Fitting new radiator... easy job??

[HughJarse]

Hi, Im hoping someone may have done this before and so may give me an insight into complexity.

Ive just had a conservatory fitted and would like to add a radiator off the main system.

I am quite happy with pipes re bending and sealing - both solder and compression. However I have concrete floors and I so the radiator pipes are in the walls. The pipes seem IMHO to be quite small bore about 10mm. So would I have to cut the wall open? The boiler is in the garage with a hot water tank in one of the bedroom cupboards; is it a case of putting a "T" joint below each of the pipes on the nearest radiator and then laying the pipes to the new radiator. Or is it a harder job than Im estimating and I should just get a plumber?

If a plumber is needed, how much am I looking at??


Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Dieselman]

You could just T into another nearby radiator flow and return or go back up to the manifold under the upstairs floor and connect your new pipes to that.

The manifold option is the correct way to do this.

 

[portzy]

If you simply tee into a near radiator's flow and return then you could run the risk of not having sufficient flow, (water hence heat), to run both radiators, 10mm "might" just be too big an expectation.

Best to go back to the main boiler flow and returns or the actual manifolds. With the manifolds you might just find there are a couple of spare/capped supplies.

hth.

Portzy.

 

[HughJarse]

Thanks Portzy - am I correct in thinking the pipes must travel horizontally in the walls?? So the main pipes go from boiler up under floorboards in 1st floor, and then travel down through walls into each radiator. So if I drill through the wall near the roof of the conservatory I should be able to access under floor and bring pipes out and down to a radiator?

 

[portzy]

Thanks Portzy - am I correct in thinking the pipes must travel horizontally in the walls?? So the main pipes go from boiler up under floorboards in 1st floor, and then travel down through walls into each radiator. So if I drill through the wall near the roof of the conservatory I should be able to access under floor and bring pipes out and down to a radiator?

I'm trying to visualise that one I think I know how you intend to route them now though.

If you plan on going along-up-along-down-along then there is the chance that you will form air locks at the very highest points of the drops/risers as you fill up so you would need to fit a couple of air vents at the very pinnacles of each run then you can vent any trapped air while you are filling up.

These high points could be succeptible to further air locks as you get air seperation in the first few weeks after filling up. I wouldnt fit auto-vents though, just use manual and fit them in an accesible position.

Did I get your drift right?

Portzy

 

[HughJarse]

Yes.. from radiator along conservatory wall to main house wall ( now internal wall of conservatory) up and in/through wall which should then be under first floor floorboards where current main flow pipes are routed.

OR bug*** it and get a plumber in

 

[portzy]

Yes.. from radiator along conservatory wall to main house wall ( now internal wall of conservatory) up and in/through wall which should then be under first floor floorboards where current main flow pipes are routed.

OR bug*** it and get a plumber in

No, I reckon its do-able. I'm assuming your'e a reasonable DIY'er here but I would work backwards from the new radiator and its connections towards the boiler area/connection points not forgetting the air vents.

About a foot from where you are teeing in fit a couple of full bore isolation valves, commonly known as "penny" valves, (because they have an on/off slot that takes a penny piece), then drain off and make your final connections.

Fill up with the isolation valves off then open them both slowly while checking for leaks, if no leaks continue to fill up and vent etc.

1. Make sure you make the boiler non-operational while doing all this.

2. Get a former for the soft copper tube otherwise you might flatten it to much while bending it.

3. Keep fittings such as elbows to a minimum.

4. If all goes well, dont forget to renew any inhibitor that was in the system
hth.

Portzy.

 

[RodgerDodger]

Not sure what the existing arrangement is and i am not a heating engineer - so my thoughts only....

I assume the consevatory FFL is below the original ground FFL - if this is the case you may be creating a low point on the system - this would need a scour/drain valve to external.

The existing pump (assume its not gravity head) will have to accommodate the additional losses from the new small bore pipework and radiator - probably not an issue bit worth getting your guy to confirm.

I think the existing radiators in the ground floor system would be in series? if so it may be best to check where best to take your feed and route your return pipework for the optimum connection point - again, your guy may be able to advise on this - thinking out loud this would avoid dead ends/loops

hope this helps

 

[verytalldave]

I did EXACTLY what you are proposing in my previous house. I simply added two compression tees from the supply/return on the closest radiator in the house and ran small bore tubes to new rad in conservatory.
My only 2 tips would be to add fernox system sealer fluid when refilling the system AND seriously oversize the radiator in the conservatory if you want to feel any benefit from your new radiator. Conservatories lose heat worse than an uninsulated loft and need much bigger rads than the main house.

 

[Meldrew2]

Alternatively, install aircon with heat pump.......

 

[lynall]

Done that .the a/c bit pretty good only run it on heat just tp try it ;ovely in the summer

Also stuck a rad in the garage teed of rad in hallway its crap virtually no flow, should have gone back to manifold as said above.

Get your a/c from e-bay easy to fit youll need at least 12kbtu for a conservatory, pretty cheap to.



Lynall

 

[HughJarse]

Its a north facing conservatory and so will get little if any sun... are the heated aircons cost effective when compared to a radiator on main house ring?

 

[Dieselman]

You shouldn't really heat a conservatory at all, but if you really need to throw money away heating the atmosphere use underfloor heating, it's more efficient.

 

[Meldrew2]

Its a north facing conservatory and so will get little if any sun... are the heated aircons cost effective when compared to a radiator on main house ring?

The cost advantage with the aircon is you can turn the conservatory heat on just when you need it ... ie weekends ... and leave it turned off the rest of the time.

Mine was cheap enough - B&Q - and easy to fit.

 

[jaymanek]

In our conservatory we have t'd into the nearest readiator.. worked a treat and now we can actually sit in there during winter..

 

[HughJarse]

Thanks to all replies - the radiator is now in and warming the garden.

Not sure now how to get this hot as it turns off with the house and the house thermostat is in the front hall, which gets hot before the conservatory!

 

[Dieselman]

Balance the system to push more water round the conservatory radiator, although heating conservatories really is a dead loss.

 

[Piff]

I'm about to build a "garden room" (conservatory) for an uncle who is a contracts manager for a large electrical contracting firm
When I asked him about heating the room he said he would be fitting an "air source heat pump" as these have dropped in price now and are quite effective for that type of room.
Know nothing about them myself, but he seems pretty convinced.