Removing this radiator without spilling water everywhere
Discussion
tad harsh CheesecakeRunner said:
On the left hand valve, pop off the plastic cap and use a spanner to close the valve.
On the right hand valve, unscrew the thermostatic head and close the valve with a decorator’s cap
https://www.screwfix.com/p/drayton-radiator-valve-...
Open the bleed valve on the top left of the radiator, then with a bucket, tray or similar under rather to catch the water, crack one of the nuts that connects the bottom left valve to the rad. Just crack it enough so water slowly comes out until the rad is drained. Then disconnect both valves from the rad and gently pull the valves away from the rad to free it. Lift it up and off the wall.
Assembly is the reverse of disassembly, but you’ll need to find out how your heating system tops up in order to refill it.
I open the bleed valve once it's undone and draining, holds the flow back a bit while I manoeuvre.On the right hand valve, unscrew the thermostatic head and close the valve with a decorator’s cap
https://www.screwfix.com/p/drayton-radiator-valve-...
Open the bleed valve on the top left of the radiator, then with a bucket, tray or similar under rather to catch the water, crack one of the nuts that connects the bottom left valve to the rad. Just crack it enough so water slowly comes out until the rad is drained. Then disconnect both valves from the rad and gently pull the valves away from the rad to free it. Lift it up and off the wall.
Assembly is the reverse of disassembly, but you’ll need to find out how your heating system tops up in order to refill it.
This is a good trick provided they are BIBO rads
[youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/gPI661bJ86c[/youtube]
https://youtube.com/shorts/gPI661bJ86c?feature=sha...
Get the rad in “decorators mode” close both valves to the system and then provided it’s not a massive double rad with large water capacity towel under each end undo the joints and invert it to take it outside upside down and flush away
[youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/gPI661bJ86c[/youtube]
https://youtube.com/shorts/gPI661bJ86c?feature=sha...
Get the rad in “decorators mode” close both valves to the system and then provided it’s not a massive double rad with large water capacity towel under each end undo the joints and invert it to take it outside upside down and flush away
TooLateForAName said:
chrisch77 said:
The bottom may be cold because of the peculiar way that radiator has been connected up - flow and return are normally both connected at the bottom, not at the top like your TRV?
flow in at the top and out at the bottom is the correct way to pipe a radiator.98elise said:
TooLateForAName said:
chrisch77 said:
The bottom may be cold because of the peculiar way that radiator has been connected up - flow and return are normally both connected at the bottom, not at the top like your TRV?
flow in at the top and out at the bottom is the correct way to pipe a radiator.In some ways its like socket placement - historically trv and sockets were always at floor level, but especially for older people having then higher up is far more convenient.
TooLateForAName said:
Only because its what we are used to :-)
In some ways its like socket placement - historically trv and sockets were always at floor level, but especially for older people having then higher up is far more convenient.
It’s more an old school thing from the days of gravity fed non pressurized systems and makes bugger all difference on todays heating systems…. I’d not really go along with the accessibility line either as imo trvs should be set then not buggered about with… seems like it’s only the council or HA installers that still do it, probably just to avoid complaints that the trv has moved.In some ways its like socket placement - historically trv and sockets were always at floor level, but especially for older people having then higher up is far more convenient.
Mr Pointy said:
Don’t they just do the same job as the (free) blanking caps which come with a new rad?Baroque attacks said:
Don’t they just do the same job as the (free) blanking caps which come with a new rad?
Those free plastic blank caps are just for the factory paint the rads and you won’t be taking the tails out. Those plumb thumb plastic things are s
te though, the threads strip so easily and they cost more than a couple of 1/2 inch or 3/4 brass caps that’ll last forever.Black_S3 said:
TooLateForAName said:
Only because its what we are used to :-)
In some ways its like socket placement - historically trv and sockets were always at floor level, but especially for older people having then higher up is far more convenient.
It’s more an old school thing from the days of gravity fed non pressurized systems and makes bugger all difference on todays heating systems…. I’d not really go along with the accessibility line either as imo trvs should be set then not buggered about with… seems like it’s only the council or HA installers that still do it, probably just to avoid complaints that the trv has moved.In some ways its like socket placement - historically trv and sockets were always at floor level, but especially for older people having then higher up is far more convenient.
1) Radiator manufacturers still do their output rating with a radiator set up that way - why would they?
2) It 's far more common in European houses are they all still using gravity fed systems?
3) Google it and you find more comments about a 4-5% improvement in rad efficiency than you do find comments that it's old school and not needed.
I cut one of my old rads up (just to see how cruddy it was inside - there is no restriction in the bottom of the rad to force water up to the top - it all relies on hot water rising - get the flow to fast and I can see how the flow would prefer to short circuit (flow to return - water always takes the easiest path
Feeding it in the top gives the maximum surface area for water to transfer the heat to the room on it's way from the top of the rad on one side to the bottom on the other.
Raising the TRV position potentially gives a more representative place for the TRV to read the room temp - if it's down on the floor it's always going to be cooler there especially if the radiator temp is in a range where it's reliant on convector fins and air movement to transfer the heat to the room.
JM2pW and all my rads are BIBO but I'm seriously considering converting to TIBO
B'stard Child said:
And yet..........................
1) Radiator manufacturers still do their output rating with a radiator set up that way - why would they?
2) It 's far more common in European houses are they all still using gravity fed systems?
3) Google it and you find more comments about a 4-5% improvement in rad efficiency than you do find comments that it's old school and not needed.
I cut one of my old rads up (just to see how cruddy it was inside - there is no restriction in the bottom of the rad to force water up to the top - it all relies on hot water rising - get the flow to fast and I can see how the flow would prefer to short circuit (flow to return - water always takes the easiest path
Feeding it in the top gives the maximum surface area for water to transfer the heat to the room on it's way from the top of the rad on one side to the bottom on the other.
Raising the TRV position potentially gives a more representative place for the TRV to read the room temp - if it's down on the floor it's always going to be cooler there especially if the radiator temp is in a range where it's reliant on convector fins and air movement to transfer the heat to the room.
JM2pW and all my rads are BIBO but I'm seriously considering converting to TIBO
Ok but in the real world most installers just f1) Radiator manufacturers still do their output rating with a radiator set up that way - why would they?
2) It 's far more common in European houses are they all still using gravity fed systems?
3) Google it and you find more comments about a 4-5% improvement in rad efficiency than you do find comments that it's old school and not needed.
I cut one of my old rads up (just to see how cruddy it was inside - there is no restriction in the bottom of the rad to force water up to the top - it all relies on hot water rising - get the flow to fast and I can see how the flow would prefer to short circuit (flow to return - water always takes the easiest path
Feeding it in the top gives the maximum surface area for water to transfer the heat to the room on it's way from the top of the rad on one side to the bottom on the other.
Raising the TRV position potentially gives a more representative place for the TRV to read the room temp - if it's down on the floor it's always going to be cooler there especially if the radiator temp is in a range where it's reliant on convector fins and air movement to transfer the heat to the room.
JM2pW and all my rads are BIBO but I'm seriously considering converting to TIBO
k everything in and leave all the lockshields full open and only adjust if there’s a need… usually no one notices, no one cries…. The theory of what a 12 degree?? temp drop between flow and return on a rad never happens regardless of entry or exit and houses are heated with fk all difference to the utility bill or comfort in the room.Black_S3 said:
B'stard Child said:
And yet..........................
1) Radiator manufacturers still do their output rating with a radiator set up that way - why would they?
2) It 's far more common in European houses are they all still using gravity fed systems?
3) Google it and you find more comments about a 4-5% improvement in rad efficiency than you do find comments that it's old school and not needed.
I cut one of my old rads up (just to see how cruddy it was inside - there is no restriction in the bottom of the rad to force water up to the top - it all relies on hot water rising - get the flow to fast and I can see how the flow would prefer to short circuit (flow to return - water always takes the easiest path
Feeding it in the top gives the maximum surface area for water to transfer the heat to the room on it's way from the top of the rad on one side to the bottom on the other.
Raising the TRV position potentially gives a more representative place for the TRV to read the room temp - if it's down on the floor it's always going to be cooler there especially if the radiator temp is in a range where it's reliant on convector fins and air movement to transfer the heat to the room.
JM2pW and all my rads are BIBO but I'm seriously considering converting to TIBO
Ok but in the real world most installers just f1) Radiator manufacturers still do their output rating with a radiator set up that way - why would they?
2) It 's far more common in European houses are they all still using gravity fed systems?
3) Google it and you find more comments about a 4-5% improvement in rad efficiency than you do find comments that it's old school and not needed.
I cut one of my old rads up (just to see how cruddy it was inside - there is no restriction in the bottom of the rad to force water up to the top - it all relies on hot water rising - get the flow to fast and I can see how the flow would prefer to short circuit (flow to return - water always takes the easiest path
Feeding it in the top gives the maximum surface area for water to transfer the heat to the room on it's way from the top of the rad on one side to the bottom on the other.
Raising the TRV position potentially gives a more representative place for the TRV to read the room temp - if it's down on the floor it's always going to be cooler there especially if the radiator temp is in a range where it's reliant on convector fins and air movement to transfer the heat to the room.
JM2pW and all my rads are BIBO but I'm seriously considering converting to TIBO
k everything in and leave all the lockshields full open and only adjust if there’s a need… usually no one notices, no one cries…. The theory of what a 12 degree?? temp drop between flow and return on a rad never happens regardless of entry or exit and houses are heated with fk all difference to the utility bill or comfort in the room.For many people it's a rabbit hole they don't want to go down but I've quite enjoyed it so far..........
I've gone from 17,000 kWh per year for CH & HW to 7,770 kWh per year (that's £642 a year saving at current gas prices)
CH is 75% of my annual gas consumption so I'm quite happy to invest a bit of time and a length or two of copper pipe to see if I can improve it further.
B'stard Child said:
I agree with most of that - fairly typical of many installers - doesn't make it right, doesn't mean that you can't optimise the system for best possible performance (and maybe save a little energy and cost at the same time)
For many people it's a rabbit hole they don't want to go down but I've quite enjoyed it so far..........
I've gone from 17,000 kWh per year for CH & HW to 7,770 kWh per year (that's £642 a year saving at current gas prices)
CH is 75% of my annual gas consumption so I'm quite happy to invest a bit of time and a length or two of copper pipe to see if I can improve it further.
I don’t disagree, it’s only practical when someone has the time, knowledge etc and can be arsed and has access to the property regularly. Imagine paying a heating engineer for the time it would have taken to achieve your results For many people it's a rabbit hole they don't want to go down but I've quite enjoyed it so far..........
I've gone from 17,000 kWh per year for CH & HW to 7,770 kWh per year (that's £642 a year saving at current gas prices)
CH is 75% of my annual gas consumption so I'm quite happy to invest a bit of time and a length or two of copper pipe to see if I can improve it further.
Black_S3 said:
B'stard Child said:
I agree with most of that - fairly typical of many installers - doesn't make it right, doesn't mean that you can't optimise the system for best possible performance (and maybe save a little energy and cost at the same time)
For many people it's a rabbit hole they don't want to go down but I've quite enjoyed it so far..........
I've gone from 17,000 kWh per year for CH & HW to 7,770 kWh per year (that's £642 a year saving at current gas prices)
CH is 75% of my annual gas consumption so I'm quite happy to invest a bit of time and a length or two of copper pipe to see if I can improve it further.
I don’t disagree, it’s only practical when someone has the time, knowledge etc and can be arsed and has access to the property regularly. Imagine paying a heating engineer for the time it would have taken to achieve your results For many people it's a rabbit hole they don't want to go down but I've quite enjoyed it so far..........
I've gone from 17,000 kWh per year for CH & HW to 7,770 kWh per year (that's £642 a year saving at current gas prices)
CH is 75% of my annual gas consumption so I'm quite happy to invest a bit of time and a length or two of copper pipe to see if I can improve it further.
But I definately can be arsed to tweak stuff..............
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