Remove Radiator

[Truffle]

Hi

I am decorating my lounge and want to remove the radiator to paint behind it (i might even replace it).

Its an old thin radiator with the thermostat at the top and the two pipes come out of the floor side, by side into it. On each of these pipes, there is a kind of small silver wheel type nut. I have an Ideal combi boiler.

My question is, can I remove the radiator by simply tightening up these two 'wheel' looking nuts and then just taking it off or is there more to it than that? I understand the pressure will drop on the boiler, which I can repressurise afterwards, or is it more complex than that, ie I'd need to turn off the water supply. I am inexperienced in this, and before I even start, want to ensure it's as simple as it seems. I've looked all over the web for this type of radiator/boiler, but to no avail.

Thanks in advance Bob

[Franko]

Tighten up the 2 "wheel nuts" valves and have a bowl or shallow container ready as you loosen the pipe fitting on one side of the radiator to catch the water, do not fully loosen the nut as you may need to make more than one trip to empty the bowl. Loosen the bleed valve to hasten the draining and when no more water is left, put some old towels under each valve to catch any that is sitting in the bottom of the radiator and loosen the valves at each end enabling you to lift the radiator clear. The pressure in the system will not change until you replace the rad and refill it with water. When refitting it, sit it back on the brackets and use ptfe tape on the threads before tightening the valves, open the "wheel nuts" at each end and bleed until no air is left in the rad - at the same time checking the pressure level on the boiler. Hope this is ok - works for me every time. Franko.

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[keefers]

and i'd refill the rad by opening only the feed and only open the return once the rad is pretty well bled. If you open them both there's a greater likelihood of air going back to the boiler and you'll maybe have to bleed the pump then. Not a big deal but it might save you five or ten minutes.

[P.R.Brady]

Remember too that the radiator may not be completely empty when you remove it. As you swing it free the nice black sludge sprayed over walls, carpet, furniture, trousers and the dog adds ambiance to the house! Ever since I have used scrapers on long sticks, thin paint rollers etc in preference to rad removal.

Phil

[mungoh]

Been there. Now I use a couple of balloons of narrow neck diameter to clip over the pipe stubs on the radiator before I take it off the wall. These catch any sludge that attempts to escape on to the cream coloured highly expensive carpet (yeah, I wish :-).

Others will tell you to ensure that the air vent is closed and turn the radiator upside down so that the last bit of sludge runs to the normally-top bit of the radiator and is trapped there as you carry it elsewhere.

[Franko]

Upside down is a good idea.

[TheScullster]

Only if you put the bleed valve nipple back!

Isn' that a pop groupy sort of thing? Oh no that's Nickleback (groan).