To Heat Your Home More Evenly, Balance Your Radiators
Clamp-on radiator thermometers help get the job done. (image: thermometer.co.uk)
What is Radiator Balancing?
If you heat your home with radiators in a standard “feed and return” system, you may have noticed the radiators closest to the boiler are warmer than those in rooms further away. To fix this problem, you may need to calibrate, or “balance” your system. Radiator balancing means adjusting the radiator valves so all the radiators in the house or building heat up at the same constant rate. It takes a little time, but most competent homeowners can handle this straightforward operation.
Here’s how you do it:
First, grab two clamp-on radiator thermometers. Some experienced plumbers just use their hand to test changes in temperature, but that’s an acquired skill! You should begin by turning off your heating system and giving the water some time to cool down. Then, you’ll notice your radiator has two valves. The lockshield valve is usually covered by a rounded cap and is used to turn the radiator on and off. The manual control valve, also known as a wheelhead valve, typically has a flat cap. Take a stroll around your home and open up both valves on every radiator. You may need a wrench or pliers, depending on your valves, but be careful not cause any damage.
Valves are typically located on opposite sides of the radiator. (image: experthow.com)
Then, go back to the radiator nearest to the boiler and attach one thermometer to the inlet pipe and the other thermometer to the outlet pipe. These pipes will be attached to the two valves. Now switch your heating system back on.
Close the lockshield valve on that first radiator near the boiler most of the way, so that it’s almost entirely closed but not quite. As the system heats up, slowly open the valve until the temperature difference on the two thermometers is about 11 degrees Celsius (51.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Move on to the next closest radiator to the boiler. Close the lockshield valve and adjust it so the temperature difference is also 11 degrees Celsius.
Continue this pattern on all your radiators, working away from the boiler. The further from the boiler you get, the more you’ll need to open the lockshield valve to get the correct temperature difference. You may need to open it completely when you reach the last radiator. Remember, the absolute temperature isn’t important – you’re just trying to regulate the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet pipes. That’s all there is to it! Now go enjoy your evenly heated home, and congrats on those savvy DIY fix-it skills.
