Radiator, where to connect the power supply from above or below?

Hello, I got a heater from a friend. The radiator was connected with pipes from the bottom (left, right side) gas installation. I would like to use it again, but already at home (open installation), each radiator in my installation is connected with the entrance at the top and return from the bottom. Can I connect the radiator I received like my other radiators?

Sure you can connect like that.

Hello,
It has been assumed that the radiator has a supply at the top and a return at the bottom, and somehow it is hard to imagine that the thermostatic valve would be at the bottom of the radiator because it is less convenient to use, but such solutions can be seen in "Western" films. You can safely supply it from the bottom (gravity and hot water will do their job) only the drain must always be at the bottom to maintain the proper flow distribution in the plane of the radiator, which gives optimal power.
Greetings

Szczecin62 wrote:

You can easily power it from the bottom (gravity and hot water will do their job) only ...

But the author wants to feed it from above. Just check if it is not a heater from the UK, because there it is different with these heaters. If possible, do the power supply and return opposite each other.

It can be a heater from UK (that's what I meant by sunset) and it doesn't change anything, you can stay with power downstairs or upstairs so that only the return stays downstairs. Diagonal connection becomes important for long and low radiators, if it is something around 22-600-1200 (and smaller) then you can easily connect it from one side and you will not lose power significantly.
Greetings

Szczecin62 wrote:

Diagonal connection becomes important for long and low radiators, if it is something around 22-600-1200 (and smaller) then you can easily connect it from one side and you will not lose power significantly.
Greetings

You're right. When I read the topic and read that the supply and return from the bottom, I immediately thought about the radiator in the bathroom because often the radiator is connected to the bottom (e.g. ladders).

ta_tar wrote:

Just check if it's not a heater from the UK

It does not matter. Radiators are universal and have four outputs. One is blanked, one has a vent (always at the top), an inlet and an outlet (exhaust only at the bottom).
And all philosophy.

sanfran wrote:

It does not matter. Radiators are universal and have four outputs. One is blanked, one has a vent (always at the top), an inlet and an outlet (exhaust only at the bottom).
And all philosophy.

I see you are writing from the UK. And if by any chance you don't have such radiators that the power supply is from the bottom and goes through the so-called coil around the entire radiator.

PS I am using this topic https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3424774.html#16993638

I would note one fact.
As for radiators, they can be radiators:
- only with side supply, where the entrances are on the sides of the radiators at the top and bottom, left / right
- only with bottom supply, where the inputs are at the bottom of the radiator. Some radiators have at the left/right edge of the radiator, but there are also versions with entrances in the center of the radiator.
- universal, i.e. having both of the above-mentioned types of inputs.

In addition, with radiators with side supply, you can use a saddle connection and then hot water enters the bottom side entrance, and cold water exits the bottom one on the opposite side of the radiator.

Therefore, the author should accurately describe what inputs the heater has and how it was originally connected.
The term bottom feed itself, depending on the interpretation, may be read as a saddle connection for a radiator typically with side feed, or it may equally well apply to a universal radiator where the previous owner had bottom feed, and now the new owner wants to use side feed.
In the case of universal radiators, changing the connection method from the bottom to the side requires changing the connections, because they are not compatible.

To illustrate the way of connecting the lower and side saddle, I attach a fragment of the diagrams from the Purmo catalog.



I would like to add that if the author has a radiator with a side supply and the previous owner used a saddle connection, you can easily use a regular side connection, i.e. hot water at the top and cold water at the bottom.
It is only worth rinsing such a radiator, because sediments may have accumulated over the years of previous use, which are better to rinse with ordinary water under pressure.

ta_tar wrote:

I see you are writing from the UK. And if by any chance you don't have such radiators that the power supply is from the bottom and goes through the so-called coil around the entire radiator.

I haven't encountered anything like this. My knowledge is based only on the modernization of the central heating system in my house, I bought several radiators and did not notice anything like this - in all of them I have a normal air vent at the top of the radiator.


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corrected ugly spelling.

Gentlemen radiators looks like this:







I would like to connect it anyway, as you can see in the pictures, power supply on the right side at the top, return on the right side at the bottom.
At a friend's, the radiator was connected at the bottom left and bottom right.
I would also like to ask if I could put radiator valves (return) on the supply and return, which are screwed on an allen key?

sebaele22 wrote:

I would also like to ask if I could put radiator valves (return) on the supply and return, which are screwed on an allen key?

Not only could you, but you should fit a set of valves for convenience.

Yes, I know it, but I would like to install valves at the inlet and outlet, screwed through an imbus, a preview photo:



I just don't know if such a valve can also be installed at the entrance.

Unfortunately, it cannot be because the water in such a valve goes under the mushroom if it is on the return (flows out of the radiator). On the power supply, the water would come the other way and it would not work properly. Buy a normal set of valves for supply and return.

The radiator will be in the garage so the valves can be whatever they are without the head

The radiators look like aluminium, but painted, which are made of connected segments. By adding or removing segments, you can adjust the size, i.e. the power of the radiator, because steel ones are bought with a specific size and it is not possible to modify the physical size.
You only have a side connection, so a friend had a saddle side connection, which I wrote about above. You can easily make a traditional side connection, i.e. power supply at the top, and return at the bottom on the same side on the side.
If I'm not mistaken, the valves have a specific direction of water flow, so the imbus valve from the next photo is only intended for installation on the return as ta_tar wrote.
If you don't need a valve and a thermostatic head, use a regular valve and, if necessary, close it with a knob, but it must be a supply valve, not a return valve.

A little note on tartare. What problem do you see to put the shut-off on the imbus and on the power supply? And how about the binocular valves under the V-kits?
Greetings

@Szczecin62
For me, the "binoculars" and the classic return valve from the previous photo are two completely different valves.
The "binoculars" I've seen needed a 90-degree rotation, or a quarter turn, to fully open or close, suggesting it works more like a ball valve.
In contrast, a classic return valve usually requires about 5-6 full turns to fully close/open, which suggests a poppet-based design.

Thanks everyone for your help.
I would also like to ask about the pex tube, is there any difference between the pex tube for PLN 1.5 and PLN 3? I'm asking because I saw such prices in a construction store

hello, colleagues, the return valve should not but can be installed on the supply because there the mushroom is the end of the screw which, after turning a few turns, closes or opens the flow. The supply valves are constructed differently and the direction of flow must be maintained there. greetings.

Hello,
For BUCKS, most binoculars are the ones with a classic mushroom head tightened with a few turns of the allen key, just like in a classic radiator valve, and that's what I meant. In this group there are also ball binoculars and they are safer to use because those with mushrooms could have a weak opening limiter (or lack of it) which threatened to unscrew the mushroom and in a hot installation it made it difficult to screw it in, which is a big problem.
Greetings

Gentlemen, I will use an ordinary radiator valve with a white knob for power supply, I will put a simple screwed valve on the return.

It's been a long time since the topic was discussed. How to connect the supply and return when it comes to the radiator. In my opinion, the vent is definitely up, and whether you make the supply up or down, it makes no difference, the valve you want to use if it has an arrow, then in accordance with the arrow. Most often, the return from the radiator is up, but cover it at the bottom and turn it the other way. This will then be the supply valve.

Jaguar1968 wrote:

In my opinion, the vent is definitely up, and whether you make the supply up or down, it makes no difference

In post #9 I attached the diagrams from the Purmo catalog and it says that the saddle connection is correct, but the heat output of the heater drops by 10%.
So do not write that the method of connecting the radiator does not make a difference, because it does not always make this difference significant. However, there are cases when the difference of 10% of power will be significant and crucial.
In other words, having a power reserve of, for example, 20%, a possible decrease by 10% will still give a 10% reserve. If the radiator is matched to the contact, a 10% decrease in power means a 10% power shortage, which will manifest itself in severe frosts.
On the other hand, with long radiators, the most optimal is a cross connection, i.e. supply from the top and return from the bottom on the opposite side of the radiator.
Sometimes the method of connecting the radiator is forced and there is no choice, but if there is a choice, it is better to do it in the most optimal way, but everyone has a different approach and can follow different rules.