UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 617
Default Radiators in series - WTF?

Wondering why the living room rad was not getting hot, I remembered I'd
turned off the one in the conservatory - common wall. Looking at that, I
discover these two rads are in series, but there is the possibility to
turn a screw in a pipe a 1/4-turn, opening a valve, and thereby short
circuit the hot-water *around* the conservatory rad. This rad is still
off and the living room one is now nice and toasty.

The bathroom also has a rad in series with the towel rail. Is there any
rational reason for these sorts of arrangement?

--
Tim

"That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted"

Bill of Rights 1689
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,175
Default Radiators in series - WTF?

In article ,
Tim Streater writes:
Wondering why the living room rad was not getting hot, I remembered I'd
turned off the one in the conservatory - common wall. Looking at that, I
discover these two rads are in series, but there is the possibility to
turn a screw in a pipe a 1/4-turn, opening a valve, and thereby short
circuit the hot-water *around* the conservatory rad. This rad is still
off and the living room one is now nice and toasty.


That's a little bit like a single pipe circuit, except you wouldn't
have any means to close off the "short-circuit" as you call it.
It's not a short circuit actually - the radiator presents less
flow resistance than that pipe, aided even further by the convection
current if the radiator is losing heat to the room.
I wonder if the valve was added by someone who didn't understand a
single pipe circuit?

The bathroom also has a rad in series with the towel rail. Is there any
rational reason for these sorts of arrangement?


Fewer pipe runs around the room. It's not used anymore because the
heat loss calcs and radiator sizing was a more expert job than
installers today would cope with.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
  #3   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 617
Default Radiators in series - WTF?

On 29/12/2009 20:59, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article1PKdnY6J7NWZ06fWnZ2dnUVZ8qudnZ2d@brightvie w.co.uk,
Tim writes:
Wondering why the living room rad was not getting hot, I remembered I'd
turned off the one in the conservatory - common wall. Looking at that, I
discover these two rads are in series, but there is the possibility to
turn a screw in a pipe a 1/4-turn, opening a valve, and thereby short
circuit the hot-water *around* the conservatory rad. This rad is still
off and the living room one is now nice and toasty.


That's a little bit like a single pipe circuit, except you wouldn't
have any means to close off the "short-circuit" as you call it.
It's not a short circuit actually - the radiator presents less
flow resistance than that pipe, aided even further by the convection
current if the radiator is losing heat to the room.


Even, you mean, when the pipework to/from the rad has some right-angles,
whereas my "short-circuit" is a straight pipe with the isolator valve in
it? Interesting. (I take the point about the convection/cooling).

I wonder if the valve was added by someone who didn't understand a
single pipe circuit?


Certainly whoever installed a lot of this stuff did a gash job. I've got
a rad half-hanging off a wall, a towel-rail rad on another wall at an
angle because the installer should have cut another 1/2" off the pipe
going into the wall, 1/2" pipes going into 1.5" holes ...

I'm gonna have to get a man in - but not til the weather is warmer.

--
Tim

"That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted"

Bill of Rights 1689
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Radiators in series - good or bad? [email protected] UK diy 5 December 9th 09 11:57 PM
Single pipe series connected radiators Frank McGuire UK diy 7 October 14th 06 12:59 AM
Carrier Performance series vs. Ruud Achiever series home AC? Airkings Home Repair 1 June 21st 05 12:03 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:17 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"