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balancing radiators with a mixture of different size pipework and a few undersize rads.

 
Thermostats, Volumisers, Buffer Tanks, TRVs, Pumps, Piping, Valves, Radiators & Controls
Last Post by baxtDave 4 months ago
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 baxtDave
(@baxtdave)
Active Member Member
Joined: 1 year ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter 05/11/2025 6:54 pm  

Ii have attepred to ballance the rads using digital temp gauges in each room and adjust the lockshield valves and have had some success but due to the inefficiencies I still get the bedrooms warming up too much during the evening .In the past I have reduced these temps by shutting in to 3 on the TRVs but appreciate this may not be ideal. I have also set my Havenwise control to give me a setback temp of a 2 deg C.. I have been considering if it would be a better approach, if I were to set each room to their itemps on the  individual rooms lockshield valves and just keep their TRV fully open.Just wondering what the best approach would be. 

For the record, I am currently pleased with my heat pump installation which was carried out by an approved heat geek installer even though it has a higher designed flow temp than initially hoped, but compromises were made to keep the install within budget. Although I have not experienced really low outside temps, I was quite cold outside last March when fitted , We have always been warm and had decent scop which is improved since joining Havenwise

Thanks for any help or advice. Best regards Dave



   
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Mars
 Mars
(@editor)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4241
06/11/2025 8:20 am  

Hi and welcome to the forums. Did the Heat Geek installer not balance your rads during commissioning?


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JamesPa
 JamesPa
(@jamespa)
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Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 4292
06/11/2025 9:20 am  

Posted by: @baxtdave
↑

I have been considering if it would be a better approach, if I were to set each room to their itemps on the  individual rooms lockshield valves and just keep their TRV fully open.Just wondering what the best approach would be

In short yes. 

Balancing so that delta t across the rad is equal will theoretically achieve this, but of course that depends on the design and loss calculations being spot on. 

Treating this as a starting point and then adjusting the lsvs in individual rooms a bit to get the desired temperatures (or temperature differences), with the trvs fully open or even heads removed, will give you optimum comfort with the whole system open which is going to be the best operating point. Just make sure you don't turn all the lsvs down otherwise you will throttle flow, if the house overall is too warm it's the WC curve you should adjust.

I have just one operational trv, in a guest room as a courtesy, everything else is fully open and adjusted on lsvs.  My bedroom rads are up to 50% oversized relative to the living room rads (for historical reasons).  Nevertheless it all works well, with bedrooms a little cooler than living rooms, as most prefer.  I don't bother with nighttime setback, I have a cheap nighttime tarrif so it would make no sense.

 

 


This post was modified 4 months ago by JamesPa

4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.


   
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 baxtDave
(@baxtdave)
Active Member Member
Joined: 1 year ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter 06/11/2025 4:48 pm  

@editor Thanks for your input Mars. No I think the commissioning was probably the only let down really. Perhaps he thought i new more than I actually did due  to being a retired Marine engineer.Although I have worked on industrial scale refrigeration systems .I have not much experience with home heating systems and the quirks of heat pump installs but do understand the principles. Not to be too hard on the installer, apart from the commissioning,  I think they have done an excellent job within my budget. I just think i would be better using the bedroom lockshield valves to give me a temp of say 19 C at night whilst maintaining the rest of the house at 21deg C This works great throughout the day but in the morning when the heating is increased from the setback temp of 19 to 2o.5 C, the bedrooms are too warm.  In the past I have kept this lower by closing in the TRVs to around 3 but worry about closing off the rads. .


This post was modified 4 months ago by baxtDave

   
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