Any plumbers here? Rad balancing.

Vader123

Hi all

Hope someone can help.

I am having built a kitchen extension (8m * 5m) and my builder has done everything for it, except the heating.

Today I have got my own plumber in to do the rads, he has fitted 2 double convecter rads and worked out the BTU based on the room.

One rad is fine, pumps out heat really well.

The other rad is the bigger one and is the furthest away from the boiler.

The "other" rad has a really hot feed to it, and the top of the rad is hot, but the bottom is cold. (He has bled the system).

He says *I* need to balance the rads. I have a huge house (12 bedrooms on 3 storeys, I have 7 children!) . He says my boiler is new and up to it and thats not the problem (or the pump).

He says I need to spend a week "balancing" the rads. He says that if after a week I cant balance it, he will do it for me.

Can anyone help, I have googled and seen instructions, but its gobblegook to me.

Questions

1) Should I be calling him back to it?
2) Assuming I do it, what do I need to do (in plain english!).

Thanks
Vader

Canucklehead

Vader123 wrote: »

Hi all

Hope someone can help.

I am having built a kitchen extension (8m * 5m) and my builder has done everything for it, except the heating.

Today I have got my own plumber in to do the rads, he has fitted 2 double convecter rads and worked out the BTU based on the room.

One rad is fine, pumps out heat really well.

The other rad is the bigger one and is the furthest away from the boiler.

The "other" rad has a really hot feed to it, and the top of the rad is hot, but the bottom is cold. (He has bled the system).

He says *I* need to balance the rads. I have a huge house (12 bedrooms on 3 storeys, I have 7 children!) . He says my boiler is new and up to it and thats not the problem (or the pump).

He says I need to spend a week "balancing" the rads. He says that if after a week I cant balance it, he will do it for me.

Can anyone help, I have googled and seen instructions, but its gobblegook to me.

Questions

1) Should I be calling him back to it?
2) Assuming I do it, what do I need to do (in plain english!).

Thanks
Vader

Good evening: call him back....he shouldn't have left yours without rectifying. Who did the pipework for the extension?

HTH

Canucklehead

Vader123

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: call him back....he shouldn't have left yours without rectifying. Who did the pipework for the extension?

HTH

Canucklehead

Thanks for replying canucklehead.

The irony is I have not paid him yet for labour. I made it clear that he is not going to get paid it until that last rad pumps out heat 100%.

He did the pipework for the extension (inc cutting into existing heating pipes for the spur). I am happy to have him back and have "row" but he really feels its my job, given how many rooms I have. I don't think it helped that there were a few rooms he could not go in (daughter asleep).

Vader

ormus

maybe needs more bleeding or its possible the pipe sizing is wrong?
(if a large rad and far away).

DVardysShadow

I would expect a competent plumber to demonstrate the rad working - on its own if necessary, even if he did not balance the system.

You could try closing the valves on all of the other rads - leaving the balancing valves alone. If your rad heats up properly, then fine, but if it does not, then there is a problem

Canucklehead

Vader123 wrote: »

Thanks for replying canucklehead.

The irony is I have not paid him yet for labour. I made it clear that he is not going to get paid it until that last rad pumps out heat 100%.

He did the pipework for the extension (inc cutting into existing heating pipes for the spur). I am happy to have him back and have "row" but he really feels its my job, given how many rooms I have. I don't think it helped that there were a few rooms he could not go in (daughter asleep).

Vader

Good morning: see here. Give him access to the entire CH system.

HTH

Canucklehead