Which is flow/return

[mgrover]

So bit of an odd one right.

I have 2 pipes, to the rad a flow/return.

I cut the flow/return and capped the flow.

I went to fill up the system, the water start to leak out the return.

Is that normal? Is the return really the flow?

 

[Chuck]

Every radiator can potentially (depending on its TRV state) pass 'flow' across to the return so what you have described is normal. If you remove a radiator you need to cap both flow and return as you can't rely on TRVs to stay closed.

Employ a plumber, mistakes like you've just made can cause a lot of damage to your property.

 

[mgrover]

Ah okays, I guess a misunderstanding on my part.

I did cap the return afterwards.

It was a concrete floor so not too much to worry about in terms of damage.

But it then tested my understanding of the system and I don't want to hook up the wrong flow/return to the new rad.

To make things a bit worse it's feeding another rad and the flow is going to that rads "return", and the return is going to its flow.

Thankfully these rads are being removed.

I can hook up the appropriate flow/return to the manifold and be on my way.

 

[Ben-gee]

You are using words that have a specific meaning in this context - and you don’t seem to know understand.

The ‘flow’ and ‘return’ form a continuous loop via the various radiators and boiler. They are connected to one another so in one sense not separate at all- don’t forget it is the same water running throughout , not two separate loops…

If you are just replacing a radiator, you can copy what was there before, presuming it worked. If anything else it would probably be sensible to get a plumber in to help - simple/inexpensive job.

 

[mgrover]

I get theres a continuous loop, but one is the boiled water and one is the returned water no? either way its sorted now.

i was hooking up a ufh manifold to it.

thanks for the help.

 

[cjg]

sounds like fun, let us know how you get on.

 

[mgrover]

all hooked up now and working now, gonna see if a 15mm pipe to the manifold can support 1.6kw UFH heating system in winter. If not I guess gotta plumb in the 22mm.

 

[Ben-gee]

Will do 1.6 kW easily .
You are sensible getting it sorted in the summer!

 

[mgrover]

ive just added another wrinkle, so I put down vinyl flooring today, love the stuff now given it was so easy to cut with stanley.

but it can only take like 30c max temp, but the schematics for the UFH say to run at 40c. I take it I'll need to adjust the flow rates to accomodate?

 

[Ben-gee]

Turn the temperature down on the blending valve.

 

[mgrover]

Aiye I've done that. But I assume it'll now take longer for rooms to get up to temp? Felt like I was already tempting fate with the 15mm pipes.

 

[Ben-gee]

The way to run underfloor is always on, it doesn’t have to “come up to temp” only maintain it (well ok, it has to come up to temp once!)

 

[mgrover]

Ah okays, that makes more sense to me.