Vitesse Heater Hoses

[Robin]

Hi Again

In I previous post I asked for help in sorting out my heater problems - and that's now all fixed.

But I've just seen s post on FB that shows that I've connected the hoses the wrong way round - I think the hose from the intelt manifold should be connected to the heater valve and the bottom hose connected to the heater. From the picture you'll see mine is the other way round. Everything seems to be working Ok so my question is am I OK to leave it as it is or should I re-connect the right way round?

Thanks

 

 

[NonMember]

I don't think it matters terribly much. As you have it, the valve controls the water returning from the heater matrix to the engine. The other way, it controls the hot water coming into the heater. Either way, if the valve's open it flows and if it's closed it doesn't.

[Robin]

8 minutes ago, NonMember said:

I don't think it matters terribly much. As you have it, the valve controls the water returning from the heater matrix to the engine. The other way, it controls the hot water coming into the heater. Either way, if the valve's open it flows and if it's closed it doesn't.

Ok - good to know. Thanks

[Dave1360]

Robin,

As I replied on Facebook, the flow to the heater matrix should be at the bottom and the outlet from it at the top.  This will ensure the matrix is full of water and improve its efficiency although I don't know by how much in practice. 

Cheers, Dave

[NonMember]

36 minutes ago, Dave1360 said:

As I replied on Facebook, the flow to the heater matrix should be at the bottom and the outlet from it at the top.  This will ensure the matrix is full of water and improve its efficiency although I don't know by how much in practice.

Is that right? I can certainly see that having the flow in that direction might assist with bleeding the matrix but in so far as there is any turbulence in the flow the other way helps keep the hotter water in. That's why radiators all flow top to bottom. You're probably right, though, that being properly bled and free of airlocks is more important.

[Dave1360]

Hmm, not so sure now you put it like that.  I'm sure I read that either here or on the CT forum before things there disappeared but must have been at least 4 or 5 years ago.  It kind of makes sense to me that putting water into the bottom and letting it come out at the top will ensure it's full rather than just trickling through.  And you don't really want to keep the hotter water in, you want the heat to be extracted from it, which is easier if the matrix is full.  But then that's the opposite of how the radiator works.  The workshop manuals that I've seen do all show the feed from the bottom though.  Whether that's for consistency or efficiency, I don't know.

Don't suppose there are any thermodynamics experts around?

[Robin]

So if I swop them around as per the manual do I need to drain the coolant out of the heater again or can I swap without doing this?

[Nick Jones]

Functionally I don't think it matters.  Mine is plumbed the same way as the OPs, though it differs in other ways.  It's fed from the tapping at the rear of the head, with a decent valve fitted at that point (like TR6) and  is the only thing connected to the return pipe as my injection manifold has no waterway.

Heater now works better than ever before - though that's not saying much. 

Nick

[Dave1360]

If the valve is shut then nothing should fall out from the bottom of the matrix, but there's bound to be a bit in the pipes that will spill out when you disconnect and move them.

[Robin]

18 hours ago, Dave1360 said:

If the valve is shut then nothing should fall out from the bottom of the matrix, but there's bound to be a bit in the pipes that will spill out when you disconnect and move them.

Ok - thanks