Radiator hot but heating switched off?!

[Lippitt]

Yesterday I noticed that the radiator in our bathroom was hot, even though the heating is switched off. None of the other radiators in the house were on.
I did google it but frankly I'm a DIY dunce and most of the answers were too technical for me!
Can anyone give me a simple answer?!

[GuinnessMK]

Is the hot water still being heated by the boiler or an immersion heater?

The bathroom rad can be plumbed in to act as a heat sink so you don't get boiling water from the tap.

[Lippitt]

Its being heated by the boiler, as the immersion has gone kaput! So has the shower pump.
Not having much luck really!!
Do you think thats what is then?

[Trevelyan]

Bathroom radiators are normally connected to the hot water circuit rather than the heating circuit from your boiler. This is so that it gets hot all year round for drying towels. It'll get hot whenever your boiler comes on to reheat the hot water cyclinder.

[Lippitt]

Ah! Ok! Brilliant, thank you - I won't worry then. Although it does make it annoyingly hot in the bathroom...

See, I knew this place wouldn't let me down

[dirkgently]

At a guess it is on "summer heat" it will be plumbed in as to come on when the water is being heated.

[Ricky_M]

Its either a heat sink or the radiator hasn't been connected to the circuit correctly.

[Dennis99]

Possibly your 3 way valve has gone kaput, especially if you've not noticed it before, probably find it in the airing cupboard.

Looks like this:



http://www.wickes.co.uk/3-way-mid-position-valve/i...

Edited by Dennis99 on Friday 3rd June 14:38

[Simpo Two]

I had the same issue. The valve was allowing hot water to heat the bathomm radiator.

So I had it fixed. I then realised that it was actaully useful to have warm towels all year round.

I tried breaking the new valve but no success. I now have cold, slightly damp towels in summer

[ccr32]

It's not an electric one is it? We have had an electric radiator (albeit in the form of a towel rail) in the bathroom before, with a switch outside the bathroom.

[davido140]

my fridge is apparently the solution!

Seriously though, I did have exactly the same symptoms, was my 3-way or "mid position" valve that was broken.

was about £200 for a plumber to do it for me as I couldnt be arsed, had a new hot water tank at the time too so cant remember exactly what the cost was..

ETA thinking back, is it only hot when you've got the hot water turned on? that's the sure fire test, it's your hot water... erm.. water going to the rad rather than the coil in your hotwater tank. you may find a little lever on it to manually open and close the vale too for a temporary fix, but once the heating kicks in again and the valve opens it'll likely stay open.

Good luck.

Edited by davido140 on Friday 3rd June 14:47

[Shaw Tarse]

The pressure in the rad is too high, drill a hole in it!
If you don't have a drill a hammer & a 6" nail will do the trick

don't take my advice, or if you do at least video it for us

[Lippitt]

davido140 said:

my fridge is apparently the solution!

Seriously though, I did have exactly the same symptoms, was my 3-way or "mid position" valve that was broken.

was about £200 for a plumber to do it for me as I couldnt be arsed, had a new hot water tank at the time too so cant remember exactly what the cost was..

ETA thinking back, is it only hot when you've got the hot water turned on? that's the sure fire test, it's your hot water... erm.. water going to the rad rather than the coil in your hotwater tank. you may find a little lever on it to manually open and close the vale too for a temporary fix, but once the heating kicks in again and the valve opens it'll likely stay open.

Good luck.

Edited by davido140 on Friday 3rd June 14:47

Yeah, see I didn't understand any of that last bit.

I'm going to ignore it and hope it goes away.

Like the broken shower pump.

[Arthur Jackson]

Trevelyan said:

Bathroom radiators are normally connected to the hot water circuit

Only ever 'normally' on gravity systems from pre-1975ish. 'Occassional' on fully pumped systems later on. And not really legal now.

[Lippitt]

Arthur Jackson said:

Only ever 'normally' on gravity systems from pre-1975ish. 'Occassional' on fully pumped systems later on. And not really legal now.

It's definitely pre-1975. You ought to see the boiler.

[davido140]

haha I'll try in terms the GF might understand!

Boiler makes hot water

Hot water go to two place, radiators to make house warm, tank to make bath water warm

3-way valve choses which of these places hot water go to

3-way valve called 3 way 'cos water can go one of three ways

way 1 = hot water for bath

way 2 = hot water for bath and radiator

way 3 = hot water for radiator

if valve stuck in way 2 or 3 hot water go to radiator whether you want it or not!

having said all that, I'm probably wrong about how a 3-way works and also it's probably not your 3-way.

Take out a british gas service contract for £25-ish a month, they'll do a full service and health check and quote to put right any bits that are bust.

or ignore it!

[Ozone]

We have this, it is the first house i have known where the rad in the bathroom is on with the hotwater. It it a large towel rail though and apparently it isn't uncommon to have them plumbed in that way. The heat does overwhelm on hot days though.

[GreenDog]

davido140 said:

haha I'll try in terms the GF might understand!

Boiler makes hot water

Hot water go to two place, radiators to make house warm, tank to make bath water warm

3-way valve choses which of these places hot water go to

3-way valve called 3 way 'cos water can go one of three ways

way 1 = hot water for bath

way 2 = hot water for bath and radiator

way 3 = hot water for radiator

if valve stuck in way 2 or 3 hot water go to radiator whether you want it or not!

having said all that, I'm probably wrong about how a 3-way works and also it's probably not your 3-way.

Take out a british gas service contract for £25-ish a month, they'll do a full service and health check and quote to put right any bits that are bust.

or ignore it!

If this were the case wouldn't all radiators be hot not just the bathroom one ?

[Arthur Jackson]

davido140 said:

3-way valve called 3 way 'cos water can go one of three ways

Except it isn't. They are currently called 'mid-position valves', but used to be called 'diverter valves' when they were hot-water priority.

[jagracer]

Lippitt said:

It's definitely pre-1975. You ought to see the boiler.

You probably have a gravity feed hot water and pumped central heating system which can also lead to the upstairs radiators getting warm when the CH pump is off. You should have an isolation valve somewhere, either manual or electric. Mine is a gate valve which I switch off the supply to the CH in the summer. You can also turn one of the rad valves off if they arent corroded up.
What make and type of boiler is it?

Edited by jagracer on Friday 3rd June 18:39