Bay window raidiators Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[Downthepub]

I have inherited a bay window that was added post main build of house. Bay has three 500mm x 600mm type 22 rads connected in series rather than conventional parallel (i.e first rad fed from 22mm, rads connected together and third rad then returns to 22mm). Third rad never gets hot! At least whoever installed it did include isolating valves at each end so the rads can be removed without draining the whole system!
Th system does have 22mm radial downstairs and, apart from aforementioned rads, all downstairs rads are teed off it,
Upstairs is a mystery but appears to be fed from downstairs by a 15mm pipe! Though all rads do work as expected.

It is going to be too disruptive and costly to connect feed and return to each bay window rad individually to the 22mm. I have looked at custom curved rad but, being only single panel would not provided required heat output. Could I just bypass the 22mm pipe between feed to first rad and return from third rad and route system via the three rads even though this section would only be 15mm? The three rads are the last on the system and would then feed via 22mm back to boiler.

[stoneyboy]

Hi downthepub,
From your description it sounds like you have a single pipe system. You could force the flow in the 22mm pipe as you describe but it may restrict the system flow. Try what you suggest but keep the existing pipes in place and use isolating valves to direct the flow.
Regards S

[marinareyna842]

I’d check the flow and balancing first before changing the pipework. With three Type 22 radiators, reducing from 22mm to 15mm could restrict the flow.

If possible, test the existing setup first and see whether the third radiator heats properly with the other two balanced.