Andy Hall wrote:


In fact balancing is really done on temperatures rather than flows
because most systems have radiators of different sizes. It happens
that the amount of heat transferred is directly proportional to the
flow rate, so actually a larger radiator needs more flow than a small
one anyway. Therefore the way that balancing is done is to make the
temperature drop across each radiator equal to the others. It's a
bit of a lengthy process to do, although not difficult, because
adjusting a radiator's lockshield valve (the preset one that you don't
turn) will have an impact on the others. Therefore you have to go
round the house several times adjusting and measuring the temperatures
of the radiators. To some extent, once they are all heating, and
the rooms are getting warm, then some people call it a day. You can
be as much of a perfectionist as you like past this point.


Actually, its even easier than that, if you are living in the house.

First of all, check that any 'cold' radiioators are fully open both on
teh control valve (the one with the knob) and the lockshields (the one
that needs a pair of pliers to turn it on.


Fire up teh heating system and have a cup of coffee and a gossip with
the neighbours, till the rooms are more or less warm/hot etc.

Now take the hottest room, and turn the lockshileds off completely, then
turn em on a little bit.

Repaet coffee gossip, and cheack again, turning off all ultra hot room
lockshields, then on a little bit.

Sooner or later the cold rads warm up, and you can just fine tine the
bloody lot a little at a time.takes a week or two, but you have the
whole winter.

Alternatively, fit TRV's to the hottest rooms and let nature take its
course :-)