Home plumbing advice needed... refitting a radiator.

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Not sure I understand the problem, there is a small 15mm pipe in wall.jpg that could be removed to give you more room to refit the the radiator, a new piece could be made up and a new solder elbow fitted and pushed on to the pipe coming from the wall. All fittings should really be soldered anyway.
New rad valves should also be fitted as they are cheap, thermostatic preferably.
I have never had a problem unscrewing bleed valves. painted or not as should never be tight.
Unless I am missing something

Changing the fitting on the pipe in the wall will require to drain the entire system... right? This is what the plumber was saying. We have 11 radiators, BTW.

As for the bleed valves... they are not simply painted over, I had a look and then remembered that I actually asked for advice here a few years back, but never actually did anything about it (because the system didn't need bleeding since):

 
Draining the entire system wouldn't bother me. Not the biggest problem in the world surely? When refilling, you will also have the chance to clean and/or make sure inhibitor levels are correct.

Is there a reason that draining the system can't be done?
Also you could.shut off the in and out for each rad, which would leave most of the water in the system if time of draining was a factor in keeping the plumber bill low?
 
If the radiator has been removed you will need to bleed the system anyway, if you cannot remove the bleed screw you will need to buy a new radiator.
Its no big deal to drain and bleed a system, dead easy if its a Combi system, little longer if its a conventional system, there should be a drain valve at the lowest point to fit a hose and drain it outside.
You can shut off all the other rads off at the valves to save time draining, add Fernox to the expansion tank or direct into a radiator when refilling.
I've done it many times without issue.
 
This is what the plumber wrote:

'The pipework is designed for 3/4" union type radiator valves, which would allow the valves to be joined up to the radiator without the pipes going into the radiator tails.

The current set up, however, has 1/2" radiator valves that require protrusion into the radiators therefore the radiator needs to be hung and then the pipes brought to it. This is impossible due to the pipes coming out of the wall in a fixed location. The radiator can not be forced into position as it could damage the existing pipework.

The recommendation is to drain down the whole heating system, refit the radiator and install new pipe tails to the radiator, and replacing the radiator valves with new union type valves. Re-filling the heating system and testing.'
You could drain the system, loosen the compression joint near the wall and just refit as it is.

or you could change the valves as he suggested which might make removing easier in future.

however, as others have said, draining the system is not a big issue and you can clean it at the same time. When was it last done?

we’ve got 11 rads, it’s not a major job.

if you have rads that can’t be bled then it’s a problem that will need resolving one day...
 
"Bleeding the entire system isn't a big job"

*sigh*

I am no plumber... as you may have gathered.

But the plumber was sucking air through gritted teeth when he spoke of 'draining the entire system'... and he's charging an hourly rate, too :(
 
"Bleeding the entire system isn't a big job"

*sigh*

I am no plumber... as you may have gathered.

But the plumber was sucking air through gritted teeth when he spoke of 'draining the entire system'... and he's charging an hourly rate, too :(
I don’t know why draining the system is such grief.
 
Well looking at the new photo you have a double rad and it might well be a imperial size,as all new rads are metric you will have to measure between the two valves and then look on the screwfix site and find a rad that is smaller width than you need anywhere between 30/60mm will be fine,suggest you buy the rad and have it onsite,you seem to be worried about draining the system down,you may not have too,the valve with the 22mm brass stop end on maybe shut off,either you or a plumber could try and turn that valve anti clockwise and see if it moves if it does the valve is shut off and so that stop end is just for added peace of mind by the plumber who removed the old rad.
 
Picture 1 shows an open end and no water, where was it shut off from?
Oops! Must be losing it, now see picture one, as connection for double panel rad. ☺️
It's no big deal to sort out, get hold of a decent plumber who knows what he's doing, not some numpty with deep sighs and negative attitude. 👍
 
Sorry you’re having this faff MJ. This thread is a great example of why the building trade has such a bad reputation. Boils my blood cause there’s plenty of good guys out there. The challenge is finding them and then getting them as they’re always busy.

Good luck. Hope you get it sorted. 👍
 
Sorry you’re having this faff MJ. This thread is a great example of why the building trade has such a bad reputation. Boils my blood cause there’s plenty of good guys out there. The challenge is finding them and then getting them as they’re always busy.

Good luck. Hope you get it sorted. 👍
And that is exactly why I have learnt to do nearly everything myself :)
 
His advice is right to me, just change the valves for the flange type, not nuts and olives.
That way the rad will fit back between the valves, no parting nessasery.
However they now might be to close to the wall.
Only option is drain down and modify both ends.
 
As @geoffus says shut the other rads off and you barely have to drain anything down
 
That’s why I asked where the OP was from, as I know a very good plumber in my part of Kent.

I am in West London.
 

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