We're looking to replace our ground floor radiators with Acova column radiators from B&Q and I'm interested in gauging opinion with regards to specific system requirements suggested by one of the quoting plumbers.
We live in a small, Victorian house and currently have 4 standard radiators (2 larger doubles, 2 small singles) on the ground floor. We are going to going to remove the (smallest) one in the Kitchen (to be replaced with electric underfloor) and replace the other 3 with fairly sizeable column radiators.
Our current central heating system is a Vaillant 24KW combi with 22mm pipe running from the boiler to the split for the ground and first floor loops, where both change to 15mm pipework with the ground currently serving 4 and the first floor serving 3 radiators.
We've had 3 quotes for replacing the radiators downstairs and one plumber said we should be changing the ground floor loop to 22mm pipework otherwise the system wouldn't work properly. I said that I thought you were ok on 15mm with 3 radiators, which it will be once kitchen rad is removed, and he said that with column radiators it is different and you won't get the required flow rates, but didn't elaborate.
Does anyone have any experience or views on this? Obviously we don't want to carry out unnecessary work. The plumber who suggested this was, unsurprisingly, way above the others on cost and the plumber we are going with hasn't said this is necessary, however I don't want to ask about it in case they see it as an opportunity to make more money from us!
Thanks, Andy
We live in a small, Victorian house and currently have 4 standard radiators (2 larger doubles, 2 small singles) on the ground floor. We are going to going to remove the (smallest) one in the Kitchen (to be replaced with electric underfloor) and replace the other 3 with fairly sizeable column radiators.
Our current central heating system is a Vaillant 24KW combi with 22mm pipe running from the boiler to the split for the ground and first floor loops, where both change to 15mm pipework with the ground currently serving 4 and the first floor serving 3 radiators.
We've had 3 quotes for replacing the radiators downstairs and one plumber said we should be changing the ground floor loop to 22mm pipework otherwise the system wouldn't work properly. I said that I thought you were ok on 15mm with 3 radiators, which it will be once kitchen rad is removed, and he said that with column radiators it is different and you won't get the required flow rates, but didn't elaborate.
Does anyone have any experience or views on this? Obviously we don't want to carry out unnecessary work. The plumber who suggested this was, unsurprisingly, way above the others on cost and the plumber we are going with hasn't said this is necessary, however I don't want to ask about it in case they see it as an opportunity to make more money from us!
Thanks, Andy
