Removing a radiator

[chudford]

My daughter has asked me to remove one of her radiators so that she can get a builder in to remove the wall between her kitchen and dining room.

She is going to have underfloor heating installed in the dining room (not fitted by me)

Several questions:

I intend to freeze the radiator pipe, remove it and cap the ends. The system is on a combi boiler so is there a better way other than draining the system? I have used this method before with no problems.

Will the heating engineers use the existing CH piping to connect to the UF heating or run new ones from the boiler?

If they use the existing piping would it be helpful to fit a gate valve to the CH pipe ends instead of just capping them?

Thanks

[Roger Mills]

If I were doing it, I would: a) drain and remove the radiator b) de-pressurise the system c) open each radiator valve in turn and collect the (small amount of) water [1] which comes out d) cut and cap each pipe e) re-pressurise the system

Who knows? They might use an UFH kit which connects in place of a radiator, or they might install it as a separate zone.

It would do no harm to fit full-bore service valves (not gate valves) *and* caps. If anyone then wants to use the pipes, they can simply remove the caps and make the connections without any draining down.

[1] probably a good idea to turn off all the other rads (noting the settings of lockshield valves) to ensure that they remain full

[chudford]

Thank you for the tips Roger, especially the full bore valve and cap.

I should have mentioned that hers is a large Edwardian house with 8 bedrooms on 4 floors with 2 separate heating systems ( one for an extension). So I might stick with my original freezing plan so save my old legs from running up and down the stairs. Depends on what I find when I lift the floor boards. I don't know how old the copper piping to the radiator is so had better go prepared with some imperial bits.

This could be one of those 1 hour jobs that take several days!!

I think she has a separate zone for the UFH in her garden room (very posh) so I guess they will do the same for the dining room.

There are floor boards at present in the dining room and she is going to have it tiled to match the kitchen, how do you fit UFH over joists with tiles on top?

[Roger Mills]

You don't!

Is it a ground floor? If so, it's best to make it a solid floor by removing the boards and joists, filling the void with concrete, followed by solid foam insulation, followed by the UFH pipes buried in the screed. I've no idea how to install wet UFH under a suspended floor - even if it's possible.

[The Medway Handyman]

Exactly how I would do it as well, including turning off the other rads. Done it several times when people want rads moved/removed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its very easy. Lift teh floor, fit a sub base below and lay pipes in the void, with insulation at the base.

You can buy special foam blocks or fake it up with celotex and pipe clips.

[Phil Addison]

Drayton Drain Easy Kit

thread on "Tinkerin' wiv me central heating ..."

Phil

[chudford]

Sorry but this kit does not work with a combi boiler system.

[Phil Addison]

Kit

>

Ooops, yes you are right, must have been half asleep. sorry.

Phil