Adapting radiator valve with an elbow

[aboleth]

Following advice here about fitting a fan heater in my cold bathroom, I decided to check whether the problem was actually due to an underpowered radiator... it turns out that the one I have is probably about 800W, while the online calculator I tried out suggested I need

1800W for the room. So I'm going to boot out the designer nonsense and fit a proper working radiator instead.

But... rad that is coming out has it's in/outlets on the bottom (see pic at

). I want to replace with a conventional radiator with side connections. I really don't fancy my plumbing skills and I don't want to drain the system, so I'd like to adapt the fitting and use the valves as they are. Is it possible to get something like this:

but as a right-angled elbow rather than a straight piece?

[richard]

Never seen one, and I think even say a 400mm double rad (about1200) is

500mm wide with valves That said.You are in the happy place of any pipe work you add can be isolated with the existing valves Compression fittings are really easy to use honest., a few elbows and cheap pipe cutter and lengh of pipe, give it a go What are dimensions of towel rail and the distance between pipes supplying it?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't think you can blame a 'designer' rad for lack of design. ;-)

[Roger Mills]

> but as a right-angled elbow rather than a straight piece?

The normal solution would be to replace the existing valves with the right-angled variety, which will connect directly to a conventional radiator. This can be done without draining down if you block up the fill and vent pipes (if a vented system) or de-pressurise (if non-vented) and only replace one at a time and don't hang about too much.

But that might not solve your problem because the vertical pipes coming out of the floor are probably too close together for your new rad, so you'll probably have to go out sideways and then up again.

[aboleth]

The pipes are 1060mm apart. I was hoping to squeeze in a 1000mm rad but it looks like I need at least 80mm for joints.

I hadn't twigged that i could use standard compression joints... i think the answer is a 900mm rad and some industrial looking pipework. Can you get chrome compression elbows?

[Bob Minchin]

Yes readily available as is chrome plated pipe. Maybe not in B&Q but screwfix/toolstation etc are bound to do them.

Bob

[Usenet Nutter]

I appreciate your problem but I'd say there is nothing better than siting the rad in it's proper position with pipes coming straight from below the inlet/outlet of the rad using just a piece of straight pipe and an angled valve .

[Jon Fairbairn]

Might be worth considering dry-lining the room instead.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The neatest way is always to bend pipe rather than use compression fittings. Solder fittings look better too. Screwfix do a few ready made bent sections that might do what you want if you don't have a pipe bender

- but those need soldering too. Painting with chrome paint can look ok - gives a sort of brushed SS look.

[Tim W]

Bob Minchin wibbled on Wednesday 23 December 2009 10:18

BES certainly do - I have some.

The only thing I've never managed to source are chrome 3/4" BSP to 15mm tap connectors.

[Tim W]

Jon Fairbairn wibbled on Wednesday 23 December 2009 10:35

If so, I would do it with Marmox and skim plaster or tile to that.

It's not much different to handling PB, though I would advise gluing it to the walls rather than screwing to avoid any bounce.

20mm of that, if space permits will do a lot to help.

[Jon Fairbairn]

I was thinking of plaster or cement board on Xtratherm or similar, but yes.

I'd have thought most bathrooms could afford to lose a bit more space than that.

[aboleth]

Well, I replaced the rad. It turned out that a 1000mm one had exactly the right distance to fit between the pipes. I added a short piece of copper pipe to a compression elbow, which has the extra benefit of a valve (meaning I can isolate the radiator and remove it without emptying). The pipes were coming up too close to the wall, but there was enough flexibility to join it up; I have slight worries about the joints being under some torsion due to this, but nothing is leaking.

It looks ugly, and I will redo it I think, but that means draining the system, which I didn't want to do. Given that it's a combi though, this shouldn't be too hard?

I did wonder what the hell I was doing messing with the plumbing and the heating on the day before Christmas!

[Roger Mills]

Nah - you don't need to drain the system. Just drain and remove the rad in question and then open one of the valves and catch the water in a container. It will stop running after a couple of litres, at which time you can remove the valve and modify the pipework. Then repeat the process with the other valve (don't have both valves open at the same time) but you'll hardly get any water out this time.

When you finished, re-pressurise the system - and Bob's your uncle!

[aboleth]

REALLY?? If that's right I would have done so, I thought I would get the whole system emptying if I did that. Given the rad in question is on the middle floor, what would stop all the higher up ones from draining out when I removed the valve?

[Roger Mills]

The fact that it's a sealed system, so no air can get in to replace any water which comes out. If you're worried, turn off both ends [1] of all radiators at the same or higher level - then they're guaranteed to stay full - but they would, anyway.

I recently had to replace a radiator valve which got a bit mangled while the rad was off for decorating. Mine is a vented system, but I've got full-bore lever-operated isolating valves on both the flow and return pipes of my CH and, having turned them off, I got scarcely more than a thimbleful out of the valve in question when I opened it. With a non-vented system you don't need such valves.

[1] If you do that, make a note of how many turns each lockshield valve takes to close it so that you can put them back to the same condition (assuming that your system has been balanced!)