In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common. But it does not have a TRV, just ordinary
valves. I guess I haven't looked too closely elsewhere, is that the
usual way of doing things? (I have never lived with a pressurised system
before - only short term visits.)

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight background
warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the setting and hope
for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to get that warm anyway?

--
Rod

polygonum wrote:
In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common. But it does not have a TRV, just
ordinary valves. I guess I haven't looked too closely elsewhere, is
that the usual way of doing things? (I have never lived with a
pressurised system before - only short term visits.)

One rad is normally left without a trv in case the boiler malfunctions, this
way the water can circulate

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight
background warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the
setting and hope for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to
get that warm anyway?

It is unusual in a cupboard, it's normally the bathroom rad that is the odd
one out...

polygonum wrote:

In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common.

Would seem odd to me, I'm used to a big tank of hot water in there.

But it does not have a TRV, just ordinary
valves.

I'd guess it functions as the bypass radiator, instead of the usual
bathroom rad doing that, have you got a TRV on the bathroom rad?

In article ,
"Phil L" writes:
polygonum wrote:
In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common. But it does not have a TRV, just
ordinary valves. I guess I haven't looked too closely elsewhere, is
that the usual way of doing things? (I have never lived with a
pressurised system before - only short term visits.)

One rad is normally left without a trv in case the boiler malfunctions, this
way the water can circulate

Some boilers need a guaranteed water path at all times, so there
needs to be something that still allows flow if all the TRV's
shut off. Depends on the boiler.

OTOH, you shouldn't have a TRV on the radiator in the room where
the thermostat is situated.

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight
background warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the
setting and hope for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to
get that warm anyway?

It is unusual in a cupboard, it's normally the bathroom rad that is the odd
one out...

If it has a hand-adjustable valve, then it can probably be swapped
for a TRV. If it only has a pair of lock-shield valves (not hand
adjustable) or no valves at all, then the radiator is probably the
boiler bypass loop. In that case, what you can do instead of turning
it off is drape something insulating over it, such as some towels
or blankets. That will reduce its effective output without compromising
the bypass loop.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 12/09/2016 20:33, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"Phil L" writes:
polygonum wrote:
In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common. But it does not have a TRV, just
ordinary valves. I guess I haven't looked too closely elsewhere, is
that the usual way of doing things? (I have never lived with a
pressurised system before - only short term visits.)

One rad is normally left without a trv in case the boiler malfunctions, this
way the water can circulate

Some boilers need a guaranteed water path at all times, so there
needs to be something that still allows flow if all the TRV's
shut off. Depends on the boiler.

OTOH, you shouldn't have a TRV on the radiator in the room where
the thermostat is situated.

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight
background warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the
setting and hope for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to
get that warm anyway?

It is unusual in a cupboard, it's normally the bathroom rad that is the odd
one out...

If it has a hand-adjustable valve, then it can probably be swapped
for a TRV. If it only has a pair of lock-shield valves (not hand
adjustable) or no valves at all, then the radiator is probably the
boiler bypass loop. In that case, what you can do instead of turning
it off is drape something insulating over it, such as some towels
or blankets. That will reduce its effective output without compromising
the bypass loop.

I should have explained (and did think it but forgot to type it) - the
hall radiator is the boiler bypass loop. All other radiators have TRVs.

--
Rod

polygonum wrote:
On 12/09/2016 20:33, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"Phil L" writes:
polygonum wrote:
In our new house we have a small radiator in the airing cupboard - no
surprise there, that's common. But it does not have a TRV, just
ordinary valves. I guess I haven't looked too closely elsewhere, is
that the usual way of doing things? (I have never lived with a
pressurised system before - only short term visits.)

One rad is normally left without a trv in case the boiler
malfunctions, this
way the water can circulate

Some boilers need a guaranteed water path at all times, so there
needs to be something that still allows flow if all the TRV's
shut off. Depends on the boiler.

OTOH, you shouldn't have a TRV on the radiator in the room where
the thermostat is situated.

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight
background warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the
setting and hope for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to
get that warm anyway?

It is unusual in a cupboard, it's normally the bathroom rad that is
the odd
one out...

If it has a hand-adjustable valve, then it can probably be swapped
for a TRV. If it only has a pair of lock-shield valves (not hand
adjustable) or no valves at all, then the radiator is probably the
boiler bypass loop. In that case, what you can do instead of turning
it off is drape something insulating over it, such as some towels
or blankets. That will reduce its effective output without compromising
the bypass loop.

I should have explained (and did think it but forgot to type it) - the
hall radiator is the boiler bypass loop. All other radiators have TRVs.

In that case why not just fit a TRV in the airing cupboard or just back
off the lockshield valve to start with and see if you get a suitable
reduction in temperature

On 12/09/2016 21:27, Bob Minchin wrote:
In that case why not just fit a TRV in the airing cupboard or just back
off the lockshield valve to start with and see if you get a suitable
reduction in temperature

a) Because I have only just realised;
b) Because we have not yet used the heating so don't know what to expect;
c) Because experiences of others might mean I decide not to go through
the effort of fitting a TRV which likely won't be needed.

At this moment, I think I shall just turn down the flow as you suggest.

(I especially don't want it too warm as I expect to be putting a
wireless access point in the cupboard...)

--
Rod

On 12/09/2016 21:38, polygonum wrote:
On 12/09/2016 21:27, Bob Minchin wrote:
In that case why not just fit a TRV in the airing cupboard or just back
off the lockshield valve to start with and see if you get a suitable
reduction in temperature

a) Because I have only just realised;
b) Because we have not yet used the heating so don't know what to expect;
c) Because experiences of others might mean I decide not to go through
the effort of fitting a TRV which likely won't be needed.

I have a small rad in our drying room - manual valve only IIRC. "too
warm" has never really been a problem with it ;-)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 13/09/2016 00:08, John Rumm wrote:
On 12/09/2016 21:38, polygonum wrote:
On 12/09/2016 21:27, Bob Minchin wrote:
In that case why not just fit a TRV in the airing cupboard or just back
off the lockshield valve to start with and see if you get a suitable
reduction in temperature

a) Because I have only just realised;
b) Because we have not yet used the heating so don't know what to expect;
c) Because experiences of others might mean I decide not to go through
the effort of fitting a TRV which likely won't be needed.

I have a small rad in our drying room - manual valve only IIRC. "too
warm" has never really been a problem with it ;-)


Thanks - fingers crossed.

--
Rod

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016 20:03:08 +0100, polygonum wrote:

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight background
warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the setting and hope
for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to get that warm anyway?

The minimum-effort method would be to wrap the rad in an old blanket... no
hydraulic change, just less heat dissipation from the rad.


Thomas Prufer

On 15/09/2016 07:34, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Mon, 12 Sep 2016 20:03:08 +0100, polygonum wrote:

We don't want the airing cupboard to be baking, just a slight background
warmth is probably enough. Do you just turn down the setting and hope
for the best? Or fit a TRV? Or do they tend not to get that warm anyway?

The minimum-effort method would be to wrap the rad in an old blanket... no
hydraulic change, just less heat dissipation from the rad.


Thomas Prufer

I do like that - but whether having an old blanket in the airing
cupboard will prove acceptable is another mater. :-)

--
Rod

On Thu, 15 Sep 2016 07:44:22 +0100, polygonum wrote:

I do like that - but whether having an old blanket in the airing
cupboard will prove acceptable is another mater. :-)

a) Explain that it's a "special natural organic fiber insulation sheet"?

b) Explain that the alternative is clogging the fins with old socks?

c) Do nothing until next spring, so you can see what the rad does on its own.
Then do nothing because it's Spring and the heating is off.

I like making suggestions I don't have to personally implement:-)


Thomas Prufer

On 15/09/2016 09:49, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Thu, 15 Sep 2016 07:44:22 +0100, polygonum wrote:

I do like that - but whether having an old blanket in the airing
cupboard will prove acceptable is another mater. :-)

a) Explain that it's a "special natural organic fiber insulation sheet"?

b) Explain that the alternative is clogging the fins with old socks?

c) Do nothing until next spring, so you can see what the rad does on its own.
Then do nothing because it's Spring and the heating is off.

I like making suggestions I don't have to personally implement:-)


Thomas Prufer

I'd never get away with a) - she is far too knowledgeable about all
things textile. Similarly b).

c) has some merit...

--
Rod