Lifespan of radiators

What's the expected life of normal flat panels rads with A) inhibitor in the system and B) without?

-- Dave Baker

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Reply to
Dave Baker
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A) Indefinite. More likely to go out of fashion, or the technology over-taken or receive too many coats of paint.

B) Depends on the corrosion regimen. Anything from 10 years upwards. With a normal header tank, no inhibitor and correct plumbing I'd guess at least 25 years.

Reply to
Ed Sirett

Thanks. That pretty much squares with what's happening her just now. The rads were installed an unknown number of years before I bought the place 19 years ago and no inhibitor in the system for 19 years because there's always been that one drip somewhere I need to fix before adding it. Result, one rad rusted through a few years ago and another just gone today. I think I'd have been well advised to have fixed the leaks and added the inhibitor but you never seem to get a roundtuit when you need one. Chances are that all the other rads are now paper thin so lack of inhibitor has probably cost me a grand or so. C'est la vie.

-- Dave Baker

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Reply to
Dave Baker

I have seen them go after 10 years in London with no inhibitor from new.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Experience of A) is at 20 years with no sign of deterioration at all.

I am told that B) can be a lot less depending on aggressiveness of water and if you have regular oxygenation through sucking down or pumping over.

Once one radiator fails, it would be prudent to budget to replace the lot since there is nothing to suggest that one of the same type would fail before another.

Reply to
Andy Hall

I've got Thermapanels here which I'd been told don't have a long life due to being made of thin stuff so they warm up quickly. So have used inhibitor since day one. About 30 years ago. Still fine.

Elder brother with a BG installed system at about the same time with 'standard' pressed steel rads but no inhibitor had the first one start leaking at about 10 years old. And others later. But he had a 5 star service contract so that was ok. ;-) Not all of his have been replaced, but most.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

With no inhibitor, it depends when they were purchased. If they're over 40 years old, they'll last pretty much forever. At 35-40 years old, they seem to last about 25 years. As they get more recent (and thinner), radiators purchased

10 years ago lasted only 5 years.

This is based on my parents' 50 year old system which has been extended a number of times over the years, and never had any inhibitor until just recently. None of the original panel raditors have shown any sign of starting to leak (their only problem is they look rather ugly compared with the more recent ones).

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I didn't realise how cheap rads were from Screwfix. I could replace every one in the house for under 300 quid. Seems like the lack of inhibitor is not such a financial disaster after all :)

-- Dave Baker

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Reply to
Dave Baker

Bearing Andrew's point in mind, longevity of more recent products is not what it was in those of old.

Secondly, Screwfix, or rather their delivery arrangements have a known bad reputation in terms of delivering radiators in good condition and not bent.

A better source may well be a local branch of one of the national chains like TP or Plumbcenter. Another way is to order on line from someone like Discounted Heating. For large items ( and possibly smaller ones), they act like a reseller. In other words will use volume purchase discounts that they get from the national firms and then arrange them to deliver. At least these firms with own delivery have some clue about bending stuff, as opposed to the monkies employed by the generic delivery outfits.

Reply to
Andy Hall

Are we talking old radiators (Thicker steel) or new radiators (Thinner steel)?

Old radiators are good for 30-40 years, newer ones 15 years+.

sponix

Reply to
Sponix

Wah! Don't tell me that - I've just ordered one :(

Reply to
Richard Conway

All you have to do is spend £10-15 on a 1 litre can and pour it in the header tanks every 4 years. Then no probs whatsoever. Any dope can do that, and it far less than £300 and you also have to buy rads valves too. Buy cheap and nasty valves is false economy.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Wickes rads a good and cheap and you can inspect before taking home. The range is a little limited.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

It seems from previous posts that most of the mishaps happen to single panel ones rather than the doubles if that's any help.

Reply to
Andy Hall

None at all - I'll have to start a new thread on unbending single panel radiators methinks :)

Reply to
Richard Conway

Oh dear. Well hopefully you'll be the exception...... :-)

Reply to
Andy Hall

Maybe I could turn it into a feature or something :)

Reply to
Richard Conway

Even less than that. Inhibitor is a tenner in Wickes..£7 from Screwfix iirc so there really is no excuse.

sponix

Reply to
Sponix

Possibly. I suppose it would depend on the "customisation".

Reply to
Andy Hall

Maybe it would be a good excuse to build yourself a nice shed with a bay window, to make use of an otherwise wasted radiator.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

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