Odd central heating set up??

[scaffers]

Hi all

We've just bought a 1950s house that needs a bit of work. We have the house now and visited today, because it's now empty we noticed a few things re the central heating

It's nearly all steel pipework
Most radiators are fed and return from the same single pipe, I've added a pic
Lots of pipework is visable running up walls etc


I want to replace the steel pipes with copper or maybe plastic

Are the rads set up OK or should they have a flow and return separate pipes/feeds


Thanks

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

One pipe system, quite common in the 50's. Depends on condition of the system, how well it works, and how much you want to spend, but apart from that bit of copper pipe at the bottom, doesn't look like much has been altered since it was installed. If you intend replacing pipework, you may as well bite the bullet and replace the lot IMO, I would be concerned about how much life the rads have got left in them.

 

[scaffers]

Yep my thoughts exactly. It's a mix of old steel panel rads as per photo single modern style rads and a couple of modern doubles.

I had a look in the loft and there's a header tank there for the heating, boiler is in the garage, hot water tank in a cupboard on landing. I'm tempted to rip out all the steel pipes and the rads and re pipe it as hidden as I can underfloor etc.

 

[muggles]

That's ripe for ripping out and starting again

 

[Nige F]

Yep my thoughts exactly. It's a mix of old steel panel rads as per photo single modern style rads and a couple of modern doubles.

That's a cast iron panel

 

[scaffers]

Oooh cast iron, may have some value then in shoreditch

 

[ianmcd]

Agree with everyone else, new system required dont go wasting money on that