Moving a Radiator

[cwhaley]

I need to move a radiator and just wanted to share my plan. I'm able to solder end feed properly and have installed new rads before, but I've left teeing them into the existing circuit to my plumber, purely to avoid draining the system.

I have a radiator currently on a kitchen wall. I would like to move it to an adjacent wall in order to change the layout of the kitchen. This was my plan:

1. As the radiator is at the very end of the circuit and conveniently has a drain valve at the end of the pipe, I will de-pressurise the system and then isolate the radiators at the boiler. I can then re-pressurise the boiler to maintain access to hot water.

2. Close both the TRV and lockshield valves on the radiator (so it doesn't spill out everywhere) and then remove it from the wall.

3. Drain the radiator outside and flush. Renew both valves simply because I have a few boxes of spare Drayton ones.

4. Mount radiator in new position, run new pipework and connect to rad, add rust inhibitor and finally re-open radiator pipework.

5. Check for leaks.


My main concerns are with draining the system and isolating the radiator pipework. It sounds like a logical way of ensuring the boiler can still provide hot water.

 

[Wayners]

Combi boiler needs radiators working to keep pressure up and will circulate water to cool itself. Boiler could overheat or bugger up.
You also need inhibitor in the system to protect boiler.
Just get a plumber to do the lot. Plumber won't want to get involved just incase there are problems with anything you have done.

 

[Razor900]

Close the valves on the rad then disconnect the valves on the radiator side. Drain the rad into trays or similar.

That way you can mount the rad into trays the new location with new valves and run the pipework back to the original location without disturbing the existing system at all.

When you are ready you can drain the system and make the final connections

 

[cwhaley]

Combi boiler needs radiators working to keep pressure up and will circulate water to cool itself. Boiler could overheat or bugger up.
You also need inhibitor in the system to protect boiler.
Just get a plumber to do the lot. Plumber won't want to get involved just incase there are problems with anything you have done.

Cheers wasn't aware of this. I'll drain the system at the stage needed in this case. Was only a "nice to have" thing.

Yes have inhibitor, this is in step 4 of my post. Plumber wants £300. He's got to cover his costs and make a bit of profit, but when I have all the materials and the brain capacity, DIY it is.

 

[cwhaley]

Close the valves on the rad then disconnect the valves on the radiator side. Drain the rad into trays or similar.

That way you can mount the rad into trays the new location with new valves and run the pipework back to the original location without disturbing the existing system at all.

When you are ready you can drain the system and make the final connections

Hadn't thought of doing it that way, thanks a lot. I think that would work quite well.

I'm starting Sunday. Will take some pics along the way.