Balancing the central heating

[Elize]

Hi can someone help me please? I just need to know which knob on the radiators to turn down to reduce the flow of hot water coming in as these old style radiators have the same valves on each side. they both seem to get warm at the same time so I just can't tell which is which. Reason is these are nearest the boiler so they get red hot very quickly while my new radiators at the back of the house furthest from the boiler are cool at the bottom. Many thanks.

 

[Lower]

When the heating is off and the system is cold, put a hand on each pipe and get someone else to turn on the heating. The pipe that gets hot first is the flow and the other pipe is the return. You turn adjust the valve on the flow side to balance the system.

 

[ianmcd]

Wont matter which one you use

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Restrict the flow on the way in, or on the way out - it makes no difference. Some TRV's object to being on the return though.

I mark my rads with a thin red tape on flow and a blue on the return side. Likewise on the boiler too.

 

[Mottie]

That rad looks to me like it might need replacing - possibly pinholes under the paint causing those blisters.

 

[Elize]

Hi thanks for all the advice. I have been adjusting the valves as necessary but this one started leaking as I was turning it down. I've had to turn it anticlockwise to make it leak less( bizzare I know) but still leaking a bit. The heating was off at the time and is still off. Any further advice much appreciated. Thanks

 

[jackthom]

The leaking spindle sticks out through a large nut which you can see covered in water in the picture.
See if that nut needs tightening up a small fraction of a turn. If it ends up too tight the valve may become excessively stiff to open and close.

 

[fixitflav]

Hi thanks for all the advice. I have been adjusting the valves as necessary but this one started leaking as I was turning it down. I've had to turn it anticlockwise to make it leak less( bizzare I know) but still leaking a bit. The heating was off at the time and is still off. Any further advice much appreciated. Thanks

You'll probably need the valve to be less than 1/2 turn from fully closed to get the balancing right.
As jackthom said, tightening the nut should stop the leak. If the valve is set up first it doesn't matter if it's stiff to turn, and you can always loosen the nut temporarily if you want to re-adjust.