For feedback.... I'm pretty busy though, so may be slow to respond.
NT
Replace a radiator
[[image:Old rad 4629-4.jpg|400px]]This [[radiator]] needs replacing.
If the new rad were the same size, the 2 valves could just be switched off and the rad replaced, with only the water in the radiator to deal with.
The new rad is slightly smaller though, so its necessary to cut the pipework. There are 3 ways to avoid a mess:
- Bung in the header tank, close off the rad valves, only make one pipework hole at once
- Freezing kit - speed & confidence needed
- Drain down the system, adding new [[inhibitor]] afterwards - allows multiple pipe cuts, pretty foolproof
In this case there was other work to do as well, and a drain down was chosen as the easiest option.
[[image:Drain c*ck 4631-3.jpg|400px]]# Turn the [[water]] feed to the [[heating]] system off, set the [[Central Heating Operation|programmer]] to OFF for both CH and [[Domestic Hot Water|HW]]. # Put a hosepipe onto the drain c*ck, and weight the other end so it doesn't move and flood the place. # Loosen the drain c*ck end nut, but don't remove it. It will leak, put a bowl under it. # Loosen the radiator bleed valve at the top so the rad can also drain.
When all drained, the nuts on the radiator stubs were undone, enabling the rad to be lifted off. Bigger rads need 2 people to lift.
[[image:CH sludge 4589-3.jpg|400px]]When you lift the radiator off, don't tip it over or the evil sludge spills out.
[[image:Radiator stub 4592-3.jpg|400px]]The rad valves are ok, so the stubs (which are part of the valve assemblies) were unscrewed from the old radiator for reuse. The threads were cleaned out & filled with [[Putties|putty]]. The new rad also had its threads wiped with putty, and the stubs screwed into it as shown.
[[image:Radiator bleed valve 4595-3.jpg|400px]]The bleed valve is screwed into the new rad at the top at the more accessible end.
[[image:Radiator blanking plug 4596-3.jpg|400px]]The other top end hole is blanked off. The blanking plug and bleed valve came with the new [[radiator]].
[[image:Rad brkts 4628-3.jpg|400px]]The enclosed wall fixing diagram wasn't too helpful, so the rad [[brackets]] were held in place on the rad, and the lower left bracket fixing hole measured from the left stub, horizontal and vertical distances being taken. The brackets can move up & down on the wall, and the rad can move sideways on the brackets; middle positions were measured to to permit later adjustment in any direction.
These measured distances were used to mark the position of the first fixing hole on the wall, measuring from the disconnected pipe end. (Don't forget to hold the pipe in its desired final position.) The other 3 [[bracket]] fixing holes were measured from the 1st one, and marked on the wall.
Didn't have a 9mm SDS [[drill bit]], so drilled the fixing holes 10mm and put some slices of plastic in the holes so the wall plugs fit snugly. Fixing [[screws]] & [[wallplug]]s came with the rad, and were more than big enough, so for once the supplied [[fixings]] were used.
[[image:Rad brackets fitted, not tightened 4597-3.jpg|400px]]Rad brackets fitted to the wall, but [[screws]] not tightened up yet, bracket positions still need fine adjustment.
[[image:Rad msr how far to move it 4599-2.jpg|400px]]The rad was placed on the [[brackets]], and how far up the left one needed to move was measured.
[[image:Rad mark upmove on wall 4600-2.jpg|400px]]The distance to move the bracket up was marked on the wall, makes life easier.
[[image:Rad tighten brkts level 4601-2.jpg|400px]]The bracket was moved up to the mark and tightened. The other [[bracket]] was moved up to make them level and tightened.
[[image:Tile support strip 4602-2.jpg|400px]]The new rad is a bit shorter than the old, so the top row of half tiles have been removed, and a strip of wood nailed on (with [[Nails| masonry nails]]) to support the new row of tiles while they set.
The old tiles were removed by # cutting through the grout to physically disconnect the keep and remove tiles. # insert [[screwdriver]] under the remove tiles and lift, while keeping the other hand firmly on the keep tiles to prevent even the slightest movement (0.1mm is too much) # knock off any lumps of [[adhesive]] left on the wall
[[image:Tile batten & wire channel 4603-3.jpg|400px]]The [[LED]] lit mirror has a 5v feed fitted under the tiles. Here a shallow channel for the [[Low Voltage Wiring|wires]] has been cut with an [[User Reviews - Power Tools - SDS Drills|SDS]] chisel. The chisel was just bounced along the surface to make the groove.
[[image:Rad tiling wires glooped in channel 4604-3.jpg|400px]]The [[Low Voltage Wiring|wires]] are pressed into [[Adhesive|tile adhesive]] in the channel. Neatness is clearly vital.
[[image:Rad tiles stuck on 4605-3.jpg|400px]]The tiles are stuck on. As the wall is uneven, each tile gets 5 dots of [[adhesive]] and is pressed/wiggled into position. Each tile must rest on something to stop it sliding out of position, hence the wood strip, folded card, and for the bigger gaps here [[wallplug]] offcuts were just right.
If the wall were flat, wiping [[adhesive]] onto the back of the tiles with a tiling comb would be better.
[[image:Tiles grouted, rad fitted 4616-3.jpg|400px]]Next day the [[adhesive]]'s set, though still weak. The tiles are grouted - its only a small area so the grout was just pressed deep into the gaps with a finger, then wiped smooth along the gap. The finish on neighbouring grouting was rough, so the grout lines were finger wiped to produce the same kind of finish. A rubber grouting tool wiped at 45 degrees would produce a smooth finish.
The rad was hung on its [[brackets]], ready to connect to the left valve on the pipe end. The correct way is to remove the old olive and fit a new, but unfortunately the nut on both rad tails couldn't be slid back far enough to get any access to the old olives. So I went for the practical option and packed the outer nut completely full of [[Putties|putty]], did it up and tried to convince myself it wasn't a bodge. As its tightened up this putty gets forced over & around the old olive, and that's how the seal is made. Purists will groan, but its perfectly effective, and saved a trip out and unnecessary mucking about.
[[image:Rad pipe shortened 4617-4.jpg|400px]]The new rad was 3cm less wide than the old, so to connect the right end up the pipe needed to be shortened.
- A 3.5cm length was cut out using a rotary pipecutter
- Accumulated [[paint]] was sliced off with a [[Knives|knife]] for an inch on the 2 cut ends
- A [[Scraper|metal scourer]] cleaned the pipe surfaces
- A 15mm coupler was screwed on after smearing the olives inside and out with [[Putty & Mastic|putty]], and done up firmly.
- With hands 4&5, the connection to the end of the rad was done up at the same time.
[[image:Rad all done 4617-3.jpg|400px]]
Done!
The [[water]] feed was turned back on, keeping an eye on the repairs for leaks. Everything was sound.
[[image:Radiator key 4620-2.jpg|400px]]The radiators were all bled. Loosen the bleed valve with a bleeding tool, air hisses out, once water begins to come out do it up again, not very tight. If the floor isn't wipe clean its best to hold an old towel under the bleed valve to catch the dirty drips.
The programmer was set back on and [[inhibitor]] was put in the CH header tank (the little 2 gallon tank in the loft). That's it.
==Olives== [[image:Compression tee showing olive 4618-3.jpg|400px]]
Compression fittings use thin copper rings called olives. Olives are designed to be used dry, with no putty or ptfe. I've had too many failures doing this, I smear olives inside & out with [[Putties| putty]] and it works every time. Purists will tell you not to.
In case you've never plumbed anything before, olives aren't reusable. Even if you gently screw home the nut on an unused fitting the olive will no longer be usable. Every job needs a spare olive or two.
With these compression fittings, the threads don't form a watertight seal. The seal's formed between the olive and the pipe, and a second seal forms between olive and the fitting around it.
Why then was putty put in the threaded nut during the installation? This isn't usually done, but when reusing an old olive is unavoidable its probably not going to make a seal, and the putty in the nut gets squeezed all around the olive as the nut is done up, creating a seal.
===Putties=== Several sealant options:
- Plumber's mait - never sets
- Proprietary gloops like
- PTFE tape - easy & clean. Wind it the right way so it doesn't undo
- Linseed putty - non toxic but not for potable water
- Fibres & putty - slow, no longer popular
- No sealant other than the metal olive
This job was all done with linseed putty. It does set hard, but unscrewing a joint later breaks it up without any difficulty, there's only a thin film left in the joint. Purists won't like that either.
See [[Putties]]
==See also==
- [[Radiator]]
- [[Central Heating Repair]]
- [[Putties]]
- And click the category links below.
[[Category:Basics]] [[Category:Heating]] [[Category:Plumbing]] [[Category:Tiling]]