Installing Radiators

[NickH]

Hi

I want to install a radiator towel rail in my bathroom.

I currently have a radiator that is 900mm wide, and so my pipes are placed too far apart to install a less wider towel rail.

My floor is tiled so I dont want to move the pipes below the tiles? And also I have very very basic plumbing skills!

Any ideas?

Can anyone help please??

Thanks

Nick

[Roger Mills]

You mean other than by suggesting that you employ a plumber?

How wide is the towel radiator which you wish to install? If it's only a

*bit* narrower, you may be able to use adjustable tails similar to it's a *lot* narrower - like more than 100mm, the pipework will need to be modified. This can be done above floor level but will, of course, show.

If the towel rad is bottom entry (as many of them are) rather than side entry like a conventional radiator, the pipework will need to be modified

*anyway*.

[Lobster]

Well you're certainly going to have to do a bit of plumbing, as whatever happens you're not going to be able to simply screw the old radiator connections onto the new towel rail (apart from the dimensions issue, the connections are usually physically different as Roger says.)

So if you don't want to go below floor level, you'll end up with at least a short length (or lengths) of horizontal pipework bridging the difference between the old rad and the new one, which is sure to look naff the longer it is - therefore I suggest you look for a towel rail as close as possible to 900mm wide. They are available in many sizes if you don't restrict yourself to B&Q etc - eg:

Although - the easiest solution would probably be to use some form of flexible connector (you could even use push-fit ones); although again that would also have a high 'naff' value!

David

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Assuming the towel rail is high enough, the neatest way would be with two matching 'S' bent pipes. Elbows are going to look naff as will flexibles.

You might be able to do this with a spring if you anneal the pipe first. A proper mandrel pipe bender isn't cheap for a one off and takes skill to use so in this case it might be better to get a decent plumber in.

[Guy King]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

One with trousers that fit?