Need to put a shallow S-bend in existing pipes

[Brownstone1892]

Hi guys,

Hopefully you can point me in the right direction, as you've always done in the past.

I had a very fancy radiator powder coated recently, and bought some new valves for it, however they're a little bit wider (when looked at from the front) than the ones they're replacing, so the pipes need to be moved out around 10-15mm each side. I need to shorten the pipes too, as the rad now sits much lower than it previously did, due to me putting it on feet, instead of completely inappropriate brackets fastened to plasterboard like the previous owner had done.

My question is, do you think it would be easy for the average semi-competent DIYer to put a very shallow s-bend in each pipe to accomodate the new "wider" valves? If so, how would I do it, and what tools would I need.

There is a chance I could get to the pipes from the crawl space under the house, so could replace them entirely, but it must be through the existing holes in the new laminate I laid before tackling the rad

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

Cheers guys,

BS...

 

[Madrab]

Difficult to hand bend a 15mm offset, you'd really need pipe benders to create them. You can buy preformed pipe - crossovers etc but not sure about offsets as they are usually bent to requirements depending on the size of offset needed.

You may be able to span that size of offset by using 2 45deg end feed bends and solder but would need to check what distance it would give you.

 

[Gasguru]

The smallest offset you can achieve with fittings alone would be to couple a plain obtuse and street obtuse (that's a normal 45 deg bend and a 45 deg bend with only one end a socket...both end feed).
If you use traditional pipe benders to form the offset remember that the pipe is distorted near the bends and you'll require a minimum length of straight pipe before you can fit on your couplings/rad valve.
Although it doesn't look good you could line up one end of the rad such that no offset is required...and the other end form it with elbows...and that will require the least amount of vertical length.

 

[Brownstone1892]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies, they're as educational as always in this forum. After Rob's reply, I was thinking of leaving one of the pipes straight, and moving the rad to the right a bit instead, as that side will be mostly hidden by an armchair, but I don't think it would leave enough of a gap to fill to use elbows. I might just bite the bullet and pay someone to sort it out, as a pipe bender's going to cost around the same as a quick guvvy job from an aquaintance.

Cheers,

BS...

 

[Bodd]

Your having a nice modern rad fitted. Pipe work needs to look neat upto rad otherwise it defeats the reason to having.

Have you got pictures.