How to remove a radiator that is has mainly horizontal pipe work?

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Tying to remove a radiator that is connected via mainly horizontal pipe work. One end the valve is connection is via a soldered elbow with about 1cm of vertical pipe and the other end with a soldered elbow and about 3cm of vertical pipe.

I have drained the radiator but can’t pull the valves far enough apart to free the connection into the radiator. Short of draining the whole central heating system and removing the valves from the pipework is there another way to remove this radiator?
Code:
Valve-->              Radiator            <--Valve
1                                         1-------------------pipe
1   
1--------------------------------------------------------------pipe

Hope this gives you an idea of the pipework.
 
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Pull a vacuum (plumbers language) or freeze pipe, or have something to catch the water and a 15mm speedfit stop, cut the pipe and whack a stop end on there quickly and rejoin at a later date with a coupler. and there are a few other ways.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the reply. As a diyer can`t do the vacuum or freeze. Was hoping for a way without cutting existing pipe work and if poss without draining the system.
Here is a photo as requested
IMG_20201026_190949_1.jpg
 
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You might try:
1. Turn both radiator valves hard off. Count the number of 1/8 turns to full close on the right hand (lock shield) valve, and when finished re-open to the same point.
2. Slacken the nut securing the left hand valve to the radiator, open the radiator bleed valve and drain the water into a pan or similar.
3. When drained, fully unscrew the aforementioned nut. You should have enough slack in the pipework to pull the left hand valve off.
4. Undo the right hand valve at the nut securing it to the radiator. Might be some residual water.
5. Slide the radiator to the left on its brackets. Should give you enough room to remove it.
6. Refitting is the reverse of the above. You might want to wrap some PTFE tape around the olives on the radiator tails, or use something like JetLube V2 paste.
7. Re-open lock shield valve to previously noted setting to preserve system balance.
8. Re-open TRV to desired setting.
 
Thanks thats the standard way to remove a radiator with vertical pipes as you can move/bend the pipes enough to free them from the rad which seems impossiblr with the horizontal pipework.
 
As above, turn the valves fully off, then you should be able to undo the unions nearest and at either end of the radiator. The pipes will then have enough give and spring to get the radiator completely out.
 
Cant you slide/lift the rad on the brackets to the left enough to release the right valve, there should be enough give on that long pipe, the left valve will be then be easy to disconnect movement.

If not, Is you system sealed? If so then turn all the other rads off at both ends, count the turns on the lockshields so they can be returned to what they were, then you only need to depressurise the system, not drain it, you shouldn't loose a lot of water.
 
Have lifted it off the brackets but there does not seem to be enough give in the pipes for the valve to clear the connector. Have even unscrewed the connect at the rad side in hope that had a shorter insertion into the rad than the valve into the connector. But sadly was not.
 
Have lifted it off the brackets but there does not seem to be enough give in the pipes for the valve to clear the connector. Have even unscrewed the connect at the rad side in hope that had a shorter insertion into the rad than the valve into the connector. But sadly was not.
Are you planning to replace or reuse the radiator. If you're planning to replace the rad, cut the rad tails off whilst the radiator is in situ.
 
Yes the system is sealed.
Yes we will be replacing the rad but not for a whille so don`t want to have to drain the system twice.
 
OK so if you follow the instructions and shut of every rad then you only need to de-pressurise the system.

You won't actually be draining the system down that way as most of the volume will be held in the rads and pipework and you won't lose much in the way of water volume.

You can then disconnect the valves off from the supply pipework and cap the ends and job's a guddun.
 
Yes the system is sealed.
Yes we will be replacing the rad but not for a whille so don`t want to have to drain the system twice.
Then isolate the radiator using the valves, loosen the joints to drain the rad and then cut the tails where the come out of the radiator. Then you can remove the rad and the remains of the tails leaving the system live until you're ready to replace the radiator.
 
I had the same problem and searched high and low for answers and couldn't find any simple way. Here's how I did it. (I'm not a plumber so may have unnecessary steps)
-I followed the initial steps to turn off valve and isolate the radiator and drain.
-i drained as much out of this radiator as poss (because it's tight it didn't drain fully).
-i turned off valves on all other radiators and bled to reduce overall pressure and further isolate remaining water to just pipe water.
-turned off mains water at stop cock.
- then I got 2 flat roasting pans under each valve and a bucket on standby. And something the height of radiator to rest it on once removed. I used a tool box.
- HERES MY TRICK- I undid the nut connecting to radiator on each side. (This is where those with horizontal pipes with no wiggle can't go any further). I then undid lower union nut thermostat end connecting radiator to the pipe. I then undid lower union lock shield end. I quickly pulled off radiator, lent it on box. Poured it into a bucket (tilting towards thermostat. I quickly pulled out valves from radiator and put it on lockshield side first and tightened lower nut. (This side is now sealed). Radiator is empty. Then flip the radiator upside down. While popping valve on thermostat end. All the water went into the pans and the bucket. I then put caps on valves for safe measures. And represurrised the boiler. Hope that makes sense... Bit touch and go but don't panic and the last part from lifting off takes 10 seconds if that.
 

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