Radiator move in sealed combi boiler system

[GRC]

I've got a combi-boiler-driven CH & HW system, and I'm looking to move one of the radiators (6 on upper floor, 7 on lower floor; moving one of those on lower floor).

The heating flow & return pipes leave the boiler and seem to split into upper and lower floor circuits via T-joints, and the drain cock for the system (which must be at the lowest point of the system? Y/N?) appears after this split, on either the flow or return pipe (not confirmed yet). The boiler is a Vokera Excell. Appears to be a sealed system, with a filling loop for pressurising it.

Please correct me if I have any of this out of sequence, or if I'm missing anything.

1. Switch off boiler
2. Release pressure in system via drain cock without allowing it to drain completely or admit air
3. Working below floorboard level, cut pipes at each end of radiator, allowing for spillage
4. Cap the end of each pipe (the ones still connected to system, not the radiator!) keeping them separate; i.e I don't join them together.
5. Pressurise system, and restart boiler, check for leaks at capped ends.

House can still be heated and have hot water whilst I set about relocating radiator now.... then later on, having mounted new radiator with its pipework .....

1. Run new pipework to vicinity of capped ends
2. Switch off boiler, depressurise as above
3. Connect new pipework to capped ends (with solder fittings or compression? It's 8mm or 10mm pipework).
4. Leaving bleed valve open on moved radiator until radiator full, re-pressurise system.
5. Restart boiler, check for leaks

I reckon I'm moving the radiator between 15 - 20 feet from its current location; is this likely to have any bearing on the operation?

Regards, Graham

 

[ChrisR]

1a) you could turn most rads off to trap your inhibitor if you have it in. Leave one open to connect flo and return.

Can you pick up ch pipes any nearer to where the rad's going to be? You can't go tooo far with 8mm.

Make sure the auto air vent on the boile is open all the time (cap stays loose not screwed up.

Other way to do it:
CLose AAV
let presure down to 0
close the rad's valves
drain rad & remove it
put a towel under the pipe,
Cut with a pipeslice and shove a speedfit cap on quick.
Because the system is CLOSED, water can't gush out. About half a cupful is usually all. If you're chicken do it with the DC open and a hose on it. Then when you cut the pipe it'll SUCK!

 

[GRC]

Make sure the auto air vent on the boile is open all the time (cap stays loose not screwed up.

GRC - Is the AAV the gadget on top of the boiler, next to the flue outlet, the one that I won't be able to see properly until I get on the stepladder.......?

Regards, Graham

 

[GRC]

The re-routed pipes need to go through a brick wall to reach the new radiator location; what's recommended way of acheiving this?

A. Drill two holes through the mortat course slightly larger than the pipes themselves, and feed each pipe through individually
B. Knock out a whole or half brick and give them space

Regards, Graham

 

[kevplumb]

either will do