Rads only 80 - 100mm high & Skirts 170mm. Need to raise

[manley001]

Despite telling plumber the rads needed to be high enough to fit 170mm skirts, they have been put in far too low. (All 6 Rads downstairs)

I need to lay wooden floor in all rooms downstairs before Friday & the plumber isn't helping, so I have to do it myself.

This is where hopefully someone can help me... please

I have basic understanding, but you can't beat the advise from a pro.

I guess, I have to turn off combi, blead rads of pressure & water. Ct pipes as low as poss, then use straight coupling in order to bring new pipe to required height.

Thats the theory, but that isn't enough to get the job done properly.

Any Help & Advise would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Dodgemonkey]

Switch off before anything else. Locate the heating circuit drain cock and drain down. The drain cock may be near a radiator, may be part of the radiator valve, and there may be multiple drain cocks. Once drained you can then get to each radiator leg and fabricate the extensions as required. Try to couple the new pipework to existing piperuns below the floor, aesthetics and all that. Various methods of joining pipe nowadays which don't involve skilled use of blow torches or flux, but I'm old fashioned and still do this. You'll need dry pipework to solder though.
Once you've drained the system contents, you'll also have lost the anti sludge/anti corrosion inhibitor, so it'll need to be re-introduced, and this can be achieved via one of the radiator plugs, or by use of a pressurised injector into a radiator bleed point.
Recharge the system using the temporary filling loop, but only do this after consulting your boiler instructions regarding charge pressure. Once charged, bleed all radiators. Your system should have an auto air release within the boiler casing, check regarding its correct operation.
Hopefully I've covered the salient points, good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[manley001]

Thanks Dodgemonkey

Switch off before anything else. Locate the heating circuit drain cock and drain down. The drain cock may be near a radiator, may be part of the radiator valve, and there may be multiple drain cocks.

Only Rad without TV is in hall with a drain valve, so guess this is.

Try to couple the new pipework to existing piperuns below the floor, aesthetics and all that. Various methods of joining pipe nowadays which don't involve skilled use of blow torches or flux, but I'm old fashioned and still do this. You'll need dry pipework to solder though.

Can't get below sub flooring so will have to attempt solder/flux as near to sub floor as possible. What are ur thoughts on me (novice) using coupling with solder already in it?

Recharge the system - I will consult the manual

Appreciate your help

 

[JohnD]

just to check:

what makes you think that the bottom of a radiator has to be higher than the top of a skirting board?

 

[sotal]

Most of my radiators overlap the skirting board, but this is mostly down to me swapping the 1" bullnose that was there to 4" Taurus skirting board.

I just took the rads off, installed the skirting and replaced the rads, one of the rads struggled to fit as the valves hit the skirting, so for this one I just rotated the wall mounts which made them stick out slightly further and stopped the valves fouling the skirting.

Much easier than extending every rad

 

[Dodgemonkey]

Just as John, Manly and Sotal have indicated - do you really want to lift those rads. The fact that skirting might be located a little behind them instead of underneath them can't be too serious an issue, and must certainly be preferable to draining down the system etc.
But, I guess you might be like me, and it ain't right til it's right, sort of thing. I understand that fella.
If you can't get beneath the floor (without digging/pulling flooring up etc), then your jointing will be on show. 15mm copper can be covered by sleeving, but a bulky joint won't allow it to look so neat.
End feed or solder ring fittings are less bulky but again, not so neat as a straight joint-free section. You also risk burning the skirting board during the soldering operation, even with a deftly placed soldering mat.
Soldering - well it's easy, but get some practice in before you decide to do those legs yourself. Use a decent torch as well as good quality solder (if end feed soldering) and make sure you also use a good quality flux.

If it was me, I'd leave things be until I'd had a bit of time practising soldering etc, and then maybe tackle it at a later date, when heating/hot water won't be so much in demand.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do .

Mike