Unsure what to do with these pipes

Archiethere · 19 Apr 2020

Hi. I'm currently renovating my bathroom, I've taken the side panels off the bath and found these. Ideally I'd like them underneath the floorboards as I'm installing a freestanding bath and having them boxed in would not be ideal.

They are part of an existing central heating system. Unsure if I should box them in or try to reroute them. They feed a bedroom which is a few feet higher than the bathroom hence them being raised, unsure if I'd be able to go through the joist as I'm not sure where that would lead to. Any suggestions would be great.

JohnD · 19 Apr 2020

Please "copy and paste" your picture into your thread.

Archiethere · 19 Apr 2020

thanks John

denso13 · 19 Apr 2020

Depends how much you want to hide them without boxing in. Anything is possible, some just a little more difficult than others.

Madrab · 19 Apr 2020

You could notch/drill the joist to have them hidden under the floor surface as long as the positioning is correct. Also need to know what's in/under the wall and whether there is access to get in so the pipework can then be brought up to the original bedroom floor level. That may need the wall opened up for access.

Hard to say with just that pic.

oldbutnotdead · 19 Apr 2020

Part of that assembly (the 15mm connecting the 22s with the gate valve) is a poor mans bypass. You may or may not need it on your current boiler, prob best to assume you do need it but it can (and should) be moved so it is accessible after you've put your new posh bath in.
If the 2 tubes going through the wall are only feeding one radiator then they're oversized- but I wonder if your house is the same as my old place and those 22s are running the hot water cylinder and 2 rads in the front bedrooms?

Jackrae · 19 Apr 2020

Is that an old lead gas pipe going through the corner of the wall in the background

Archiethere · 19 Apr 2020

Yes it’s a lead pipe, that’s dead and not connected to anything. I was thinking I could get rid of that and use that to feed these pipes through.

oldbutnotdead. Yes, these pipes run into two bedrooms and feed 2 radiators. 10mm microbore runs off of these to the radiators. We’ve just had a brand new boiler fitted around 2 months ago so maybe I don’t need it? But like you said better to assume I do. Il

HERTS P&D · 19 Apr 2020

Archiethere said:
Yes it’s a lead pipe, that’s dead and not connected to anything.

these pipes run into two bedrooms and feed 2 radiators. 10mm microbore runs off of these to the radiators.

We’ve just had a brand new boiler fitted around 2 months ago

If you are doing your house up and have just had a new boiler fitted, I would suggest a compete re-plumb with new radiators.

Andy

oldbutnotdead · 19 Apr 2020

Far too late now but as Herts P & D said, the price difference between boiler replacement & full retube/rerad is not a lot. What new boiler did you end up with, a good read of the installation specs will tell you whether a bypass is required. That bodge bypass will be wasting energy anyway- a real bypass is set to open when the pressure difference between feed and return gets too high (cos all rad valves are closed), that one will be permanently open.

If you're comfortable with a blowtorch and solder fittings then you could sort that yourself (pull skirting board off, chop plaster from below the hole to skirting level, chase into brick a bit deeper to give you enough clearance for pipes, notch joists slightly so tubes will be below the top of the floorboards, remake tubes so they drop into your chase then another elbow so they sit in youn wee notches then down to rejoin existing. If your perusal of the boiler manual tells you no bypass required then happy days, if bypass is required then refit it (properly) somewhere accessible. Don't think a radiator with 2 lockshields is accepted as a bypass any more but if you have such a beast on the system (I had the bathroom radiator set like that, it was before all the motorised valves) then it would work.

Archiethere · 19 Apr 2020

thank you, I’ve installed radiators before using yorkshire fittings so I’d feel pretty confident doing it myself. All that wall needs plastering anyways, it’s down to bare brick in some parts as I removed an old lead pipe and a stop tap which was protruding from the wall from an old central heating system.

thanks for your advice, I’ll definitely be giving it a go myself if the boiler says I don’t need the valve.
I can’t remember what exact boiler it was it’s a Main one, we had the kitchen extended before Christmas and the old one was in an awkward position. It was £800 to move the old one, with no guarantee how long it’s would last or about a grand for a new one with a 5 year guarantee so we went with that.

I’ll be installing cast iron radiators if that makes any difference? I’ll have to have a proper read up on it. I’ve had the floorboards up today seeing where all the pipes go haha

Gasplumber · 19 Apr 2020

1k for supplies and fitted boiler! That’s dirt cheap!!

Archiethere · 20 Apr 2020

Gasplumber said:
1k for supplies and fitted boiler! That’s dirt cheap!!

Might've been a bit more than that tbh. £1200? I can’t remember. A lots gone down since then.

forgive me for asking a potentially silly question, If my boiler says the valve is not required then would these pipes still have to join up? Or could they both just run through the wall individually? Be a lot easier if that was the case

Gasplumber · 20 Apr 2020

Have you got a combi?
Also the bypass can be moved it just goes after the pump but before the motorised valves. usually found in airing cupboard with cylinder. Or next to boiler

Archiethere · 20 Apr 2020

Yes, I have a main eco compact combi boiler. I’m going to have a read of the manual now and have a look to see if there is a bypass located any wee else

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Unsure what to do with these pipes

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