Board logo

Permanently removing a radiator
Avoneer - 12/5/07 at 10:24 PM

Hi all,

What's the best way?

I can get to the pipes under the floor.

Can they just be capped or do they need to be bridged?

How do I know if it's a sealed system or not?

Thanks,

Pat...

nitram38 - 12/5/07 at 10:33 PM

If it is a radiator in the system then you can cap it off, but there is an exception.
Some systems that use Rad thermostats have one rad without any stat. This is a failsafe that allows water to circulate in the event of all the stats on the other rads closing.

miserableoldgit - 12/5/07 at 10:34 PM

panicked first of all, thought this was on the car!

Housing radiator feeds can just be capped off. Zero flow in the pipes shouldn't cause any problems to the system

Chippy - 12/5/07 at 10:35 PM

If its a two pipe system, "ie" flow and return, then just cap the two pipes that come from them. If its a single pipe system, "ie" the pipe comes up, through the rad and back down under the floor, then you will need to join them together, OR if there is just one pipe that the two pipes come up from just cap the risers. Hope all that makes sence. Ray

MkIndy7 - 12/5/07 at 10:40 PM

A sealed system has a pressure guage, usually on the boiler and a filling loop to fill it with (most newer boilers are of this type)

An Open vented system has a header tank (usually in the loft) that fills the system up.

As said before if its a modern flow and return system (most likely) its fine to just cap each of the stalks off.

nitram38 - 12/5/07 at 10:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by miserableoldgit
panicked first of all, thought this was on the car!

Housing radiator feeds can just be capped off. Zero flow in the pipes shouldn't cause any problems to the system


If you have rads with stats and they all close, this puts stress on the boiler. That is why there is a flow through rad in the system, usually the bathroom towel rail/radiator.
It is good practice to do this.

[Edited on 12/5/2007 by nitram38]

JoelP - 12/5/07 at 10:52 PM

cut and cap, doesnt even need draining! Just dont do what i did, and try that with a stop tap that was a very wet day

Avoneer - 12/5/07 at 11:09 PM

It is a sealed system the I think as has a pressure guage on the combi and a filling/top up loop.

Is it just a case of capping rad then re-filling the system back up to the correct pressure?

What's gonna stop all the water coming out of the pipes when I cut them to cap them as it's ground floor?

Joel - will fire a U2U off to you soon about electickery!

Pat...

gazza285 - 13/5/07 at 01:36 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer


What's gonna stop all the water coming out of the pipes when I cut them to cap them as it's ground floor?



You drain the system first?

JoelP - 13/5/07 at 07:12 AM

i think he's refering to my approach, maybe i should've pointed out that nothing stops it coming out, but the pressure isnt that high. You would loose maybe half a pint of water if you cap it quick, but there is the risk of the valve not going on properly - id only do it like that if it was under a floor space and the pipe was in good nick!

Avoneer - 13/5/07 at 07:37 AM

Joel - how do you fancy draining and re-filling a system and capping a couple of pipes?

Brew and wheel kicking allowed/provided?

Pat...

gingerprince - 13/5/07 at 09:16 AM

don't ignore what nitram says, if you have thermostatic rad valves and they all close (i.e. it's warm), then you'll put stress on the pump and cause it to sieze. If the rad you are moving already has a thermostatic valve on then it's fine, since your bypass (or always on radiator) must be elsewhere in the house (hopefully!)

Avoneer - 13/5/07 at 10:35 AM

Just checked and the rad in the hall has no thermo as does the one in the bathroom.

How do I drain the system, or shall I just cut the pipes and shove on push fit end stops?

Pat...

gingerprince - 13/5/07 at 11:08 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
Just checked and the rad in the hall has no thermo as does the one in the bathroom.

How do I drain the system, or shall I just cut the pipes and shove on push fit end stops?

Pat...


the proper way is to drain the system. there should (not always, mine didn't!) be a drain tap on one of the radiators downstairs that you can fasten a hosepipe to. If there is then drain the system from there, remove and cap the radiator, and refill.

If not, then either: -

- drain the system the hard way, i.e.unhook one side of the radiator,and empty it a bucket (or shallow tray or whatever you can get under the radiator) at a time. Then fit a drain valve to make it easier next time

- or cheat. you can get some pipe freezer stuff from B&Q. use this to freeze the pipes going to the radiator. this will effectively isolate it from the rest of the system. take the radiator off (if you close the valves and just chop the pipes you can probably get away without emptying the radiator but it would probably be safer to empty it anyway (like above but only 1 radiator worth rather than whole system). Then use pipe cutter to cut near the freeze and cap before it defrosts

Never used the freezy stuff but it seems like a nice idea.

nitram38 - 13/5/07 at 07:17 PM

Don't forget to turn of the stopcock to the expansion tank or you will be draining forever!!!
There should be some sort of top up system that you will need to isolate !

JoelP - 13/5/07 at 07:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
Just checked and the rad in the hall has no thermo as does the one in the bathroom.

How do I drain the system, or shall I just cut the pipes and shove on push fit end stops?

Pat...


If there is a drain point, you may as well drain it fully. When pressurised it can be difficult to push stop ends on, much easier to put an open valve on and turn it off once its tightened or pushed on. If drained then push fit stop ends are fine, provided the pipe is clean and unbent, and new enough to not be imperial sizes! Always gets you that one Would love to pop round and help but im stuffed under with work for a few weeks at least.

Avoneer - 13/5/07 at 08:57 PM

Cheers,

No expansion tank so that should be easy!

Pat...

nitram38 - 13/5/07 at 09:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
Cheers,

No expansion tank so that should be easy!

Pat...


There still must be a fill point, so turn off the stopcock before you start draining!

Avoneer - 13/5/07 at 10:38 PM

I think it only fills from the loop tube under the boiler, but I'll turn it off just in case!

Cheers,

Will post back on here when I'm knee deep in water!

Pat...