Article Advise

submitted: Sep 9th 2008 | by: TalPotishman | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 626 | |

If you use the motor car as a metaphor for your domestic central heating system, the engine of the car would be the boiler. The wheels and tyres would be the radiators as the conduit that transfers the energy to your home, ensuring the system delivers on its potential and using the input energy (gas or oil) effectively. Beside the boilers, which normally attract a lot of attention, a well designed and positioned set of radiators can have a major impact on the output and efficiency of a typical domestic central heating system.

It might come as a surprise that those sleek looking stainless steel radiators offered by most UK plumbing and heating merchants date back more than 150 years. The first radiator was registered as a patent in 1855 by Franz Sangalli, a German engineer. In effect, despite considerable visual differences, the main working structure of the radiator is the same as the ones registered initially by Mr. Sangalli. The radiators are effectively a hollow case made of metal, shaped as a flat box and attached to the wall to maximize radiation of heat into the room.

UK made radiators are typically made of sheet steel with fins to emit more heat. The heating liquid, normally water, is pumped into the radiator. The hot liquid loses its heat into the room and as it cools off it drops to the bottom of the radiator and eventually is pumped out via the return valve. The air around the radiator heats up and consequently rises to the top of the room, drawing in cooler air. This convection effect keeps a circulation of heating within the room and constant heat within the home.

Like many closed loop systems with a heat transfer liquid within them, the radiators and the pipes develop air pockets. Over time air bubbles are seeping through tiny cracks in the system causing air pockets. By using a professional plumber you would reduce the risk of such air pockets as they are likely to use good quality compression fittings that minimize the risk of such cracks.

Another common explanation for these air pockets it that they are the result of a chemical reaction that occurs when copper piping and other metals come in contact with very hot water. Such pockets (normally made of hydrogen) get trapped inside the system and find their way to the top most point of the system. This is why your radiator does not get hot at the top side, as it is filled up with air pockets rather than hot water. As this reduces the efficiency of the radiator and the central heating system as a whole it is recommended to bleed out such air pockets from the system. This can be easily done by using a bleeding key (which can be purchased in all major DIY stores in the UK). The bleeding key fits into a bleeding screw at the top of the radiator that lets the air pockets escape and return the system to good operating mode.

A different problem that can reduce the performance of your radiators is debris and sludge build up within the radiator and the central heating closed loop. This sludge, which can come from a reaction between the hot water and the metal components, clogs up the pipes and can make large parts of the system in-effective.

Most boiler manufacturers these days require the heating engineer installing the central heating system to power flush the central heating loop prior to commissioning. This ensures the system is clean from any debris that might have accumulated during the years (for example inner corrosion in older systems). Furthermore, most engineers recommend adding a corrosion inhibitor chemical into the closed loop circulating water, to inhibit production of corrosive gases and deposits.

About the Author

Tal Potishman is editor of Heating Central, which publishes information about UK boilers, plumbers, unvented systems and solar thermal systems. He specializes in helping save money and the environment by advising on high-efficiency heating.

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