Top tips on removing deadleg pipes from under floor boards

[jonwestuk]

Hi,

I need to move the location of one of my radiators in my living room that has a very expensive teak floor. The new location of the radiator already has a flow and return that I will patch into so I do not need the existing pipework to the old radiator as it does not feed any other radiators in the system.

The problem is that whilst it is relatively straight forward to cap the pipe trying to remove the whole section of plastic pipe looks to be very complicated as it is not clear where it connects with the circuit. I think I will need to lift a large amount of the boards at an really big cost as I will need to get new custom made boards made up.

Does anyone have any top tips for removing it?
How much effort would you guys go to in order to remove a dead leg in the system 1m in length on the flow and return?

The only other option I have is to remove it by cutting into the ceiling of the floor below…..but that is hardly ideal and would involve plastering the ceiling!

Jon

 

[kbdiy]

Why not suck it and see? If the heating doesn't perform properly after you have moved the rad then you will obviously have to take action. But if there is no perceptible difference then problem solved.

 

[jonwestuk]

Why not suck it and see? If the heating doesn't perform properly after you have moved the rad then you will obviously have to take action. But if there is no perceptible difference then problem solved.

That is what I was thinking, thought I see if anyone had bad experiences with such things?

 

[dreadnoughtheating]

Air trapped in the system can/will give problems,
a) potential for airlocks in high spots giving circulation issues (reduced in sealed systems)
b) aiding corrosion process/oxidisation of metal surfaces.

So, yes remove the legs if at all possible, if not, make sure they are full of water by fitting bleed points in an accessible location. I do not suggest that they are joined together, but, with a valve in-between them it would stop the two legs becoming a further loop for circulation to take place in (in the same way that a radiator is just part of a loop.

BTW I trust that this is on a 'two-pipe' system, there are still many many one-pipers around.

dh

 

[jonwestuk]

Definitely a two pipe system, I am going to further investigate ways of removing the pipe. Are there top tips of how to trace the pipes back to the source / T - Junction?

 

[dreadnoughtheating]

X-ray specs.



(let me know if you can find any)

Or hire an infra-red camera to trace heat when system is on.

DH

 

[ALCPlumbing]

Definitely a two pipe system, I am going to further investigate ways of removing the pipe. Are there top tips of how to trace the pipes back to the source / T - Junction?

Eyes

 

[longdogs]

Get a helper to tap it with a spanner and feel which one vibrates.

 

[St0rmer66]

Can't see what harm a dead leg will realistically do on a CH system. Yes avoid where possible (good practice) but it's not the same as on potable water.