Microbore - basics for a newbie

[mjgreen81]

Hi all,

I moved in to a 90s house recently and want to start doing some decorating etc.

The house has microbore piping to the radiators and it is not something that I know anything about really.

Through my father in law (who knows much more about plumbing than me) and a bit of googling, I understand the basics and that there is likely to be manifolds somewhere which is where the 15mm pipe turns to the microbore.

I have a few questions which will hopefully be a good starting point to help me understand. Especially before I start sticking nails and screws through the walls!
I appreciate any advice :

1.) Where are these manifolds likely to be located? Is there anyway to find them without putting holes in walls or lifting floors?

2.) My father in law mentioned that the microbore might be run diaganol through the walls to make the run shorter. I noticed from my googling that it's good practice to keep the microbore run less than 5meters, so this possibly checks out. Is this correct?

3.) How many manifolds are there likely to be? Does one serve a single radiator, a room or a floor?

Thanks in advance

 

[Andy165]

You may find manifolds under the flooring in the hallway upstairs and down. Usually 22mm flow and return pipework from boiler reducing to 10mm pipes flow and return to radiators to each room. However not all ch systems with 10mm pipes showing to radiators have manifolds. Sometimes only the last couple of meters are in 10mm pipe. Main ch circuit in 22mm pipe reducing to 15mm or 10mm pipe depending on flow rate required for the radiator it is supplying. Are you on a combi boiler ? Do all the radiators perform ok ? Is it copper or plastic pipe ?

 

[kidgreen61]

Please make sure the system water is clean, otherwise you will start to have problems with blockages due to the narrow piping

 

[Bod ...]

Pipes should be either in line vertically
with the valves or running vertically down from ceiling in the middle of the radiator.

Nothing surprises me with the standard of plumbing so it's very possible that pipes are run diagonally.

Adding some good inhibitor to the system will always help keep things running smoothly

 

[mjgreen81]

You may find manifolds under the flooring in the hallway upstairs and down. Usually 22mm flow and return pipework from boiler reducing to 10mm pipes flow and return to radiators to each room. However not all ch systems with 10mm pipes showing to radiators have manifolds. Sometimes only the last couple of meters are in 10mm pipe. Main ch circuit in 22mm pipe reducing to 15mm or 10mm pipe depending on flow rate required for the radiator it is supplying. Are you on a combi boiler ? Do all the radiators perform ok ? Is it copper or plastic pipe ?

It's copper pipe, and it's a system boiler (mains water is heated via the cylinder). All the radiators seem to perform ok.

 

[cjcoffin]

It's copper pipe, and it's a system boiler (mains water is heated via the cylinder). All the radiators seem to perform ok.

What is the construction? If you have suspended floors upstairs and down they are likely to have run the pipework below the floorboards. Do you have specific reason to think the pipes are embedded in the walls? If so a pipe/wire finder will probably detect them as they are copper..

Otherwise since it is all working OK there may be nothing to worry about other than it would be nice to know. @Andy165 describes the usual setup well. Not likely to be more than one manifold per floor in a small-medium house. As a start ask yourself how you would run the pipes if you were doing it. Are there similar houses nearby and do their owners know?

 

[mjgreen81]

What is the construction? If you have suspended floors upstairs and down they are likely to have run the pipework below the floorboards. Do you have specific reason to think the pipes are embedded in the walls? If so a pipe/wire finder will probably detect them as they are copper..

Otherwise since it is all working OK there may be nothing to worry about other than it would be nice to know. @Andy165 describes the usual setup well. Not likely to be more than one manifold per floor in a small-medium house. As a start ask yourself how you would run the pipes if you were doing it. Are there similar houses nearby and do their owners know?

The floors are suspended both upstairs and downstairs.

I don't have any particular reason to suspect that the pipes are in the walls, I just genuinely have no idea as any DIY I have done myself in the past have been on a 50s house with brick walls and floor boards so its all a bit new to me. In a 90s house, with all the plasterboard walls just makes me cautious as to what may be hidden in the cavities when I start looking at hanging stuff on the walls . I don't want to end up sticking a screw in a pipe.

It's reassuring to hear that it is likely that the piping runs under the suspended floor rather than the walls.