Central heating plumbing

[robbio c]

Good morning to all .Just wondering is the calorifier the first port of call on the heating cicuit or can you put a rad or towel rail  before the calorifier connections?

[MtB]

The latter.

 

[Tony Brooks]

17 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The latter.

 

 

I disagree, you want a fast warm up of the calorifier so don't want the towel rail robbing heat before it gets to the calorifier. However doing it that way is likely reduce the calorifier water temperature to some unknown degree. Once everything s up to temperature I don't think it will make any difference. However it all depends upon the relative positions of the boiler, calorifier and towel rail. In fact I think I would use a twin pipe system and put the rail, rads and calorifier in parallel.

 

Discuss?

[MtB]

37 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I disagree, you want a fast warm up of the calorifier so don't want the towel rail robbing heat before it gets to the calorifier.

 

Do you?

 

I was thinking the system has a day of cruising to warm up over, so it doesn't matter a jot, while the OP might tie himself in knots trying to connect a calorifier before any radiator when it just doesn't matter.

 

Or mebbe the OP is using an Ebersplutter, or is installing a gravity system on a solid fuel stove, in which case things might change. 

 

It's a first class example of a sketchy question giving no details and the OP is expecting us all to be mind readers. 

 

 

 

[robbio c]

Thanks for reply I'm using an eberspacher and rail, calorifier and heater are all within 2metres of each other for convience for pipe work it is easier to tap into rail first

[Tracy D'arth]

I would twin pipe to both if not too inconvenient, then the towel rail can assist in engine cooling when thrashing on a river. Balancing lockshield valves on both, not hand wheels so that they never get completely closed down or even a thermostatic valve on the towel rail only?

 

If the layout makes twin pipe impractical then towel rail in the return of the calorifier to the engine, Primary heat dump must be the calorifier because it can absorb more heat than a towel rail.

 

Ah, eberslasher heat, not engine ignore most of the above.  Twin pipe to both. No valves.

Edited March 13, 2020 by Tracy D'arth
added more

[dor]

My boiler can feed rads and or calorifier, with full flow lever ball valves to isolate one or the other.  Meanwhile the towel rail is always open so that there is a load, even if both valves are inadvertently turned off.

 

 I also have a small fin rad in a cupboard on the return from the calorifier.

Edited March 13, 2020 by dor

[robbio c]

I'll be using two pipe system.So I should be ok going to towel rail  first and putting a valve on it so I can restrict the flow to it and then on  to the calorifier 

[MtB]

55 minutes ago, robbio c said:

I'll be using two pipe system.So I should be ok going to towel rail  first and putting a valve on it so I can restrict the flow to it and then on  to the calorifier 

in my opinion, yes. 

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, robbio c said:

Thanks for reply I'm using an eberspacher and rail, calorifier and heater are all within 2metres of each other for convience for pipe work it is easier to tap into rail first

Now I'm confused.

 

Just put the towel rail on the return pipe not the flow/feed from the engine, surely.

 

You are intending to have a flow and return between the calorifier and the engine aren't you?!

 

 

[Ex Brummie]

A 2 pipe system will allow you to balance the system, so the most convenient arrangement is acceptable.

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

Now I'm confused.

 

Just put the towel rail on the return pipe not the flow/feed from the engine, surely.

 

You are intending to have a flow and return between the calorifier and the engine aren't you?!

 

 

So was I.

It seems he is not connecting the calorifier to the engine at all. Most unusual and not sensible in my view. Perhaps, no engine fitted or air cooled? Oh, not another electric!

Edited March 13, 2020 by Tracy D'arth

[OldGoat]

16 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

A 2 pipe system will allow you to balance the system, so the most convenient arrangement is acceptable.

Ferzackerly.

I've always maintained that a single pipe system is a sloppy and lazy way to install a central heating system, whether it's on a boat or in a house.

Do it properly, do it once....

[dor]

3 hours ago, dor said:

My boiler can feed rads and or calorifier, with full flow lever ball valves to isolate one or the other.  Meanwhile the towel rail is always open so that there is a load, even if both valves are inadvertently turned off.

 

 I also have a small fin rad in a cupboard on the return from the calorifier.

Bit confused about this as OP didn’t mention that it was the engine circuit he was referring to.  My calorifier is twin coil, and has the small fin rad on engine return.

[robbio c]

I have a twin coil calorifier but I'm not connecting the engine circuit to it yet at the moment I'm dealing with the eberspacher central heating .engine connections will  be at a later date

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

in my opinion, yes. 

On a properly balance two pipe system I don't see which item comes first in the system will make any difference apart from any slight loss of heat from the hot pipe run as you get further away from the heat source.

[robbio c]

Grand thanks all for your replies 

[Tony Brooks]

Something to consider, especially if you hope to be bank side and not running your engine for a few days.

 

I would seek to make the Eberspatcher to twin pipe system connections between the calorifier and first rad/towel rail using T connectors. That way it is easy to put a single valve on the radiator leg so in the summer you can turn it off yet still heat water without putting much extra heat into the boat. If you want the towel rail hot all the time then move the Ts to between towel rail and first rad.

[robbio c]

Thanks Tony for that