Heating information / help

[lukecrossland]

Dear all,

Can anyone help me with a little problem. I have my central heating turned off but i have one radiator that is always on, in my bathroom. It does not have a thermostat attached to it so i cant isolate it. Is this normal? I have isolated the other radiators but i am concerned that this is using a large percentage of my oil.

I have read that it is connected to the hot water and only comes on when hot water is asked for but i do hear my boiler starting up at random points, when hot water is not needed. I have a combi boiler so it shouldn't be on at all unless i need hot water.

Any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks

 

[somuchfun]

It's to keep the bathroom dry.

 

[chicoazul]

Common problem mate, easy to fix. Do you have any sawdust to hand?

 

[lukecrossland]

Common problem mate, easy to fix. Do you have any sawdust to hand?

I dont have any free. Is it meant to be on? Can it be turned off? I dont need my bathroom to be dry when its this hot, or even hot enough to turn the heating off.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

Radiators should have an easy turn thermostatic valve on one end where you can regulate the heat from low (inc off) to high. It is quite safe to turn all these radiators off.

In the radiator system though, there is always one radiator without these controls (normally on the landing or hallway) that allows any hot heating water to flow from the boiler, around the system and back to the boiler. Its called an open system.

This radiator should not have it valves closed at all - normally it would take a pair of pliers to turn it after taking the plastic caps off.

 

[lukecrossland]

Radiators should have an easy turn thermostatic valve on one end where you can regulate the heat from low (inc off) to high. It is quite safe to turn all these radiators off.

In the radiator system though, there is always one radiator without these controls (normally on the landing or hallway) that allows any hot heating water to flow from the boiler, around the system and back to the boiler. Its called an open system.

This radiator should not have it valves closed at all - normally it would take a pair of pliers to turn it after taking the plastic caps off.

Thanks for that, so i take it that this one should be on all of the time, and hot all of the time? Will it only get hot when hot water is asked for or all of the time?

Sorry im a complete tool

 

[chicoazul]

I dont have any free. Is it meant to be on? Can it be turned off? I dont need my bathroom to be dry when its this hot, or even hot enough to turn the heating off.

You need to cover the pipe at the bottom, where it enters the radiator in sawdust and leave overnight. It resets the thermostat.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

Sometimes the bathroom rad is connected to the water heater plumbing circuit and not the central heating plumbing circuit. The idea is that the rad is warm all year round so that towels can be dried.

Fit a TRV so you can control the temp and avoid wasting energy

Ummm do you know any local plumbers/heating engineers ? Wouldn't know where to start fitting one of these to be honest.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Expansion from the tank, 1st rad on the system.

 

[little old me]

your boiler might have the energy saving mode on which keeps the water at a certain constant temperature. That may explain the random turning on of the boiler

 

[Phenom]

You need to cover the pipe at the bottom, where it enters the radiator in sawdust and leave overnight. It resets the thermostat.

Done this a couple years ago, worked first time.

 

[ToffeeMark]

Expansion from the tank, 1st rad on the system.

Aye, expansion, overflow etc...shut it off and the house will explode....

Just be careful the tank in the loft isn't boiling and bubbling away....

If in doubt

 

[lukecrossland]

I have some insurance on the boiler that covers maintenance so have given them a ring and they are coming tomorrow. Will let you all know the result!

 

[Woolly Blue]

If your bathroom rad is the bypass rad then it might be that the electronic valve which opens the central heating up is stuck open. Equally it might be all the other stuff that peeps have posted.

btw - if you can afford insurance on your central heating then you should consider upgrading your membership. For a small sum you get access to a special forum which includes nekked pix of, well. no-one. But introductions are commision based so it's all good.

 

[lukecrossland]

Answer to the problem - There was a fault in a part called the alternator. It switches hot water from the boiler to either the hot water pipes or heating pipes. It was stuck partly opened, so the boiler thought that the heating was set to on when it wasnt. Been fixed so i now dont have central heating during the summer.

Thanks for the advice from people, shame you were all wrong!

Oh, and no sawdust was needed in the repair