Balancing Rads

[LivingTheDream]

I'm absolutely sure that someone put a really good clear set of steps for properly balancing radiators on here recently but for the life of me, I can't find it.

Anyone able to offer said advice?

We have TRVs on most radiators but I want to make sure everything is nicely balanced so I can drop the TRV setting down for the downstairs where we run a woodburner. Upstairs right now is freezing!

TIA

[jeremyc]

This one?

LookAtMyCat on another thread said:

I balance 2-3 systems a week. I make good money out of the fact that hardly any other heating guys seem to know what it is or how to do it.

Open all TRVs fully (or one side of towel rails etc)
Close down all lockshields to 1/8 turn from closed.
Turn boiler flow temp down to 40 degrees.
Turn heating on.
Rads that start to warm up leave alone.
Rads that don't, open lockshield another 1/8 turn.
Repeat until all rads warm.
Increase flow temp to 50 degrees.
Repeat process. Then increase to 60 then 70.

Job jobbed. Balanced a 20 rad system this morning in less than an hour. They had 2 other 'engineers' round who couldn't get 4 of the rads hot. I left with all 20-odd rads piping hot.

[Evoluzione]

Now in the FAQs

[B'stard Child]

Evoluzione said:

Now in the FAQs

What a good idea - why the heck didn't I think of that

didn't know there was an FAQ would be why

Edited to add - now I've found it I took the liberty of editing your entry just to stop my teeth itching

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 16th December 18:43

[Wings]

I would suggest that prior to balancing the rads, that bleeding of all radiators takes place.

[B'stard Child]

Wings said:

I would suggest that prior to balancing the rads, that bleeding of all radiators takes place.

With the heating off

[number2]

Will LookAtMyCat please make themselves known and come to my house please?!

19 rads over three floors and one with a jammed lockshield!

[B'stard Child]

number2 said:

Will LookAtMyCat please make themselves known and come to my house please?!

19 rads over three floors and one with a jammed lockshield!

You can hot swap a lockshield if it's jammed shut - not sure I'd fancy doing it if it's jammed open

[number2]

B'stard Child said:

You can hot swap a lockshield if it's jammed shut - not sure I'd fancy doing it if it's jammed open

It's jammed open I think as the rad heats up. Saying that, the lockshield valve pipes get hot but the rad takes ages to heat up and doesn't get properly hot. The TRV valve stays much cooler, which says to me that the inlet is on the wrong side and the lockshield is only partially open....

Other similar problems on downstairs rads.... valves fully open but some take ages to get hot even though pipes are hot.

It shouldn't be difficult, it's hot water flowing round a circuit.

These valves:
https://www.traderadiators.com/west-thermostatic-v...

[B'stard Child]

number2 said:

B'stard Child said:

You can hot swap a lockshield if it's jammed shut - not sure I'd fancy doing it if it's jammed open

It's jammed open I think as the rad heats up. Saying that, the lockshield valve pipes get hot but the rad takes ages to heat up and doesn't get properly hot. The TRV valve stays much cooler, which says to me that the inlet is on the wrong side and the lockshield is only partially open....

Yes does sound like the TRV and the lockshield are on the wrong ends

number2 said:

Other similar problems on downstairs rads.... valves fully open but some take ages to get hot even though pipes are hot.

It shouldn't be difficult, it's hot water flowing round a circuit.

These valves:
https://www.traderadiators.com/west-thermostatic-v...

Ouch they are fairly pricey....... nice but spendy....

[Evoluzione]

B'stard Child said:

Evoluzione said:

Now in the FAQs

What a good idea - why the heck didn't I think of that

didn't know there was an FAQ would be why

Edited to add - now I've found it I took the liberty of editing your entry just to stop my teeth itching

Thanks, you can sort out my other hamfisted attempts too if you like
Or show me how to do it, i'm crap with computer stuff and the like. We should put more stuff in there, I have an absolute hatred for endless repetition and think it's a great shame that good posts like that ^ get lost.
People are only going to post up their best advice once, not every day.

[B'stard Child]

Evoluzione said:

B'stard Child said:

Evoluzione said:

Now in the FAQs

What a good idea - why the heck didn't I think of that

didn't know there was an FAQ would be why

Edited to add - now I've found it I took the liberty of editing your entry just to stop my teeth itching

Thanks, you can sort out my other hamfisted attempts too if you like
Or show me how to do it, i'm crap with computer stuff and the like. We should put more stuff in there, I have an absolute hatred for endless repetition and think it's a great shame that good posts like that ^ get lost.
People are only going to post up their best advice once, not every day.

OK lesson here OK?

Take a std web address

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

OK you want to make it a clicky link

open with [url=

Then the web address

[url=https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=207&t=2013647

Then you need to close it with ]

[url=https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=207&t=2013647]

Then a description

[url=https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=207&t=2013647]Radiator Balancing

Then you need to close it all off with [/url] At this stage I've exposed the code by adding a *

[*url=https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=207&t=2013647]Radiator Balancing[*/url]

Do all that with out the * and you get

Radiator Balancing

Before anyone says why didn't you use the code function - well I could but it's often easier to just screw with the formatting to make it not work with the addition of a *

[Belle427]

jeremyc said:

This one?

LookAtMyCat on another thread said:

I balance 2-3 systems a week. I make good money out of the fact that hardly any other heating guys seem to know what it is or how to do it.

Open all TRVs fully (or one side of towel rails etc)
Close down all lockshields to 1/8 turn from closed.
Turn boiler flow temp down to 40 degrees.
Turn heating on.
Rads that start to warm up leave alone.
Rads that don't, open lockshield another 1/8 turn.
Repeat until all rads warm.
Increase flow temp to 50 degrees.
Repeat process. Then increase to 60 then 70.

Job jobbed. Balanced a 20 rad system this morning in less than an hour. They had 2 other 'engineers' round who couldn't get 4 of the rads hot. I left with all 20-odd rads piping hot.

Silly question but when finished do you leave the Trvs fully open or can you adjust them depending on room use etc?

[hyperblue]

Belle427 said:

Silly question but when finished do you leave the Trvs fully open or can you adjust them depending on room use etc?

Yes you go around and adjust them as you need afterwards. They’re just opened up during balancing.

FWIW I followed above procedure without changing boiler temperature and it did the job.

[B'stard Child]

hyperblue said:

Belle427 said:

Silly question but when finished do you leave the Trvs fully open or can you adjust them depending on room use etc?

Yes you go around and adjust them as you need afterwards. They’re just opened up during balancing.

FWIW I followed above procedure without changing boiler temperature and it did the job.

First pass like that will get you very close depending on your flow temp but you might find on the next heating cycle that a couple of rooms get hot quicker or a room might not get warm as fast as others so a small tweak helps

[Evoluzione]

B'stard Child said:

Useful stuff

Thanks for taking the time, i'll have a go later.

[B'stard Child]

Evoluzione said:

B'stard Child said:

Useful stuff

Thanks for taking the time, i'll have a go later.

Not a problem at all

[lexham]

Thank you LookAtMyCat for the quick and easy balancing guide, and also for the mods for putting in the FAQ section. Super simple to follow. Most appreciated.

[42 Carat Plonker]

Great guide. How does a bypass radiator fit into this process though? Should it just be left fully open on both valves?

[B'stard Child]

42 Carat Plonker said:

Great guide. How does a bypass radiator fit into this process though? Should it just be left fully open on both valves?

Should be balanced as per all the other rads but never shut on the control valve AFAIK