Will a half-open radiator valve damage radiator?

[mrjameskent]

Hi all,

I'm trying to 'equalise' the different rooms in my one-bed Victorian era flat so that they are all roughly as warm as each other. My lounge is extremely cold with sash windows (which I have had draught-treated) and un-insulated walls. My bedroom on the other hand is very warm as it has one small window which is double-glazed and very deep pile carpet.

I currently am trialing having the bedroom radiator turned off completely so that the rest of the flat is warmer - with the thermostat located just outside the bedroom I don't know if that has been picking up the heat from the bedroom and assuming the flat is all the same temperature, and therefore switching off.

My question is whether it is okay to have the valve that lets water into the radiator in the bedroom open just a fraction so that the radiator is not full of hot water and therefore not at full heat - I have tried this and whilst it seemed to work the 'gushing water' sound was audible from a few feet away.

Alternatively, is there a better solution?

Kind regards
James

 

[Best]

It is called - balancing the system, meaning getting the radiators all to heat up fully & in a similar time, without some rads robbing the heat to others. First rads from boiler need the lock shield valves turned nearly off, but on enough so as to have no water noise, & gradually each next rad more on till furthest is full open. Besides balancing, you are better with thermostatic rad valves to give you the choice of heat to each room. Where the wall stat is, any rad should have no Trv.

 

[Dannypipe]

It won't harm the radiator, so don't worry. Better alternative, get a thermostatic valve fitted to one side of the radiator (or better still most of the radiators) that way you can tweak the house to suit your preferences. If you set a thermostatic valve to a set point, it will modulate. In other words open up the flow through the radiator when it's too cool for the valve setting and restrict flow when the set temp' is reached.

 

[acecharly]

Have you checked the water in the system for sludge? if the one room is very cold this may be a problem.

Being a one bedroomed property im assuming you have very few radiators, your boiler should have absoltely no problem keeping them warm, and balancing on a small system is realy not needed.