Professional advice needed re moving radiator

GlynD · 9 January 2013 at 5:32PM

keystone wrote: »

If you have a conventional open vented system there's a very good chance that your bathrom rad is already on the primary. Can't say that for absolute certain though at arms length. Does it get warm/hot when you have DHW only selected?

Cheers

No the rad doesn't get hot with the DHW. It's a heat loss rad (A legacy from the time when such things were done that way) so it's raised about a foot off the floor. My understanding is that was for solid fuel systems (which this house was built with) and that it isn't deemed necessary anymore. (We do still have the solid fuel capability along with a dual oil fed boiler).

keystone · 9 January 2013 at 6:00PM

Do you still have a gravity DHW system then?

Cheers

GlynD · 9 January 2013 at 6:11PM

keystone wrote: »

Do you still have a gravity DHW system then?

Cheers

It's a bungalow with a gravity fed heating system. I think the DHW is gravity fed too but it's a very quiet fill. I don't think they did mains feed systems when this house was built 40 years ago.

keystone · 9 January 2013 at 6:26PM

Are you sure the CH isn't pumped. If DHW is still gravity (nice large diameter pipework) you need to keep the heat loss rad - sorry. Without it you've got a potential bomb in the place as there is no means of dealing with overheating. I think you should get someone in who knows what he is doing to have a look at it and advise you appropriately. Until then put the "surveyor", who doesn't know what he's doing, on hold.

Cheers

GlynD · 9 January 2013 at 6:43PM

keystone wrote: »

Are you sure the CH isn't pumped. If DHW is still gravity (nice large diameter pipework) you need to keep the heat loss rad - sorry. Without it you've got a potential bomb in the place as there is no means of dealing with overheating. I think you should get someone in who knows what he is doing to have a look at it and advise you appropriately. Until then put the "surveyor", who doesn't know what he's doing, on hold.

Cheers

Yes the central heating is pumped but it's a gravity fed (open) system - with a small header tank.

I've been told that the heat loss radiator is no longer used - or installed on modern systems.

keystone · 9 January 2013 at 7:43PM

I think you and I may have a different definition of what consitutes a gravity DHW system. This is a gravity system:

Sorry its on two levels - realise you have a bungalow.

This is a fully pumped open vented system with a three port valve:

A gravity DHW system normally has four pipes going to/from the boiler whereas the pumped open vented only has two. (Murphy says that the pic I've used hasn't of course) Thats usually the biggest clue but the pipework on the gravity system will be at least 28mm as opposed to 22mm for the second system.

Its going to be really quite important to establish whether the heat loss rad is just a legacy item or is, indeed, still needed. That needs a very clear understanding of exactly how your system is configured. The simplest way is to ask a heating engineer in to give it the once over. We could be at it for the rest of the week on here if we are not careful.

Cheers