One radiator on okay?

JC1440

Is it okay to have just one radiator on and the rest (in my case other three) turned off? Sometimes I just need heat to the one room I'm in, but I wondered if it won't damage the boiler doing this? Thanks.

macman

No you won't damage the boiler. However the system may run less efficiently with 3 out of 4 rads off.

JC1440

Sorry, what do you mean exactly? It would be better to have radiators on that are in rooms I won't be in?

MABLE

Just to have one radiator on surely is decremental to the rest of the house.

We have a Victorian house and to avoid any damp problems we have all 6 radiators on and an open fire.

Cardew

MABLE wrote: »

Just to have one radiator on surely is decremental to the rest of the house.

We have a Victorian house and to avoid any damp problems we have all 6 radiators on and an open fire.

One radiator on is fine.


If you need 6 radiators and an open fire on to mask damp problems, you need to get the damp problem(s) sorted. It could be a number of things - ingress through walls, lack of ventilation etc etc.


If you do have a serious damp problem, then get a dehumidifier.

Cyberman60

I very seldom have all radiators on, generally only heating downstairs where I spend most of my time. Heat rises, so upstairs will get some fringe heat anyway from downstairs.:p

macman

JC1440 wrote: »

Sorry, what do you mean exactly? It would be better to have radiators on that are in rooms I won't be in?

No, I didn't use the word 'better'. But firing up the CH system just to heat one room may be more expensive than just heating one room by another means. You are pumping hot water around the entire CH loop just to satisfy the demand from one rad, which is not very efficient.

MABLE

Cardew wrote: »

One radiator on is fine.


If you need 6 radiators and an open fire on to mask damp problems, you need to get the damp problem(s) sorted. It could be a number of things - ingress through walls, lack of ventilation etc etc.


If you do have a serious damp problem, then get a dehumidifier.

We have no issues thanks!

System

JC1440 wrote: »

Is it okay to have just one radiator on and the rest (in my case other three) turned off? Sometimes I just need heat to the one room I'm in, but I wondered if it won't damage the boiler doing this? Thanks.

These days houses in England are constructed with TRVs on all radiators, a timer but no room thermostat. If the boiler requires a short period of over-run after a period of heat - and all the TRVs are closed - then a bypass is fitted to the pump. Provided your single radiator remains open you shouldn't have any issues.

Cardew

Hengus wrote: »

These days houses in England are constructed with TRVs on all radiators, a timer but no room thermostat. If the boiler requires a short period of over-run after a period of heat - and all the TRVs are closed - then a bypass is fitted to the pump. Provided your single radiator remains open you shouldn't have any issues.

Hengus,


Are you sure about that? I understood Building Regs made a room thermostat mandatory.


http://forum.housingenergyadvisor.com/heating-controls/need-room-thermostat-t82-10.html




http://www.mybuilder.com/questions/v/5277/is-it-a-legal-requirement-to-have-a-room-themostat-fitted-with-a-new-boilerheating-system


You are normally up to date on these matters, but I have trawled the web and every site states a room thermostat has been mandatory since 2002.

r2015

These days houses in England are constructed with TRVs on all radiators, a timer but no room thermostat. If the boiler requires a short period of over-run after a period of heat - and all the TRVs are closed - then a bypass is fitted to the pump. Provided your single radiator remains open you shouldn't have any issues.

That is what I have been quoted for in Scotland and most people are saying that is not legal and the heating engineer is not up to scratch.

Even the boiler manufacturer says that is OK.