Question for a plumber

[maroberts82]

I have a question for a plumber:

When my shower is turned on, the radiator downstairs heats up. I presume therefore that water is passing through my radiators to get to my shower. Is this normal?

I had a new kitchen installed a few years ago. Pressure has been bad last few years and I wonder if something was fiddled with then?

Thanks!

Mark

[dennis]

The only plumber known to recommend such a system is a Mr Heath Robinson & Son.

Does your radiator warm up or become 'hot'?

[maroberts82]

It becomes hot!

[Penguin68]

It is not uncommon for the hot water from the boiler to the hot water cylinder, (which then heats the water in the cylinder for the taps) to be taken through a towel-rail style radiator - that way towels get warmed even when the central heating hot water (which will be pumped through the other radiators) is off, i.e. for the summer or when the ambient temperature is below that set on the room thermostat.

Could the radiator which now warms up be (or have once been) a towel-rail radiator (though these are normally in the bathroom or shower room)? If hot water is drawn off the hot water cylinder, then the boiler will trip and circulate more hot water to the cylinder to heat up the cold water entering the cylinder to replace the water drawn off.

The water in the heating systems (to the radiators or the hot water cylinder) is, effectively, sealed - water is circulated through the system (using a pump) - in the hot water cylinder it goes through copper tubing which then heats the water which is then drawn off through the taps - that water will typically enter the system via your water tank - itself fed from the mains.

No water which you take from the taps will have come directly from your boiler/ heating systems - but have been heated by them via convection through copper pipes in your hot water cylinder. (An electric shower which heats the water itself will be drawing off cold water and then heating it up inside the shower installation itself).

It is possible that the radiator which heats up is on the route from the boiler to the hot water cylinder - as I said at the start unless it's a towel rail (or was at some stage) that's probably poor design.

[maroberts82]

Many thanks for the lengthy reply.

I have a combination boiler.

The radiators that get heated when the shower is turned on are both the big radiator downstairs and the towel rail upstairs (next to the shower). I remember when we bought the flat the big radiator downstairs wasn't installed, so they had to put one in. I guess it's possible they did a bodge job which meant water had to pass through it?

Regards

Mark

[maroberts82]

I forgot to mention the main reason for this being an issue is because the pressure from the shower is really bad, so I was wondering if it might be related. The pressure from the tap just next to the shower is much stronger...

[red devil]

I had a similar problem once. A new divertor valve sorted it out...

[GrahamP]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I had a similar problem once. A new divertor valve

> sorted it out...

Had the same problem - new diverter valve sorted it.

A short term solution - whilst central heating is not switched on - close the central heating flow valve at the boiler

[maroberts82]

Hi all

Thanks for the info!

My boiler is an Ideal ISAR HE30.

Can you give me an estimate for the cost of a new diverter valve and installing it, and is this something you could do?

Mark

[red devil]

Wouldn't it be a lot easier if you just got a couple of plumbers around to look at the problem first?

That way you should hopefully get the problem correctly diagnosed as well as the cost to put it right...

[KidKruger]

... or meanwhile turn-off the radiator valve to stop it heating-up ?

[Heat Firm]

Hello Mark

My names' Nathan, I'm local to East Dulwich a Domestic heating Surveyor and Quality Control inspector. To answer your question it is more likely there is an issue with the diverter valve. I have encountered this issue on many occasions, even with new heating systems. This issue can occur when the heating system has not been flushed properly and debris has damaged the diverter valve.

In saying that, it is not out of the question, that the heating system has been installed incorrectly. If there is a radiator installed on the hot water distribution pipe, you will experience a loss of water pressure from the outlet (tap/shower) of this pipe, and the hot water delivery time to be a lot longer. It is considered bad practice to have a radiator installed on the hot water distribution pipe; and the heating system should be altered immediately to prevent contamination of the water supply.

In order to determine what the issue is you will need a professional gas safe registered heating engineer to carry out a diagnosis.

I'm available any time during week days after 6pm, please call me on 07505006032 if you would like my assistance.

Kind regards

Nathan

[Albert Fegg]

We had a new boiler fitted in our bathroom. The plumbers took the mains supply from the kitchen ventilation.

As a result the boiler upstairs only worked when the kitchen light was on downstairs.

Genius.

[malumbu]

Sounds odd to me (the original problem that is)

My traditional 25 year old indirect system suddenly started blowing hot water into the header tank that overflowed (my dodgy diy) into the main cold water tank. Loads of iron oxide crud and brown cold water for yonks. I spent hours going through it and then a plumber (who didn't charge, bless him) with neither of us working it out.

After the crap blew out of the central heating circuit, the rads filled with air. It was time for the system to be replaced but never understood why this happened and Googled for solutions to no success.

Maybe a poltegeist.

I also had a primatic system yonks ago where air got into the system, rusted the radiators, hydrogen built up pressure, and then blew water into the header tank, which overflowed onto the ceiling. It only ever seemed to happen at night. And brown cold water as well.

Almost as fun as sharing stories about the cars that I used to drive.