Rerouting central heating pipes

Joined
6 Dec 2004
Messages
123
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
We've been in the house for just over a year and experienced 2 leaks in the central heating pipes buried in the concrete on the ground floor.

Not wanting to be forever disrupting the wooden flooring etc etc I have been looking for a solution. A local heating engineer worked out a way of rerouting all the downstairs pipes so that they run behind the skirting boards, and where necessary will need to be run upstairs between the ceiling/floor void to get round doorways etc. and then back downstairs to the radiator. With what has been proposed we can completely isolate the pipes buried in concrete and continue with decorating without worrying about further leaks in the longer term.

My question is, given that this is a £5700, 3 week job including new radiators, does this seem like a sensible option. Are there any reasons not to hide the pipework behind skirtings etc. And before anyone asks, running pipes externally and then boxing them in is NOT an option, it looks hideous IMHO.

Of course I inderstand that leaks are always possible, just looking for your views on the proposed solution.

Thanks
Steve
 
Sponsored Links
How BIG???????????

Sounds kinda high for a 3 bed semi but it must take a while using that expensive skirting stuff designed for pipes to go behind - assuming that's the idea. It wouldn't take so long to do the pipes if they're plastic, or microbore copper.
 
Sorry Kev the spare bedroom's the one we sleep in. The others are full of boilers & stuff.
 
Sponsored Links
If hes' using that Pendock cladding to hide the pipes then that stuff is about £90 a length!! plus an arm & a leg for the corners. I would get a joiner in to make some boxing & save myself some money.
 
In answer to some of the questions.

The house is approx 3,300 sg ft with a total of 8 raditors to be replaced downstairs. Replacement radiators are not necessary but the ones I have are old and have been painted by hand and therefore look a bit naff. The thinking is to go for a modern, more efficient finned radiator with that as new look prior to decorating each room. I'm looking for a long term (20 year) solution to the issue of rotting/leaking pipes currently buried in concrete.

The cost includes removing exisiting skirting, fitting pipework behind and replacing existing skirting.

There will be a total of 4 "drops" from the first floor to the ground floor.

Approx. cost per hour of this work is £35/hr. I live in a village called Goring, near Reading and do not consider £35/hr to be an unreasonable price to pay a qualified and recommended tradesman in this area (I've had some quote as much as £60/hr for plumbing work of this nature).

Anyway, back to the original question, does anyone see any downside to "hiding" the pipework in this way? As mentioned, boxing in is NOT an option. The house is worth approx. £750k and I do not think a cheap boxing in option to be appropriate. Besides I think it would look totally naff.

Thanks
Steve
 
Ask ChrisR to do it and save the £700 :eek:

Goring brings back some childhood memories :LOL:
 
Looks like I`m in the wrong corridor, I could do Goring by Sea-A27 corridor..@£20.00 per hour...But the M4 corridor :( . nurse Ratchett has just called me back from this hospital corridor. :eek: . Now do you believe me if I agree that it`s a good idea to hide the pipes behind the skirting. Better if they can be on inside walls (heat loss). Skirting gripfilled back, no problems.
 
I have just had my bungalow re=piped for the same reason.

£2850 to do the job in plastic piping, internal drops from loft and clad. By puting some in corners and some behind full drop curtains it is hardly noticeable and visitors are amazed when the work is pointed out to them. For the first time ever, the system is now silent, previously we could hear the water going round the pipes to due air getting in from the leak. Well worth the money and a first class job.

Arni
 
Hi arni,

roughly how big was the job and which part of the country are you in? There is obviously a hoge difference in what you paid and what I'm being quoted.
 
This was replacing all the piping to 10 radiators in a fairly large bungalow, tho the rads themselves were all OK and not replaced. This is in the Bournemouth area. Took three and a half days

Arni
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top