Isolating CH to upper floor

[aharrisreid]

Hi,

I often find myself needing to periodically 'shut-off' all flow to radiators on the top floor of my house during the daytime (to save money when lodgers are out) but I will often want the CH still flowing on the lower and middle floors. It is a real pain to constantly turn off-and-on the top-floor radiators so I thought some sort of isolating device in the pipe(s) leading to the to top floor would do the trick. The system is open-vented, and the boiler, pump, HW cylinder and controls are on the middle-floor.

What is the best type of isolating valve to use, bearing in mind the flow could be turned on-and-off once daily? I am thinking a wheel-operated gate valve or 'large-lever'-type ball-valve would be best, but you experts out there may have better suggestions.

Also, do I need to insert a valve in the flow and return pipes to the upper floor, or would one in the flow pipe be sufficient? (on the basis that if water cannot flow, it cannot return!)

Many thanks,
Alan

 

[Gray0689]

That don't sound very fair to your tenants

 

[fuzzy]

you can buy a trv thats on a timer. it will keep the heating off unless they click a button which will turn it on for one hour

saw them at a recent trade show

 

[aharrisreid]

That don't sound very fair to your tenants

The tennants don't suffer at all! The heating comes on for them when they get up in the morning, and it is on when they are home in the evening. What I want to do is switch it off to the top-floor during the daytime when they are out but keep the CH on for people in during the day on the bottom floor. It's a perfectly reasonable way to keep the bills down!

Alan

 

[aharrisreid]

you can buy a trv thats on a timer. it will keep the heating off unless they click a button which will turn it on for one hour

saw them at a recent trade show

Thanks fuzzy - never come across them before. I think it would be too over-the-top though to fit those to 6 rads and expect the lodgers to constantly be pressing buttons - much better if I could just switch on/off flow to the entire top-floor in one go.

Regards,
Alan

 

[stevetheplumber]

you need a rigsby valve also known as a rachman valve