Are rad big enough?

Ginger83

Could anyone tell me if these rads are big enough.

Room 1, Bedroom 16ft x 16ft. Rad is 1600mm x 400mm double convector.

Room 2, Bathroom 8ft x 8.5ft. Rad is 600mm x 500mm single convector.

Wearb

I just checked one and it seems close enough. There is more information required as you will see when you click on the link below.

Have a go yourself with this link.
http://www.homesupply.co.uk/radiator_output_calculator.php

TPM

Ginger83 wrote: »

Could anyone tell me if these rads are big enough.

Room 1, Bedroom 16ft x 16ft. Rad is 1600mm x 400mm double convector.

Room 2, Bathroom 8ft x 8.5ft. Rad is 600mm x 500mm single convector.

1)are the rads getting completely hot and as hot as your other rads?
if yes then see question 2, if no you have a problem with the heating system

2)are the rooms getting warm or as warm as the other rooms in the house ?
if yes to question 1 and yes to question 2 the rads are big enough.
if yes to question 1 and no to question 2 then the rads are not big enough

Ginger83

Wearb wrote: »

I just checked one and it seems close enough. There is more information required as you will see when you click on the link below.

Have a go yourself with this link.
http://www.homesupply.co.uk/radiator_output_calculator.php

thank you

Wearb

It has also dawned on me that you will need to consider the Delta T, as there will be different requirements for condensing and standard boilers.

Ginger83

TPM wrote: »

1)are the rads getting completely hot and as hot as your other rads?
if yes then see question 2, if no you have a problem with the heating system

2)are the rooms getting warm or as warm as the other rooms in the house ?
if yes to question 1 and yes to question 2 the rads are big enough.
if yes to question 1 and no to question 2 then the rads are not big enough

The rads get hot but the big room doesn't heat up.

Wearb

Ginger83 wrote: »

The rads get hot but the big room doesn't heat up.

I have noticed that where the radiator is correctly sized (you will need to do the calculation to check) and is getting hot all over, the problem can be a lack of convection. i.e. the air isn't flowing around the radiator. this can be caused by clothes on top of the rad or even clothes at the bottom on the floor.

Another thing in a bedroom is the amount of moisture that clothes hold. This is also using heat as it turns back into water vapor. This is often a problem in a bedroom that is poorly vented or/and not heated for long enough.

TPM

Ginger83 wrote: »

The rads get hot but the big room doesn't heat up.

hot all over, top. middle and bottom

do any rads in the house get hotter

TPM

if they are old round top rads with out fins on them they need to be bigger than the newer style ones to heat the room

Ginger83

TPM wrote: »

if they are old round top rads with out fins on them they need to be bigger than the newer style ones to heat the room

they are all quinn hi lo compact rads.

Ginger83

They get hot all over.

TPM

well if they are getting hot all over and none of your other rads are getting hotter and all your other rooms are getting hot enough it would appear that the rads are too small.
but there are other factors that could also be a problem and to be honest even if you get all the figures they need to be checked as fitting bigger rads may get heat in those two rooms only to find heat to other rooms drops off in time

some of these are
if your boiler hasnt been serviced recently,
the thermostat on the boiler or your room stat has been turned down,
there is a thermostatic valve on those rads that is turned down or not working properly
circulating pump going weak
curtains, furniture, clothes preventing the heat getting from the rads

all that said and allowing your rooms to have 8ft ceilings and average insulation by my calculations the rads are undersized

Ginger83

TPM wrote: »

well if they are getting hot all over and none of your other rads are getting hotter and all your other rooms are getting hot enough it would appear that the rads are too small.
but there are other factors that could also be a problem and to be honest even if you get all the figures they need to be checked as fitting bigger rads may get heat in those two rooms only to find heat to other rooms drops off in time

some of these are
if your boiler hasnt been serviced recently,
the thermostat on the boiler or your room stat has been turned down,
there is a thermostatic valve on those rads that is turned down or not working properly
circulating pump going weak
curtains, furniture, clothes preventing the heat getting from the rads

all that said and allowing your rooms to have 8ft ceilings and average insulation by my calculations the rads are undersized

We have a condensing boiler and all quinn hi lo compact rads. The whole house was plumbed from scratch 4 yrs ago, 300L triple coil cylinder, etc.

One thing i've just notice the rads in the small rooms are hot top, middle and bottom but the big room is hot top and middle but only warm on bottom.

All rad valves are set on 5. There is no stat for the extension, none was fitted. There is a motorized valve on system so extension can be zoned on oil time clock but its yet to be wired in so its on manual open at the minute.

Walls are cold to touch.

Was not putting a stat in cutting corners by the electrician?

TPM

Ginger83 wrote: »

One thing i've just notice the rads in the small rooms are hot top, middle and bottom but the big room is hot top and middle but only warm on bottom.

thats what i kept asking about, in this case fitting a bigger rad will not help much as there isnt enough heat/flow to the current rad.
this could be as simple as a balancing issue up to a design/installation flaw in the system.
the list of possible issues is huge some of the more likely issues are
balancing(including balancing of hot cylinder)
sludge in system
failing circulating pump
faulty rad valve
boiler needing servicing/correct setting

it really needs a competent person to give it a look over

Ginger83

TPM wrote: »

thats what i kept asking about, in this case fitting a bigger rad will not help much as there isnt enough heat/flow to the current rad.
this could be as simple as a balancing issue up to a design/installation flaw in the system.
the list of possible issues is huge some of the more likely issues are
balancing(including balancing of hot cylinder)
sludge in system
failing circulating pump
faulty rad valve
boiler needing servicing/correct setting

it really needs a competent person to give it a look over

We had a plumber out to check, he adjusted something and the rad is getting hot on the bottom now but he thinks the rad sizes are suspect. He measured the rads and the rooms before he left and said he'd get back to me.