Plumbing a Dual Fuel Towel Radiator

[CHarr]

I'm totally renewing a CH installation, and we want to put a ladder-style towel radiator in the bathroom that can be heated electrically when the CH is not on. I can see that I can buy a t-adaptor that allows the electrical element to be fitted in the bottom of the radiator, while fitting a radiator valve to the side. However, I want the CH feed to rise vertically from under the floor, not horizontally from in the wall, and wondered whether I could use an angled radiator valve to make the necessary quarter-turn back downwards. I've only seen valves being sold (by the big on-line sellers) in pairs, so accept that I might have to buy a pair each of straight and of angled valves as the t-adapter, but does this sound OK, or is there a better way?

Thanks.

 

[Charnwood]

No idea where you've been looking but the first big on-line seller I looked at - Screwfix - sells rad valves singly, angle and straight.
You live in a metropolis with dozens of merchants, all of which, no doubt, sell single rad valves, angle and straight.

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[CHarr]

No idea where you've been looking but the first big on-line seller I looked at - Screwfix - sells rad valves singly, angle and straight.
You live in a metropolis with dozens of merchants, all of which, no doubt, sell single rad valves, angle and straight.

View media item 65253

Thanks: you're quite right - I was just about to post to admit that I'm being thick this morning, but you beat me to it. My confusion came from the radiator outfit wanting me to buy its 'matching' chrome valves (which are only available as pairs). Of course, I just need one of each (angled & straight).

But a secondary question: I'm told that elements fail regularly. What's the best way to make it easy to take the rad. off the wall to renew. Should I put inline valves in the pipework, so that I can isolate the towel radiator from the whole of the rest of the system?

 

[denso13]

The radiator valves do the isolating when you turn them off. No need for anything else.

 

[CHarr]

The radiator valves do the isolating when you turn them off. No need for anything else.

If I turn off the valves and remove the radiator, I can see that nothing will come from the radiator, but what prevents leaks from the rest of the system?

 

[denso13]

The valves remain connected to the pipework, not the radiator!

 

[CHarr]

The valves remain connected to the pipework, not the radiator!

Sorry - I expect I'm being thick - doesn't the t-adapter screw into the bottom of the radiator? How can I unscrew it while it is still attached to the valve, if the valve is still attached to the pipework?

 

[Charnwood]

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You take the rail off the wall with the element and T piece still in the rail.
Then you remove the faulty element.

 

[Charnwood]

Is it a wooden floor?
You could make a 'hatch' that you could remove so that the element could be unscrewed and lowered into it, therefore negating the removal of the rail from the wall.

 

[Charnwood]

You could make a 'hatch' that you could remove so that the element could be unscrewed and lowered into it, therefore negating the removal of the rail from the wall.

 

[CHarr]

Is it a wooden floor?
You could make a 'hatch' that you could remove so that the element could be unscrewed and lowered into it, therefore negating the removal of the rail from the wall.

For the sake of the extra £6, I think I'll stick with my idea of inline valves in the pipework at skirting board level. If I loosen the nuts on the upper side of those valves, I can avoid draining the rail at all, and only loose a tiny bit of water in the connecting pipe between the pairs of valves. Once I can lift the rail off its mounting, I just need to turn it upside down before replacing the element, and then put it back. No mess: no hassle.

I liked the idea of a small hatch in the floor, but the underfloor void is only 6", and an additional ceiling hatch in the room beneath seemed a step too far.

 

[Charnwood]

I was being facetious.

 

[CBF]

the isolation valves you intend to fit, will leak & need replacing far soon than the element, so you trying to save yourself work will infact cause you more work & expense, just fit the rad valves & don't worry that you might have to change the element in the future