Close-coupling radiators

[Pete Verdon]

Hi,

I've been searching in vain for a largish towel rail/radiator designed in such a way that three towels (there are three of us in the house) can all hang over it and all have some hope of drying out. Since I can't find such a thing, I've come up with the idea of instead fitting three identical bog standard smallish towel radiators next to each other along the wall. The new layout puts all the fixtures (basin, toilet, etc) along one wall for easy plumbing, so the other wall was looking quite empty and will have plenty of room for this.

My intention was to plumb the rads in series, with valves only at the ends, treating them in effect as one big rad. Between them, I had in mind flexible chromed-mesh-sheathed tails like the ones sometimes used to connect taps, assuming one can get ones that a) are suitable for CH temperatures b) don't dissolve in CH inhibitor and c) have or can be adapted to the threads commonly used on radiators. Chrome-finished solid fittings would probably look better, though, if such things are available.

Anyone see any problems with this, or have any better ideas?

The towel radiators I'm looking at each have about a third the power output of the currently-fitted conventional radiator. The room is mostly OK, occasionally a little nippy but I'll be fitting some light electric underfloor heating (mostly to help evaporate dampness from the floor) so I'm happy with the thermal side of the design.

Cheers,

Pete

[Pete Verdon]

[...]

Actually, scratch this bit. Of course you can get chrome-plated tube and compression fittings just like copper. D'oh.

Pete

[meow2222]

Think I'd be more tempted to make my own. You get exactly the size/ layout/design you want, and its far cheaper too.

Or how about some inspiration....

[auctions]

Would

wide enough? Gives over 3feet of towel hanging width.

A

[Andrew Mawson]

designed

quite

available.

electric

floor) so

In my last house I needed six towel rails all in odd sizes, so I made my own using 22mm pipe and end feed fittings, carefully painted white. I'd expected the paint to not last long, but infact it did for years.

AWEM

[PeterC]

It works well. I did this in a GF's house where we needed a long, curved rad.; it was expensive and on about 6 weeks' lead-time. I fitted 3 short rads. with the plumbing that you've suggested and the only difference between those and another long rad. was that the first one tended to heat up to some extent before the second one started, but in fact the overall times were about the same.

[Preston]

I've done exactly that with two normal rads in my lounge. Low windows meant I couldn't fit a large enough single rad, so I connected two low ones in series. Works fine.

[The Medway Handyman]

I would have thought they would be a pig to bleed & attract air locks. Is that not the case?

[PeterC]

No, just do each one - although most air will go in to the first one. Also the air in 1 small rad. is easier to get out than the same amount in a long rad.

[Ed Sirett]

Not in my experience. There are a maximum of two bleed points the middle (radiators) have no problem losing air to the end ones.

[Pete Verdon]

OK... what process did you have in mind for building my own radiator? I can bodge about a bit with a stick welder, but I think that fabricating a chrome-plated radiator that doesn't look like a collapsing bundle of old pipes is several steps beyond me.

Pete