticular customer and looking to provide accurate-ish info

 

[SimonJohns]

You can get strap-on temp gauges for a multimeter. Also I have seen proper commissioning strap-on temp probes for a Kane FGA, both flow and return, that give you a differential temp. My mate had one when he first started and showed off to me all the time

His battery died one day, but my Balacing tool (the apprentice with his hands) still got the job done


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[rjscan]

you need to measure both pipes at the same time ,so two clampon termometers ,or the proper analyser with differential read out and logging, Kane or testo FGA's

 

[gmac]

you need to measure both pipes at the same time ,so two clampon termometers ,or the proper analyser with differential read out and logging, Kane or testo FGA's

logging will be pen and paper mate

so that rules out using an infrared thermometer then,

 

[gmac]

His battery died one day, but my Balacing tool (the apprentice with his hands) still got the job done


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old fashioned ways usually the best lol

 

[rjscan]

Yea pen and paper is fine any thermometer is fine ,but you need to start with the differiantial at the flow and return at the boiler and see ho your overall temps are stacking up then testr each pipe at the radiators and try to get 10 to 12C difference by balancing valve, takes a bit of time as imsure you found out.

 

[SimonJohns]

Yea pen and paper is fine any thermometer is fine ,but you need to start with the differiantial at the flow and return at the boiler and see ho your overall temps are stacking up then testr each pipe at the radiators and try to get 10 to 12C difference by balancing valve, takes a bit of time as imsure you found out.

Isn't 20c better nowadays with the condensing boilers. 10-12 is on non condensing?


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[rjscan]

If you can but will be difficult, maybe with the perfect system properly designed, sized and installed

Try it and see how you get on anythig is an impprovement on mad hot rads in one room and cold in the other.

dont forget to shut down the cylinder when you doing it, and balance that as well on it sown

 

[AWheating]

My old company paid £25 to its engineers to commission a newly installed heating system, thats why the cleaner went in the van, the inhibitor sometimes made it into the system but was normaly saved for weekend jobs and if the rads got hot..... bonus!, benchmark filled out when time sheet filled in. PAY PEANUTS GET MONKEYS! as they say.

 

[Gray0689]

My old company paid £25 to its engineers to commission a newly installed heating system, thats why the cleaner went in the van, the inhibitor sometimes made it into the system but was normaly saved for weekend jobs and if the rads got hot..... bonus!, benchmark filled out when time sheet filled in. PAY PEANUTS GET MONKEYS! as they say.

And your proud of doing that!!!!

 

[AWheating]

I would not be proud of doing it this way myself, and never have (hence i now work for myself) but my point was the company thought the commissioning should take you about an hour so most its engineers spent about an hour doing it, very common for this type of thing to go on. Then they would wonder why they went back to so many air locks and other issues. This is why i dont think one a day heating installs are ever a good idea.

how long do you think there engineers should spend commissioning for £25? not condoning poor practice but you do get what you pay for!

 

[ecowarm]

To set up and commission a system correctly can take a day, to get flow and return from all radiators and at the boiler 20c diff

 

[stevetheplumber]

unfortunatly as things stand at present no one is getting paid to do anything corretley poor pay equals poor system thats why i get to buy my inhibtor and cleaner of my local scrappy he buys it of the guys that dont put it in
if your working for a company that gives you 16 hours to fit boiler and 7 rads you cant come back the next day in your own time

 

[doitmyself]

Some "pros" think that there is no need to balance systems with TRVs. Drayton certainly don't think that - see [DLMURL="http://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=11824"]TRV Commissioning Guide[/DLMURL] (click to download).

 

[Hybrid]

Some "pros" think that there is no need to balance systems with TRVs. Drayton certainly don't think that - see [DLMURL="http://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=11824"]TRV Commissioning Guide[/DLMURL] (click to download).

Just had a quick look at it and it states that the system needs to be balanced

 

[doitmyself]

Just had a quick look at it and it states that the system needs to be balanced

I know. That's what I was pointing out, but maybe I worded it badly!

Some "pros" think that there is no need to balance systems with TRVs. Drayton certainly don't think that. "That" meaning "systems with TRVs don't need to be balanced".

 

[billybob150811]

commissioning engineers tend to call trv,s self balancing if the returns are fully open and the trv heads are off use your double reg valve with metering station (this very particlar client wants to pay for) and measure the flow rate against the spec theyve paid for that too i suppose the client can only expect what they have paid for as someone said use a fga measure the temp of the flow and return and share the available heat out as best you can im sure you,ll do the best job with the system avilable you can balance it within an inch of its life if they want to pay for it

 

[SafeGasInstall]

did not read it all posts

i use grips and spanner and screw driver some time

 

[SimonJohns]

commissioning engineers tend to call trv,s self balancing if the returns are fully open and the trv heads are off use your double reg valve with metering station (this very particlar client wants to pay for) and measure the flow rate against the spec theyve paid for that too i suppose the client can only expect what they have paid for as someone said use a fga measure the temp of the flow and return and share the available heat out as best you can im sure you,ll do the best job with the system avilable you can balance it within an inch of its life if they want to pay for it

Agree to an extent

This post I think is referring to a domestic install and while I agree with you immensley about the double Reg valve and using a comm gauge to set flow rates.
This happens very rarely in Dom
Using the feel of the pipes and FGA temp probes is considered the only way to do it on Dom without incurring massive cost for the double Reg valves. Com gauges and time


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[billybob150811]

Sorry if people took it the wrong way it was a bit tongue in cheek i felt the client wanted far more than they were paying for me i measure the flow and return at the boiler and if the differential is too small i close the returns on the rads rads themselves offer very little resistance to flow but i dont feel the pipes as i work in an environment were only figures count but i,m certainly not knocking lads who can do it by feel other than that on a domestic system i dont know what else to do