Replacing radiator with smaller one?

epherol

Im assuming it isnt a big thing to consider in terms of cost?

We currently have a pretty larger radiator in one of our rooms and the room requires a radiator half that size, so were looking to change a 1400 long radiator with a 800 long radiator.

Would this cost a lot? im assuming that only one of the pipes would need moving? or is there any other simpler way around this?

penrhyn

Any particular reason you want to remove it, if your room is getting too hot fit a TRV.

A.Penny.Saved

penrhyn wrote: »

Any particular reason you want to remove it, if your room is getting too hot fit a TRV.

That would solve a too much heat problem and would still leave plenty of capacity if it got very cold and more heat was needed.

I would only change it if the radiator needed replacing or if the size was physically too large and a more compact radiator such as double panel/double convector was wanted.

Calculate the room heat loss so you can find out what size radiator is required. There are many online calculators but many are very simplistic and don't take into account all propertiy types or assume values which don't apply to all properties or are not suitable for your usage. ie they want a room type and the assume the required temperature which might not be what you want.

Unfortunately, one of the best online calculators is no longer available. You can do a manual calculation if necessary, see the following link for information.

http://www.plumbingpages.com/featurepages/Heatloss.cfm

This is the best calculator that I can now find but still not as good as the one I used before.

http://www.pitacs.com/pages/heat_loss_calculator.php

This one is fairly good, it does allow for slight variations on the internal temperature, not as precise as the link above.

http://www.radcalcs.com/

Replacing a radiator isn't a comlex job and only requires a few fairly inexpensive tools if your a competent DIYer. Radiators should cost below £100 for double panel/double convectors plus a bit of 15mm copper pipe (2m is about £9) and a right angle solder ring connector (about 70p each), a little bit of solder (<£10), flux (approx £6), pipe cutting tool (<£10) and a blow lamp (£15 to £20), PTFE tape(<£1). Plus a radiator spanner (£2 or £3) to tighten the radiator tails (supplied with the radiator valves) into the radiator. Radiator valves would be required, it might be worth changing the current valves and maybe adding Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV's). I have special valves which replace the radiator tails and allow the radiator to be isolated and removed for re-decorating. They are heavy when full of water and require a couple of men to lift them. A set of spanners or monkey wrench would also be required. A pipe bender or bending spring might also be needed, depending upon the location.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/201488 for under £64. They also do 700mm tall radiators but they have a price premium. If you buy from Wickes, check the radiator over with a magnifying glass in good light because they are not too fussy and knock them about a lot and will try and offload them to anyone they can and who will accept them. Wickes are not the only ones guilty of doing this, many companies will do the same thing.

Replacing a radiator doesn't require a heating engineer because it doesn't involve gas work. It is a basic plumbing job which any competent DIYer or plumber can do. A plumber will charge around £200 depending on the complexity.

http://www.houseprofessionals.com/diy/central_heating/fitting_a_radiator.htm
http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/how-balance-radiators