Discuss Cold Radiators in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Status
Not open for further replies.
Just employ the fellow member to sort it out for you ! It will not cost you that much and will alow you to get on with your day to day duties
 
The temp on the boiler seems to be fluctuating between 66 and 80...
 
Ha ha ha ....I work in Leeds Wed, Thurs, Fri. Is next week convenient? Thanks Jules ;))
 
I plucked up the courage and spoke to the plumber this morning. I felt as though I knew a bit more to ask the right questions than I did before all everyones great advice on this forum. He is sticking to his guns and telling me that the boiler is under powered. He said that you lose 20% and that the approx output of the 15 radiators is 100btu (?!!) I'm not sure how I could work out the demand from the radiators...
There is some 22mm pipe upstairs but then it goes down to 15mm downstairs. He says that it's not standard practise to use 22mm everywhere and that he would even struggle to get the connections.. He also mentioned that he could fit a pump and that might help. He's also saying that he won't be responsible for an underpowered boiler as that was fitted by someone ele but at no stage did he say that the boiler is underpowered until now...
Thanks very much and any further help would be appreciated... Tony is hoping to come next week
 
Boiler underpowered is rubbish and is one of the first things I check when installing additional rads. Your response to this should have been to say that you had turned all the other rads off so it was only running the additional ones. Good luck for next week.
 
No plumber worth his salt add radiators to a system that would render the boiler under size, there is no more to be said, I will be there next week to have a look Jules


Tony the Terrible :20:
 
Bet his come off a return from a rad which he thought was a flow (Some people think that because it has a TRV on it its going to be a flow, which is not always the case) , and tied what he thought was a return into a return to pick up for his new circuit (If you get the jist) wont work unless the rad his come off is working/trv open etc. I've seen that before with people not knowing what their doing. Its a proper head scratcher when you come up against it as you eyes miss it the first few times because your mind and skill tells you No he wouldnt of done that. My picture I drew up quickly might make it clearer.
 

Attachments

  • Rads Piped Incorrectly_1.jpg
    Rads Piped Incorrectly_1.jpg
    11.6 KB · Views: 57
Thank you for the drawing.... If we turn off all the other radiators after an hour or so the temperamental rad becomes barely luke warm...would your suggestion still apply? ;)
 
Yes as a TRV may still pass when screwed right down. Without having a 2nd beady eye on what this guy has done you may never know as he could just keep trying to pull the wool over your eyes :(
 
Me thinks it's not that daft, there are 5 rads not getting hot, that means he's done it five times, he would then be the real plumber from hell, too much speculation going on an not enough facts, I will sort it out next week chaps and I will report back, it will not be just one thing wrong. leave this one alone now and I will be back.

Tony
 
Sorry just getting in on this coz I love a mystery


What do you think it might be Riley???? we could have a met,:21: throw a party :cake: play cluedo :beatnik: or simply have a cuppa:coffee: I will let you know don't worry.

Tony
 
Make sure there is not a uncontrolled by pass

SafeGasInstaller,

I have a bit of kit that sits on the pipe and measure the flow inside, I will spot the uncontrolled or controlled bypass in a flash, I don't want to worry about me either, I have been in the trade for the 55 years and as long as the Good Lord doesn't take me in my sleep before I go to site next week, I will sort the plumber from hell out, be assured, trust me I am a real plumber!!!:35:

BTW I have heard they are going to officially make plumbing a trade next week :lol:

Anyway do any of you know when plastic tube was first used for minibore central heating???
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SafeGasInstaller,

I have a bit of kit that sits on the pipe and measure the flow inside, I will spot the uncontrolled or controlled bypass in a flash, I don't want to worry about me either, I have been in the trade for the 55 years and as long as the Good Lord doesn't take me in my sleep before I go to site next week, I will sort the plumber from hell out, be assured, trust me I am a real plumber!!!:35:

BTW I have heard they are going to officially make plumbing a trade next week :lol:

Anyway do any of you know when plastic tube was first used for minibore central heating???





Jesus this is like a plumbers version of Eastenders... Loving it

Have you been back yet Happyflyer? If not when?

Just to chuck my 2 pennies piece. When that plumber left did he jump in a van or ride off into the sunset!!!!
 
Tommy


Me as done, put the old trusty test kit on and found the water flow was too low, lots of other things need to be put right boiler in the roof space, with two zone valves pipe to valves go up higher than boiler so boiler is not the highest part of the system so auto air vent in boiler not much use, got plumber back, programmed boiler to run pump at full speed, twas only running at half, closed down ABV and got water flow up to boiler recommended rate, all rads now (WOW) get hot except on on new index circuit, balancing now tight, main F/R in roof space rises up to where it drops down to Ist floor needs 2 AAV and pipe cutting shorter, needs two AAV on boiler end zone valve branches, you need to remember that the Valliant like others don't have a big pump on 20 Kpa this is not very much for long runs of 15 mm tube, If I was fitting a boiler which feeds heating and a Magaflow I would use a basic boiler without pump, you can then change the pump if you drop a clanger.

Tony

PS the plumber who did the job now calls me Dad and I will take him under my wing from now on, why because he listened, the day you stop learning is the day you die and that includes me.

Rock on Tommy
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fair play to him for not getting his back up.

I'm impressed too.

Whats the test kit? Sounds like a nice toy to play with.

I've never thought about fitting a boiler with out a pump. Every day is a school day and I've just learnt something.
 
PF330.jpg

Rock on Tommy ÂŁ2500.00 Portaflow a bit more now had it 4 years
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fair play to him for not getting his back up.

I'm impressed too.

Whats the test kit? Sounds like a nice toy to play with.

I've never thought about fitting a boiler with out a pump. Every day is a school day and I've just learnt something.


Tommy,

I didn't go well for about 15 mins he thought he new it all, after he saw the kit I had he saw the folly of his ways, seriously he
was a nice young chap would I would help any time, he took my card and said if I need any help can I call you, what do you think I said.

Help some when you can I might need it one day.
 
That is a niiiice bit of kit.
Do you do a lot of fault finding?
Bit to rich for little old me at he moment
 
Hardest thing to do, to admitting to dropping a clanger. Especially when your a Plumber!!!!1
 
I spend all my time now witnessing other people commissioning water and ventilation systems, I write software for Building Management system BMS, controlling commercial HVAC, I use to be in combustion also for 10 year, Hamworthy, British Gas and Oil Burners,(BGOB) or Selectos as it was know, I have worked on burners with 15 ft flames, mainly potato crisp machine they need lots of power to heat up the fat. I worked on the very first premixed gas burner, you use them every day in domestic boiler, I was part of that design when I was 30 I am nearly 70
 
Hi again
Tony has been wonderful!! We can't thank him enough...
When I arrived home from work this evening.......All the radiators were hot!!! A miracle!
Tony....It's too hot now! ha ha ha...
:waving::teeth_smile::teeth_smile::teeth_smile::teeth_smile::teeth_smile::teeth_smile:
 
It's very clever indeed...I learned a lot yesterday...I'm thinking of becoming Tony's apprentice!
Tony is an inspiration!
 
Just a thought how are the rads pipe BBOE or TBOE. If they are TBOE then they could be piped back to front. causing only the top to heat.
 
Just a thought how are the rads pipe BBOE or TBOE. If they are TBOE then they could be piped back to front. causing only the top to heat.


julesG,

No one these days pipes a radiators TBOE, do you know why, well it would be 750 mm of 15 mm tube for each rad and that would need do, anyway for what reason would any one want pipe TBOE, that is remnants of the old one pipe system, long forgotten here
 
It's very clever indeed...I learned a lot yesterday...I'm thinking of becoming Tony's apprentice!
Tony is an inspiration!


Thanks Jules,


Just another day at the office, I can't imaging helping anyone better, hope you have happier times ahead now the heating sorted.


Tony
 
For what reason would any one want pipe TBOE, that is remnants of the old one pipe system, long forgotten here
Except by the guys who wrote BS EN442 for measuring the output of rads, who specify TBSE when measuring! There's only about 2% difference between the three connection methods and TBSE is the best.
 
Happy flyer,
I'm was just making suggestions. I'm sorry but I disagree, TBOE is still the most efficient way to pipe a radiator regardless of whether it's a one pipe system or not. As it gives a better spread of heat across the radiator. Perhaps not seen in most modern homes but in industrial and commercial buildings are still occasionally piped this way. I piped radiators in college that way and I've worked in modern buildings piped that way. If you can increase heat output with piping arrangement, perhaps you can reduce heat emitter size?
 
Except by the guys who wrote BS EN442 for measuring the output of rads, who specify TBSE when measuring! There's only about 2% difference between the three connection methods and TBSE is the best.

Isnt it tboe? Tbse causes the heat to run down one side and not circulate within the rad.
tboe causes it to run across
 
I agree with you 1King55, I was always told that TBOE had the highest efficiency, I would say that TBSE would have the least of the three.
 
You chaps are right experiments show that there is approx 2% better output if you don't use BBOE, but pray tell who does have a pipe running up the side of a radiator to the valve, another point if you do this and add a thermostatic valve the heat convected up from the stand pipe will prematurely shut down the valve, see if you can find a glossy rad brochure with TBOE connections.

Tony
 
Incorrect happy flyer, you fit the thermostatic radiator valve horizontally for exactly that reason. The phial in the valve hangs clear of the pipe and so isn't tricked by the heat from the pipe. If you were to fit the valve vertically you would be correct (which is a common mistake). As to whole has a pipe up the side of their radiator, the answer to that would be people looking to get max efficiency out of their radiators.
 
Ive done the rads in my parents house tboe. For one its more efficiant and also easier to get the rad off.
 
They are talking commercial, and you are right and forgot to add if you fit the TRV with the head horizontally you will negate the convention current up the pipe, another alternative is to use a remote capillary, but all this costly and messy, and they can get damage easily, commercially we tend to have a single zone valve controlled by a BMS and a room sensor, usually with a 3 Deg C adjust band 1.5 up and 1.5 down from agreed set points.

Owning and operating commercial HVAC system is expensive and maintenance must be taken into consideration too, in a school there is now a tenancy not to install radiators with TRV, they get damaged and messed with, UFH is pride of place no one can fiddle and even quality bespoke dwellings do use radiators.

I have designed 6 bespoke house in the past 10 years and not one radiator anywhere, the spec building will take some time to catch up but I think they will.

We have in recent years seen power sockets lift up higher, you could put the rad valve TBOE so people don't need to bend down, I have electronic rad valves on my system, don't need to bend down, once they are set you never need to adjust them again, extremely accurate temp control, they even make wireless TRV and the World moves on, as for 2% extra output using TBOE we will need the tweak the ABV or use the next size boiler up one. :bigcry:

Tony
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Reply to Cold Radiators in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Similar plumbing topics

Hi, Sorry if question already answered in previous posts, but I can't find a solution to the below: We recently moved house to a new home that...
Replies
7
Views
544
Oil boiler (now~15 years old) unvented system with 17 radiators. We moved in 5 years ago and I had to keep bleeding the same radiator. The bleed...
Replies
1
Views
272
Hi All, In Dec 2023 I had my annual boiler service and asked the plumber to change 2 radiator valves as the radiator in the toilet downstairs was...
Replies
7
Views
532
Hi - I'm a reasonably experienced DIY plumber but just can't work out why the last new rad I've installed is cold - would really appreciate your...
Replies
7
Views
673
O
Hi All, We renovated our house in 2019 and put in completely new plumbing system and piping including new boiler and 9 radiators. Off those...
Replies
1
Views
723
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock