Plumbing a cast iron radiator

[lummocks]

Evening all!

I've recently bought a few nice (in my opinion!) cast iron radiators and would like to plumb them in using preferably a large fitting and large pipe feeding 28mm or 22 at bare minimum. Ive attached a photo of the fitting which appears to be 1.25" but finding a suitable valve and fitting is proving painful. Thought it might!

As I said id like to plumb with a large diameter pipe for looks. One may need a TRV as it's in a new extension. I'm not a fan of some of the old fashioned valves though.

Am I ****ing in the wind? Shall I just give up and fit a few modern convectors?



Thanks in advance!

 

[TCCHeating]

I don't really understand why you think a 22 or 28mm pipe feeding the rad would be more 'aesthetically pleasing'.

You should have no problem in finding valves to fit that rad, but I have to saY a modern rad will be a lot more efficient than that victorian antique you have there

 

[Boilerman2]

Drayton TRV4 - 3/4" BSP will have the required union size to fit the rad, you can fit a 3/4" male iron to suitable sized copper

so easy!

 

[dcawkwell]

Cast iron radiators contain quite a lot of water. You might need to
increase the size of expansion vessel in the boiler if you have a sealed system.

 

[RigidRaider]

If you've ever foolishly tried to paint one of those old rads with a brush you'll know that they have a massive surface area, I doubt much different from a modern panel radiator.

 

[kidgreen61]

My advice would be to scrap the frickin things.

I've just spent an age flushing rust/scale/crap from a system that had been ruined by those piles of (expensive) scrap.

 

[TCCHeating]

My advice would be to scrap the frickin things.

I've just spent an age flushing rust/scale/crap from a system that had been ruined by those piles of (expensive) scrap.

+1

High water content and low surface area compared to a modern finned convector, so definately innefficient.

I dont even like the look of the things either, they remind me of school

 

[HERTS P&D]

I dont even like the look of the things either, they remind me of school

Only because you were naughty!

Andy

 

[lummocks]

Well I fitted two of them. We love the look of them, I'll try and get a few photos when we have decorated fully. I spent a good amount of time flushing them out. For those talking about them being inefficient, I don't know if I agree. They bellow out the heat and once the heating has turned off the mass of cast iron seems to hold the heat for hours and hours after.

Thank you for the advice.

I note an earlier post about the fitment of a larger expansion vessel, this may be on the cards as I notice a few weeks after the system has been re filled the pressure has increased up to around 2.7bar. This is indeed on a closed loop combi system.

 

[doitall]

Hey Lummocks, don't take any notice of them.

In the right place they are brilliant and look the part. You buy a car because you like it, so get them on the wall