5 most common mistakes when connecting a radiator

Are you going to connect a radiator soon? Avoid the 5 most common beginner's mistakes by reading this blog. Good preparation is half the battle!

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A radiator is indispensable in your home. However, to perform optimally and give off enough heat, the radiator must be connected properly. Connecting a radiator can be more difficult than initially thought. Incorrectly connecting the radiator can cause leaks and the radiator may not give off enough heat. Are you going to connect aradiatorsoon? Then read the 5 most common mistakes here and avoid making these rookie mistakes. Good preparation is half the battle!

1. Supply and return reversed

To get a radiator working, it is of course important to check which pipe is the supply and which is the return. Unfortunately, this is sometimes forgotten, causing the return pipe to be connected to the radiator valve and vice versa. As a result, the radiator does not work, or works only partially. So take a good look at where the connections are on the radiator before you start connecting the radiator.

2. Taking the wrong flow temperature into account

Somewhat older central heating boilers often have a supply temperature of 90 °C, while new hr boilers offer a lower temperature of 75 °C. In houses with new boilers, radiators will give off less heat because they are supplied with a lower water temperature. Replacing higher-capacity radiators can be a solution to this. Make sure you match all radiators in the house in flow, using the radiator valve. If you do not do this, there will be no equal heat distribution in the house, some rooms in the house will be heated and some not enough. Of course, you want to avoid this, because you want to enjoy a pleasant temperature everywhere.

3. No foot valve installed

Usually a radiator valve or thermostatic radiator valve is connected to the radiator's supply, but the drain pipe is turned directly on the radiator. It is wiser to place a foot valve on the radiator's outlet, this has several advantages. This way, you can shut off the radiator within the installation without having to drain the system. For example, you can very easily remove the radiator temporarily if you want to paint the wall. Maxaro's thermostaticradiator valvesets come standard with foot valve and compression fitting.

4. No flow tube with vertical radiators

Preferably always connect the radiator at the bottom. With vertical radiators that are still connected at the top, it is necessary to join a flow tube to the radiator. A flow or riser pipe ensures that for radiators with a top connection, the hot water is first brought downwards. At the bottom of the radiator, the water is released and rises again due to heat. By using a flow tube with a top connection, the radiator will flow well and be heated optimally. Please note, this is only applicable with towel radiators.

5. Do not vent after installation

When connecting a new radiator, air is created in the system. Because there is an air bubble in the radiator, it will not heat up properly or incompletely, the radiator will remain lukewarm or part of the radiator will not heat up. Air in the radiator can be recognised, besides temperature deviations, by whistling, ticking and hearing water falling into the radiator. Therefore, always bleed the radiator according to the instructions, switch off the central heating system and carefully open the bleed valve. After venting, refill the system with water. The working pressure (average 1.8 bar) may vary per installation, please read the manual. You may need to bleed the system again after a week, especially if you have replaced several radiators.

Do you have a vertical radiator and can't get it bled properly? If so, check whether the vent valve is in a diagonal line from the supply pipe (supply at bottom left, vent at top right).