Adding a radiator

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I want to add a (smallish) radiator to the downstairs circuit, in the kitchen. The downstairs radiators, of which there are currently 3, are all fed by 10mm copper pipe.

The 22m flow and return come from the boiler, under the kitchen floor (actually passing underneath where I wish to place the kitchen rad) through the wall and into the back-room. They lead to manifolds which supply the 3 downstairs rads (10mm).

I have some 10mm pipe and 10mm tees and I was thinking of lifting the back room floor and tee'ing off the back-room radiator to supply the kitchen one (they're either side of the same wall), but it's my understanding that I shouldn't tee off 10mm as it will adversely effect flow.

Would I be best lifting the kitchen floor to access the 22mm flow and return and tee off that (pre-manifold)? If so, should I go 22x15x22 and supply the kitchen rad by 15mm? Or should I go 22x10x22 and stick with the 10mm? (Or even 22x15x22 and then reduce again from 15mm to 10mm?)

Can you even get 22x10x22 tees?
 
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T off the 22mm pipes. You can then go to the new radiator in 15 or 10mm.
My preference being 15 as it looks better and heats up faster.
 
Would there be any issues regarding balancing? What with the first rad (kitchen and very close to boiler) being in 15mm and the following all being 10mm? Will it 'steal' more of the hot water?
 
As above (dcawkell), but I would go 10mm from the 22mm F and R pipes, then join to 15mm pipe just below floor and up through floor to rad. Always looks better to have 15mm tails from valves to just below floor boards.
 
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Would there be any issues regarding balancing? What with the first rad (kitchen and very close to boiler) being in 15mm and the following all being 10mm? Will it 'steal' more of the hot water?

I always prefer to keep the majority of pipework the same size and avoid mixing 10 and 15mm if I can help it. Probably doesn't make a lot of difference though.

The new rad will certainly need a lot of choking back on the l/shield valve. Probably only !/4 turn open, otherwise, as you suspect the flow will take a noce short cut. 15mm pipes to it probably just means choking back a bit more.
 
If I Google for a 22x10x22 tee, all the results seem to be JG pushfit. Can you get non-pushfit, copper in that combination?

What do you know! I did another search immediately after posting and dug up these. :oops: Quite a difference in £ between 22x22x15 and 22x22x10!
 
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Yes, I'm afraid it's that old economies of scale thing again. 15x15x15 tees are cheap as chips, but the odd sizes command more money.
 

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