Getting central heating before decorating.

Irar

Hello, I'm in the process of buying a house that needs central heating fitting. We are arranging for a plumber to install it before we move in so we are not in his way. We also need to redecorate but will be doing that bit by bit ourselves once we are moved in. The problem I can see is if we are stripppng wallpaper/ repainting we are going to need to get behind the radiators.. Whats the best way to do this? Can I move them away from the wall temporarily? I can imagine painting is not to hard if your careful but the rooms that we need to remove wallpaper and replace..

mrginge

Erm...

remove the radiator, redecorate, replace the radiator.

Mr.Generous

Possible but not simple because although each radiator will shut off easily with a new install even when closed off you have a radiator full of water to deal with. As you do more and replace them topping up the system, you will need to add a bit of system inhibitor to prevent rusting. I would still do it the way you suggest though, and if I were you I'd keep popping in and inspecting the install. I took a few pictures today on a renovation project. Heating put in sloppy install, floors no great on top of pipe runs, the usual rubbish under the floor (sweet wrappers, bits of copper, fag ends) and worryingly the wiring up against heating pipes in several places. All under the floor of course. Superb fire risk when the various tradesmen sweep all the debris under there.

It was blackened and charred in several places and what looks like gnawed through by a rodent - but only at the points where the wire is charred. I don't know whether the smell of hot wire attracts rodents to chew it or some kind of bizarre melting process makes the wire insulation look exactly like its been chewed or something. I have some decent pictures of the wires close up. My point being someone either got the heating done cheap or else the plumber was a total !!!!!!. In several places the wires were through to live copper - on the thermostat 4 core but also on a lighting 1.0mm run.

Irar

Easy as that? Isn't it tricky to remove? Won't you need to drain the radiator and put new ptfe tape on.. also not shore how they are hung is there bolts you need to get to? Can you just lean the radiator away from the wall..

Mr.Generous

If you lean them you may well cause a leak. Oh and if I was getting heating done I'd insist on 15mm pipe. Microbore is easier for the plumber, but you should see how it cloggs up after a few years. Blocked valves, blocked pipe runs. pay a few £ more but insist on 15mm. Plumber will say microbore heats up quicker, it does - at a cost. Pump worked harder, pipes block easier.

Irar

The plumbers a family friend who installed plumbing in my wife's parents house decades ago. Still will be going over after work everyday.. We plan to be decorating the bedrooms in the same week they are installing so we won't be leaving them to it.. just not moving everything in for them to try work around..

Irar

That's good advice.. We have concrete ground floor. And my other plumber friend that I'm not using was saying he would channel down from upstairs and use 10mm pipe to make it easy to get into the wall.. but if its likely to block they I need to check with the plumber we are going with.

G_M

4 ways. Either

* use a small roller to paint behind the rads without removing them. You don't get the whole wall done but you can pretty well do all the visible areas. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvzff-x0kMw

* turn off each end of each rad. Disconnect one end carefully and catch the water in the rad as it drains out slowly. Once empty, fully disconnect both ends and lift rad off it's metal brackets. The metal brackets will be bolted to the wall and the rad just sits on it. Paint round the metal. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nIR1nTlQU

* as above, but take the rad off with all the water still inside! See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YpzmZYCukE


* drain down the entire system. remove all rads, decorate, refill system and add inhibiter

anselld

Get the plumber to install the system dry so you can easily remove rads for decorating. Then he can come back and commission the system when the decorating is complete.

Pipes buried in walls are not recommended, but if absolutely necessary they should be sleeved.

getmore4less

Get in and prep all the walls(just the bit behind/near) that will be covered by the rads.

it will not take long to do each one, can leave the rest of the room till later.

if painting no need to get all the way behind or you could jut paint that bit just before the rad goes on, if not decided on color just white will do you won't see it anyway.

knightstyle

If the plumber uses plastic pipe it is easy to lift the radiator a few cms and then lay it on the floor. I have just done this for DD so she can decorate. No draining or disconnecting.