Removing a radiator

[DIYC]

Guys,

I'm looking for some advice on removing a radiator please.

The radiator in question is on the ground floor of the house and is fixed to a stud partition wall.

I'm okay with disconnecting it - shutting down the valves at both ends and actually taking the radiator off the wall.

The bit I'm looking for advice on is making it look tidy after its disconnected.

First question...

The pipes to and from the radiator currently come up through the skirting board.
I'm happy to remove that section of skirting a replace it later.
I'm also prepared to cut away a chunk of the plasterboard wall.
My question is, how easy is it going to be to bend the existing pipes into the wall in-order to hide them?

I guess I may end up having to chip out part of the bottom plate of the stud wall - again, I'm good with that.

What do I use to bend the pipes though?
Do I need to heat them first?
Is this even a good idea? or am I likely to spring a leak if I try and bend these pipes?

My next question is probably a little easier to give a concrete answer for.
I'm thinking that I probably could 'get away with' not connecting the 2 valves together, as at the end of the day you can turn the radiator off and it won't affect the rest of the radiators in the house.

Having said that, I don't understand how central heating systems work, and in my mind, I'd feel more comfortable if I did connect the 2 valves with a straight piece of pipe (in the stud wall).

Are there some compression fittings I can buy to do such a job?


Many thanks.


DIY-C.

 

[kevplumb]

what size / type of pipe

you dont need to connect them together

 

[JayJay1978]

Old you're horses, for a start you cant have hidden compression fittings.

The proper way (and only way in this situation) is to cut the pipes as close to the tee as posible and cap them off with solder caps.

To do this you will need to drain or partially drain the central heating system and then fill back up, using inhibitor.

As said compression caps wont do as they are hidden. You never joint the pipes together.

 

[bengasman]

Very important:

do not connect the 2 pipes after removing the rad.

Best way by far to cap the pipes off is with a soldered endstop.
A lockable pushfit would do in needs must
Hidden compressionfit is really bad news and should be avoided.

Pipes don't need heating to bend them, but make very sure they can't buckle.

 

[ColJack]

we're assuming it's not a one pipe system?
is the floor concrete? or wood?
what about dead-legs? are you allowed those on heating systems..? I was told that you can't have them more than a certain length on hot water pipes.. but that wasn't heating..

 

[kevplumb]

we're assuming it's not a one pipe system?

if it is they are connected anyway

 

[dextrous]

we're assuming it's not a one pipe system?

if it is they are connected anyway

More to the point, we are assuming that this rad isn't the lockshield one that the room stat uses.

 

[bengasman]

we're assuming it's not a one pipe system?...

Don't care what it is; OP says he can turn the valves off without a problem.

what about dead-legs? are you allowed those on heating systems..? ..

Heating never had that restriction