safe removal of bathroom radiator?

[Keiron Carroll]

I'm in the process of doing my bathroom up & want to remove the radiator to tile behind. Can I simply close both valves and remove it?? I ask this because I have read before on google searches that it may be part of the 'regulation' for the central heating. My setup from a laymans point of view is that I have an indirect system. Cold water tank in loft, smaller ch expansion tank next to it, a hot water cylinder in my airing cupboard which feeds this radiator in the bathroom. Also of note is that when I put the hot water on, this radiator alone gets hot with it. So with this set up am I still ok, at least for a day or two to remove it and still have heating and being able to have hot water???

Any help from more learned personnel would be very gratefully received,

Regard, Keiron Carroll

[Set Square]

I assume that this radiator is plumbed in parallel with the indirect coil in the hot water cylinder, and not in series with it? [If it *is* in series, removing - or even turning off - the radiator will stop the hot water from working]. If in doubt, turn off - but don't remove - the rad and make sure that water still flows through the heating coil in the cylinder.

Assuming that it *is* in parallel, you can safely remove the rad. I'm sure you're aware that, when you turn off both valves, the rad is still full of water - and needs to be drained (by cracking each union nut in turn with a container** and some old towels underneath) before fully undoing the unions. Take adequate precautions against spilling evil black staining gunge on any carpets in the vicinity when you drain and remove the rad.

** I find that aluminium foil takeaway food containers are good, because they can be bent to fit in awkwardly shaped spaces

Have you decided what to do with the radiator brackets? If you remove them, and fit them back over the tiles, the rad will move out relative to the orginal wall surface, and you may have to modify the pipework. [It might also be difficult to get then back in exactly the same position]. If you leave the brackets in place and tile round them, the rad will go back in the same place - but the clearance between it and the wall will be reduced by the thickness of the tiles. This is probably the best option unless this will leave insufficient clearance.

[John Stumbles]

I use a cat litter tray (though a paint roller tray does at a pinch) and a J-cloth draped over the radiator valve to get the water to run into the tray. Have a bucket and a little baling container handy so you can empty the tray out as the radiator's still emptying into it (may not be needed for a small bathroom radiator).

Well why not check when you're removing the rad whether there's a bit of play on the pipes so that you know you can bring the whole rad + brackets out by the thickness of your tiles. Depending how old the existing rad is you might consider replacing it if you can find a new one of near enough the same width so you'll be able to get the pipework to match up with it. Old rads on new tiles + decorations tend to look tacky unless you do an antiques restoration job on them; a bathroom size radiator isn't very expensive; and new rads can have better heat output for the same size as old ones.

[Michael Chare]

Typically your radiator will have two valves, one can be easily turned off and on for normal use and a lock shield valve which is used to balance the system.

When you turn off the lock shield valve count the number of turns it takes to close the valve, when you replace the radiator turn the lock shield valve back on with the same number of turns, that way you wont upset the balance of the system.

Michael Chare

[PoP]

If the number of turns of that lock shield valve is greater than about

1.5 then the possibility exists that the radiator was not balanced properly. At roughly 1.5 turns the water flow is starting to be significant and unrestricted.

Just my general rule of thumb - others might disagree.

PoP

Sending email to my published email address isn't guaranteed to reach me.

[Christian McArdle]

Hopefully, this means that the radiator is across the flow and return of the unzoned pipework before the zone valves. Two things:

1. It could be inline from the boiler. This is very unusual, and would mean that removing the radiator would prevent the whole system working.
2. The radiator could be acting as a permanent bypass. If you have an S-Plan system (separate hot water/heating zone valves) with pump overrun, then this might defeat the overrun system. You may, however, have an alternative bypass, or the boiler may not require a bypass.

Christian.