Adding radiator: DIY or cost?

House_Hunter

So,

Having struggle through last winter, we really should add another radiator to our lounge this year.

In my mind this would involve:
1) Buy new radiator and valve
2) Fix brackets to wall
3) Drain down system
4) Add new 'tails' to the existing flow and return lines
5) Connect valves to radiator tails and to the radiator
6) Add corrosion inhib
7) Re-fill and bleed all valves.

So, buying and fixing rads is no problem, likewise lifting all the floor to give access to flow and return. My only oncern would e about adding the lines to the actual radiator. At the moment these are all copper soldered together....

What would be invovled and how feasible is this to do DIY? If not, how much shoudl I pay a plumber just to do that bit? (I am more than happy to hang new rad, drain system and then refill system/bleed)

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers,

HH

dave82_2

Hi is the radiator in the lounge a double one already also is it modern? You might get away with increasing its size or buying a newer radiator?

House_Hunter

The existing radiator is a modern double convecting type.....its just simply not big enough (is currently in the bay which limits its size).

I can't add a bigger one to the space - unless I buy a bent bay type which are stupidly expensive.

Hence the idea to add a 2nd one....boiler is more than man enough to take additional load.

ormus

15mm solder ring copper fittings are very easy to solder.
a litle practice is required. read up on it or watch youtube.

buy some spare ones and practice on some 15mm old pipe.
very clean pipe and the correct flux is the secret.

House_Hunter

Would compression fittings be as good? What are their pro's/con's?

I was thinking something along the lines of a pair of these:


To go down from 22mm flow and return to the 15mm lines to the rad?

Is this just a more expensive way of doing it? But as I don't have a blowtorch could be cheaper?

mikey72

Use compression.
Soldering under the floorboards, on a pipe dripping out water isn't the easiest of jobs to start out on.

wallbash

Use compression. ( gets my vote)

keystone

House_Hunter wrote: »

The existing radiator is a modern double convecting type.....its just simply not big enough (is currently in the bay which limits its size).

Size and heat output are not necessarily related. Look into replacing with the same size but with higher BTU.

Hence the idea to add a 2nd one....boiler is more than man enough to take additional load.

If you go this way compression fittings will be fine as stated by others. You should not solder wet pipe and if you do you need your bumps feeling.

Cheers

latecomer

You can get triple convector radiators - we have one in our bay in the bedroom - dont need it but OH found it had the highesyt output possible for a radiator of that size and decided it was required. Got to say it wasn't cheap though - about £130 IIRC.

As for the connection - go with compression.

House_Hunter

Many thanks for the replies; I totally udnersatnd size and heat output are not given...the design is crucial...when we originally spec'd the rads (new system put in last year) we picked rads with the highest ppower for their size but were limited in the space.

We acknowledge at the time it might be a little underpowered...but thought we would see how we go rather than decorate the room with radiators everywhere!!

Final question...

Use a compression fitting for the elbow on the radiator tail as well? Or bend the pipe to use a continous section from the flow/return to the radiator valve?

System

Using compression fittings under floor (or anywhere else that is not always accessible) is not recommended since you would not know the joint was leaking until it was possibly too late.

If you have not done any solderring - plumbing before, then I would recommend getting someone who has done some previously.

You may be able to negotiate with a plumber for you to do most of the prep work and them come in to do the pipe work at a reasonable cost.

Also, since the radiator is in your lounge, you want the finished job to look good.