Central Heating/Radiator pipes

Not long moved into my flat, i have a Glow worm compact electronic boiler, a potterton pat 2 thermostat and 6 radiators. All the copper (i think thats what they're made of!) pipes connecting the radiators are visible and in places are not clipped to the walls. (In my opinion whoever instaled it should be shot!). By my back door one pipe is higher than the door step (my son keeps tripping over it!) and they run around the perimeter of two rooms and in the bathroom run between the door and the glass above the door, the whole lot looks a complete mess and i'm concerned that my son will get hurt as they get hot.

I have 3 questions.

1. Is it possible or even legal to somehow hide or cover them?
2. How do i clip them to the wall so they're not just hanging?
3. Is it safe to push the pipe by the backdoor down and clip it or will that damage the pipe concerned?

thanks in advance for your replies

1) Perfectly legal to box them in
2) Buy some double 15mm hinged pipe clips and ease the clip under both pipes - the advantage here is that only one hole needs to be drilled and the clips will automatically straighten the pipe work whilst supporting it.
3) There is only a limited amount of flexibility but if nothings been clipped then you might be able to manhandle it out of the way. If the pipe connections are either soldered or in compression the joins will be incredibly strong.

1) thank god for that they look horrendous!!
2)off to B&Q i go!
3)they're flexible enough for my 2 1/2 year old to stand on and bounce on (which he gets told off for doing!) and they're soldered. i may have to move the one clip that makes it that high and lower it then.

Thanks for your replies

Your 2.5 yr old is in great danger. The water in there could be 80 degrees centigrade at times. The pipes are soldered, any plumber will telll you many occasions they have moved a soldered pipe slightly and it has just fallen out of an endfeed soldered fitting, they aren't strong against movement.

If you can't fit plastic clips underneath go to a builders merchants and ask for builders banding. screw it to wall over top of pipes, you'll know what I mean when you buy it. Then box in the pipes.

Serious risk of scalding. Good job you asked.

thanks paul, luckily its summer now and the heating is off but i was paranoid when it was cold cos the pipes are at just the right height for an inquisitive toddler to touch.
one question how do i box in the pipes? Do i just buy skirting boards and use 2 at an angle to cover them or is there a particular way it should be done?

Pipes along the skirting , You buy a batten say 1" square, fix it to the wall just above the pipes, put a plank from this to the floor (or cut some mdf to size).

Up wall in corner, one batten on each wall, plank across.

You can buy very neat white finished ready made boxing with a built in curve but it's something like £20 a meter.

Best job I saw was a joiner boxed my pipes in. He used half round quadrant at the corner, but it requires great skill to make that look good, he had the skill, I wouldn't attempt it.

15mm pipe will fit into mt4 trunking which is very cheap, but you have to use saddle clips which are no very common. As an afterthought it can't be done, has to be installed like that.

City plumbing sell some which goes with double pipe clips to match, clip pipe to wall and snap boxing over. Very expensive compared to mt4 trunking, and finish isn't as good.

Pipes along the skirting , You buy a batten say 1" square, fix it to the wall just above the pipes, put a plank from this to the floor (or cut some mdf to size).

Up wall in corner, one batten on each wall, plank across.

Click to expand...

sorry for being completely thick but i'm not sure what you mean! If i'm wrong please feel free to laugh!

by a batten is that just a 1" square piece of wood cut to a certain length?

what do you mean by up wall in corner? do i need to cut the baton and mdf to a 45 degree angle so the slot together in the corners and then screw them in place?

i've had a look at the white ready made stuff and although it looks good and seems relatively easy to fit but was b***** expensive so if possible i'd like to go with the baton and plank option. When its all fitted do i just use a mdf primer and then paint it?