I've just discovered a radiator in my attic, I've been complety unaware of it, and have lived in the house for 14 years hahaha

The attic is very small and will now be used for storage, it has not been converted in anyway but yet there is a radiator in there, it's on full blast when it's on and although as soon as I open the attic hatch with the rad on, I am met with a very cold chill, and when i finally hoast myself up into the attic, it seams like the rad being on is making no difference to the temperature, let alone for a rad being there.

It seams very bizar, and I'm trying to workout why there would be the need for a rad up there in the first place and whether I should turn it off???

Thoughts please?

Is it on a sealed system (you have a filling loop and a pressure gauge) or an open vent system (small tank in loft above the height of the rad)?

The reason it is cold up there, is it is not properly insulated sufficiently and the rad is not big enough. The reason for putting it up there maybe the previous owner didn't want any pipes or tanks to freeze!!

14 years of heat keeping the birds feet warm on your roof, oh well you know now.

as the chap above has said could be to stop pipes freezing or used for some other type of storage

I think it's an open vent system, but no water tanks in the attic area where the rad is.

Had it checked and done some more research and were going to remove it and sort it out.

Thanks

Was the roof used as a grow farm for something?

BG

a radiator in the attic on a cold day could loose around 3 times more heat than a radiator in a warm room so 1/3 your heating bill could be for the attic

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we are all ------------------still learning

Just to let everyone know the reason that Rad is up there, so I was told by British gas as the Rad was used as a bypass

Now they have quoted £135 to cut the pipes near the hot water tank, and install a by pass, without a by pass the Rad needs to stay, and can't just cut the pipes and cap them.

Do you think this Quote is fair? Gezzer said it would take about an hour to do?

I wish I could earn £135 an hour....Ok lets lets assume partially draining the system (20 minutes..Install bypass, remove rad, refill and get rid of any airlocks..40 minutes) materials??? negligible ...say £30 including new inhibitor...so that's £82.50 (After deducting Vat) for BG...if which the fitter will be onXXXX£


Better off getting an independant in...

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Verwood Handyman
I Know it says I'm On-line, but I might have just left myself logged in, whilst I'm out....

Maybe me WO, but I think that sounds quite fair compared to some of the work my mate got quoted recently....I don't think I would do it for less (assuming it's the kind of work I done...)

BG

I think BG are talking compete and utter rubbish as per usual.

Of course it may be and old coal fire and the oldest gravity system still working, by I doubt it.

The rad was either to frost protect the pipes etc or grow a few plants I prefer the later

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Very unsual to have a by-pass in the loft - usually goes to the bathroom to reap the benefits. I would question that. Appreciate you are not in the know, but may be worth getting an independant to check an advice, preferably without charge.

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Your problem is now our problem

See the thing is the boiler is down stairs and the hot water tank is up stairs and there is a bypass valve right next to the boiler, when i pointed this out to him he became abit confused and had to ring someone for confirmation. I said if there's a by pass already on the Open system, why do we need another, he said the by pass has to be installed after the pump or what ever it was, and doesn't recommend taking the rad off or turning it off without installing the by pass in the correct place.

The by-pass protects the pump and circulation through the boiler.

You first job should be to try and stop the cold blowing through the loft, and protecting the pipes and tanks as much as possible.

The rad may have been doing a good job in that respect, albeit expensive, so don't just dismiss the rad for now.

If you do remove or take it out of circulation, you should also remove any pipework to it to prevent freezing.

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