replace a radiator: DIY?

ListysDad

VM flexible piping? Tell me more!

TD. Before replacing just check that, as KS says, it's not sludged up. If it's not had inhibitor in for years then it will be.

The rads should be sized pretty closely already unless you've had drastic alterations. If some are performing and some not, and its not sludge, then odds are that that the system isn't balanced correctly. This always leads to some rads robbing the heat from others and most often its those farthest away that suffer - possible the room you refer to...

For what its worth, i'd ensure first it's not the simple things before embarking on replacements when they MAY not be needed.

tired_dad

There is defo sludge in the system but the rads are all hot.

Am going to desludge using the sentinel X400 from screwfix, then X100.

Will see what difference this makes before changing rads.

While knowing there is sludge I thought that if the rad was still hot to touch then it must be heating OK. So if the room was cold then suggested the rads were not sized correctly. Is my logic wrong here.

Thanks.

ListysDad

Yes. Logic is incorrect. A rad is designed to 'swap/transfer' heat from the water into the space. Just because its hot doesn't mean its putting out its full heat capacity. Only by having a clean system free of as much air as is possible will you get best transfer and the most effective system.

If the sludge is really bad then my view, and I KNOW its not entirely shared around here, is that it needs a PROPER power flush.

Whilst you will see a partial benefit from the DIY version you'll need to do many more than one and will still never get it all out.

VoucherMan

ListysDad wrote: »

VM flexible piping? Tell me more!

Plastic lined pipe, often mentioned by plumbers on here.

the type that many would use in other peoples homes but not their own!

Radsteral

nothing wrong with plastic pipes... i see them used in milion pound houses and being a builder i done mine too with hepo2 plastic pipe . labour costs are way less, material cost less, tools to fit them minimal . as long as you follow the procedure is very unlikely to leak or have problem with hot water etc
copper way to expensive and you need to be a proper one to make a good soldering,..plastic pipe you can sort out yourself if something happens, easily .

SailorSam

If it's an upstairs radiator you're replacing, when you're carrying the old one downstairs at an angle turn the radiator upside down, even if you think you've drained it there will still be sludge inside.

martyn05

We replaced 2 old radiators in our lounge with double panel double convectors from Wickes, also replaced the hallway radiator with the same. It has made a big difference in the warmth of downstairs.

A.Penny.Saved

martyn05 wrote: »

We replaced 2 old radiators in our lounge with double panel double convectors from Wickes, also replaced the hallway radiator with the same. It has made a big difference in the warmth of downstairs.

Many of Wickes' radiators are made by Quinn. I don't know whether all Quinn radiators are as poor quality as the ones I have seen or whether they really are graded seconds like the quality sticker and the paint job suggests. I will certainly never purchase radiators from Wickes ever again and I would recommend to anyone to think carefully before doing so. It wasn't just one radiator, it was three and each one very poor quality.

Small black dot imperfections all over the paintwork which doesn't clean off and can be felt with the finger or a finger nail and paint virtually absent from the edges of the radiators. That is before the damage done by Wickes' handling, mistreatment and paint chips are taken into account.