Radiators- heating or hot water?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I could do with some advice please! Apologies for what might become a very boring post!

I've spent the last two days trying to get to the bottom of our heating system. We have 18 radiators- some old, some new. Previous owner had lots of dogs and some of the thermostatic valves have been chewed/missing. We've had patchy heating all last winter With some rads scorching and others stone cold and then over the summer have just manually turned down (off) all the radiators.

I began by turning every radiator thermostat round to the maximum Anti-clockwise and by switching the hot water and then the heating on and off, and gradually adjusting the radiators, using a Honeywell thermostat valve where possible- I have managed to get every radiator to approx level 2 (for an ambient heat), and every radiator is working.

However, quite a lot of the radiators come on with the hot water, as well as with the heating control. Is this normal? Why would this be done like this? It is a large house, and there are multiple radiators in some rooms (such as lounge/diner has 4). It's annoying because when Dh puts the water on for a shower, radiators come on and heat rooms that we don't use at that time of day. The whole system seems very uneconomical, considering the boiler is relatively new (3years), and it isn't a combi Boiler.

I just wondered if there's any reason why this might have been done, and whether it is possible to have it reconfigured so that the heating heats the rads and the water heats the hot water? Are we stuck with this bizarre system for ever? If the upstairs rads are too high temp, the downstairs ones don't come on which is why we've set them all to 2!

Any advice most gratefully received!

you've got a hot-water cylinder and an oldish boiler, I expect.

Your three-port valve is probably worn out.

It might just be the motorised head.

www.screwfix.com/search?search=port+valve

and if some of the thermostatic heads are damaged or missing, you should replace them. Post some photos of the ones with heads on.

You should also balance your radiators
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/a2205419-New-radiators-not-getting-hot#50023831

Thanks @PigletJohn

The boiler is actually relatively new, about 3 -4 years, but the radiators themselves are old. A lot of them are single or twin panels but they are huge. We aren't able to replace them right now as we just don't have the money. British Gas showed me the Honeywell valve thing and how to take it off, so I've been moving one around and using it to change the temp where I can.

The three point valve that you mention- could that be causing the hot water/heating issue and causing some radiators to heat up when the hot water goes on? Someone told me that it means the systems been plumbed wrongly? It seems so uneconomical to have radiators coming on every time anyone has a shower, and at this time of year we wouldn't necessarily be having the heating on every day. We have considered getting an electric shower installed instead which would stop needing to heat the tank every time, but it doesn't solve the issue!

We have British Gas homecare agreement for problems, but I'm considering paying an independent heating engineer to come round and discuss it, maybe give it all a bit of an MOT. You're not in Worcestershire are you @Pigletjohn?

Take a look at the attached picture and you'll see the valve PigletJohn is talking about. When you use hot water it is meant to divert hot water to the left, the cylinder. If it's old and worn it might not be closing fully to the right, meaning that when the pump comes on to feed the cylinder, it is also pushing water through the radiators.

Also, TRV heads are very cheap so wouldn't cost you a lot to get new ones for all radiators.

Sorry, forgot to attach the picture!

Thanks tsunami

Would that be by the boiler? I will have a look!

Ok, cannot see that three way valve by the boiler. I'll have to post some pictures and have a closer look once the kids go to school
Thanks for your help all

Don't know but our radiators always come on with the hot water! It's a bit weird but doesn't seem to be a problem

If your radiators come on with the hot water then you have a problem with the valve as piglet John says. It's not a design feature it's just faulty. If you don't mind paying for the extra gas like strawberry then it's fine, but it's a diverter valve usually.
Something to add though is on modern boilers if they don't have a cylinder in the airing cupboard the diverter valve is usually inside the boiler so more trickery to repair. However if the boiler is so new it's less likely to be internal unless something has jammed inside

To be honest it is the cost that concerns us most. We are heating the house every time someone has a bath or shower, or have to have the rads manually turned off before putting the hot water on. It's better now I have managed to get the radiators down to a low setting.

We only moved in in Nov last year so last winter was a bit hit and miss. We had some absolutely scorching and some off and if we tried to adjust them then other ones would go off in a different room. At least now every room does have a functioning radiator. I've bled them too but there wasn't loads of air in them.

I guess it's just a matter for an engineer then- I'll ask BG when they do our service next month and see if it's included in our homecare agreement, if not it will have to be an independent.

Thanks everyone

Sorry, one final question!

Some rads come on with both the hot water, and the heating. This is still because of the valve?

Thanks

Yes.

Sometimes the bathroom towel-rail is deliberately plumbed like that, in a high-quality installation like mine, if there is a hot-water cylinder near the bathroom.

Bear

If you 3-port valve is faulty or worn out, it is covered by the service contract and you don't have to wait for the annual service to report a fault. The valve might be next to the cylinder.

A Honeywell or Drayton valve should last around 20 years.

Yes the bathroom one comes on with the hot water.

Ok, I'm armed with sufficient evidence- I'm off to ring BG! Wish me luck!

They are coming on Saturday.

You lot are ace.

@TsunamiOfShit

Good pic.