Feeding downstairs radiators on drops on new builds

[Riley26]

Hi, what do people find the best way of feeding the downstairs radiators on drops on new build work. I would ideally like to use 15mm pipework. But this could be a problem for the plasterer to dot and dab over?

 

[Dan Robinson]

10 or 12mm then.

 

[Riley26]

15mm rarely used then as its a struggle to dot and dab over?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Should be in trunking or Conduit too really. But I don't know do house bashing so one of the others might be more informative.

 

[Riley26]

Anyone worked on a lot of new build housing that can give any advice?

 

[simond]

Normally new build is bashed in at the cheapest price and in the shortest time. New build buyers like shiny kitchens and cantilever kharzis, and only fret about the concealed pipework when it starts leaking in the wall.

This means it is pushfit microbore hidden within plasterboard walls, often going to a wall outlet box that is covered by the radiator afterwards at the 2nd fix stage.

If this is your own house you might want to fit something better.

We are building some flats for our own company at the moment and although we don't do new build for others, our spec is using a manifold under the boiler and running 15mm barrier pipe to each radiator - without any joints in walls or ceilings.

But this spec would be classed as too expensive if you were pricing a job for a builder.

 

[Dan Robinson]

a manifold under the boiler and running 15mm barrier pipe to each radiator - without any joints in walls or ceilings.

Done that a few times and it works well.

My own house has a manifold with 10mm running to each rad, but the flow temps are designed to never be above 50 using Evo home and Opentherm.