fitting a smaller radiator

[catfordbags]

Evening all - planning on swapping a radiator for a smaller one this weekend. I thought it might be worth explaining what my plan is on here in case i'm going to make a major cock up.

The house is on three floors and the radiator in question is on the middle floor. The central heating is via a gas boiler (glow worm flexi com sx) which also heats a mains pressure water cyclinder (dual coil linked to a solar panel).

The boiler and tank are under the stairs and there are literally pipes in all directions. However there is some pipework coming from the mains pressure cylinder which lead to an a closed tap attached to some flexi hose which is connected to a non return valve.... and then on to the boiler. I am assuming this is the filling loop for the central heating.

The plan is to turn the central heating off.
Remove the radiator.
I am assuming that the water from all the water from the radiators on floor two and floor three will come out.
I'll then fit the new radiator and re-fill the system via the filling loop. Bleeding the air and on until it reach's the recommended pressure.

Am i on the right lines or about to blow up the house ?

Thanks in advance

CB

 

[Armo74]

Curious as to why you would want to fit a smaller rad?

 

[catfordbags]

The existing radiator is right up against me lads bed and the room got reduced in size a couple of years ago so we don't need the same size radiator.... no real reason to change but the wife wanted a smaller radiator and in an attempt to accrue passout chips, i'm complying with her wishes.... it seems a simple job but i've thought that before..

 

[ALEC1]

like a lot of plumbing and heating work a lot is conceptually simple...but it is riddled with pitfalls too, and thats where you may become a cropper, all for the sake of a £200-£300..

 

[Armo74]

Pipework alterations, selecting the correct size rad, airlocks, leaks, the list goes on
Don't mean to put you off and I'm all for people having a go.
Good luck

 

[Whitespirit66]

Am i about to blow up the house ?

No. But your about to have a flood of biblical proportions if you don't drain the system down in between 'The plan is to turn the central heating off' and 'Remove the radiator'.

 

[catfordbags]

I am hoping the flood will not be of biblical proportions... I wanted to get away without draining the whole system... There is one small radiator on the floor above and two others on the same floor... I was hoping to catch the contents of these when I took my radiator off ... Is that not sensible ?