advice on adding a radiator in an open vented system

hi there,
we moved house last spring to a property with a potterton profile gas boiler, with expansion tank and immersion heater in the bathroom airing cupboard. i presume its a gravity system (as the pressure is quite weak) . it has 3 radiators upstairs and 4 downstairs

my previous experience has been mainly changing/upgrading radiators on a combi boiler system, so i was after a bit of advice before changing/adding radiators in the new place

i plan to add a radiator in an upstairs bedroom. its the furthest one from the boiler on the upstairs system. the radiator is at the furthest point in the room , so i planned to put an extra one in by tapping into the pipework before this radiator.

there are two pipes- a flow and a return.

firstly, is this an okay option or is it 'better' to just replace the existing one (the room got very cold so i thought we would double up)?

secondly , what is the best/correct method therefore to tap into the existing pipework?

should i just T into both the flow pipe and the return pipe?

or do i divert just the flow pipe through the new radiator before connecting the flow back into the old radiator ?

thanks in advance

 

Up to you really whether you have 2 rads or just up the size of the existing one. The layout of the room may dictate this, but if you already have a single panel rad, swapping to a double will give more heat. Especially if the old rad doesn't have the modern style fins on the back. First thing you need to do is work out the rad output needed for this room -

http://www.radcalcs.com/

Also, does the existing rad heat up properly? May need bleeding or balancing. This can make a room feel cold.

Usual method of tapping in is just tee into the flow and a tee into the return. Usually 22mm at each end of tee with 15mm in the middle to the rad. You will have to confirm sizes. Whether you use solder or compression is down to what you are happy with.

Always use a seperate tee for each rads flows and returns to the main F and R circ pipes. Don't flow through one rad then straight into another as when the water enters the second rad, it will have lost lots of it's heat in the first rad.

 

cheers for that.
the house was owned by an old couple, who it looks like hadn't changed their radiators for many years. they are all old single paneled style. i plan to eventually upgrade them all

again, many thanks

 

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Please select a service and enter a location to continue...

Plumber / Gas Engineer Electrician Builder Decorator Builders' Merchant Plumbers' Merchant Tile Supplier Flooring Supplier
Start Search

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local