Fitting Central heating with concrete floors

Irar

Hello, I'm buying a house that has a concrete ground floor. It needs central heating fitting and it also needs redecorating.. I've been speaking to a few plumbers for quotes and advice and some say they can cut into the wall and send the pipes down to the radiators and others say they won't do it and it's better to just box the pipe in.

So I'm wondering how I should get it done? Should I just go for the easy option and get them on show..
There is only three radiators down stairs
I'm wanting the pipe in the walls ideally and the house is getting redecorated so I can't see it being to bad to fix after putting them in.
Also I've read that you can put the pipe inside tubes so if they need to come out you can just slide them out? Has anyone got a link to the tube to use? As I will ask the plumber about putting it in.

silvercar

I'm moving your thread to the 'In my home' board where it should get a better response.

FreeBear

Irar wrote: »

I've been speaking to a few plumbers for quotes and advice and some say they can cut into the wall and send the pipes down to the radiators and others say they won't do it and it's better to just box the pipe in.

You can embed the pipes in a wall, but.... If it is a brick wall, the chases (slots where the pipes run down) should be no more than one third the thickness of the brick. If using copper pipes, they should be encased in a plastic sleeve to prevent any cement or plaster eating in to the metal. If the walls are wood/plasterboard stud (and not structural), hiding the pipes in the walls becomes much easier.

A couple of things to be aware of - Any pipes buried in the walls should be protected by a steel capping to prevent anyone from hammering a nail through the pipes. If a pipe leaks, there will be major disruption to the wall in order to locate and fix the leak.

I buried a couple of CH pipes in a wall last year - 15mm copper pipes sleeved in 20mm plastic conduit, and capped with a 1mm thick stainless steel sheet. A lot of mess, but the room does look so much better for it... I have three more pipes to do in another room, but I'll probably go for boxing in.

WestonDave

Worth thinking about where the radiators will be - ours are under the windows and so most of the pipe running down the wall is hidden by the curtains. The remaining 30cm above the window to the ceiling we painted with a silver chrome paint which matches in with the curtain poles we have. Its not perfect but given the additional cost and hassle of burying them its OK.

prosaver

this might help .. plenty of ideas on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Rl878hwOI

Owain_Moneysaver

Microbore at 8mm or 10mm is small enough for a flow-and-return drop to be covered in electrical minitrunking, which is pretty inconspicuous in corners or where most of it is hidden by curtains.

Irar

Thanks for the advice.. the walls are all solid.. I guess breeze block.. the radiators one is going to be in the entrance hall so not near a window, the living room has patio doors so plan to have the radiator on the wall next to them.. the last radiator would be in the dining room under the window so I guess we could have the pipes hidden behind curtains here but we plan to strip the wallpaper in this room so wouldn't be to much to hide them..

I think I will go with hiding them.. I was talking to a plumber and he said he would cut one channel for both microbore pipes and have them come out the wall behind the radiator so the are hidden.. I didn't ask him at the time but I would like to put them in a tube even if they are plastic pipes as I've read that can get clogged up.. I'm a metal worker so I have plenty of stainless sheet to protect the pipes.. although we are not planing to move and would be pretty daft if I forgot they was there

AndyMc.....

Irar wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.. the walls are all solid.. I guess breeze block.. the radiators one is going to be in the entrance hall so not near a window, the living room has patio doors so plan to have the radiator on the wall next to them.. the last radiator would be in the dining room under the window so I guess we could have the pipes hidden behind curtains here but we plan to strip the wallpaper in this room so wouldn't be to much to hide them..

I think I will go with hiding them.. I was talking to a plumber and he said he would cut one channel for both microbore pipes and have them come out the wall behind the radiator so the are hidden.. I didn't ask him at the time but I would like to put them in a tube even if they are plastic pipes as I've read that can get clogged up.. I'm a metal worker so I have plenty of stainless sheet to protect the pipes.. although we are not planing to move and would be pretty daft if I forgot they was there

Not sure how that will stop them clogging.

FreeBear

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Not sure how that will stop them clogging.

It won't. However, routing the CH pipes inside a length of conduit will make it slightly easier to replace them should it be needed.

Owain_Moneysaver

You can get outlet plates for microbore pipework, they fit over electrical back boxes
http://www.johnguest.com/speedfit/product/pipe-accessories/radiator-outlet-plate/

kathrynha

Our house has concrete floors downstairs, and central heating was put in before we moved in. The radiators have been located in a way that means there are minimal pipes around the house.


The kitchen radiator is just through the wall from the boiler, and the pipes go up from the kitchen to under the floorboards upstairs. There is a 5cm by 10cm boxed in bit above our back door, which isn't very noticeable.


Then there are pipes coming down in the hallway to the hall radiator. They are boxed in, but because it is the hallway it doesn't really matter if it is in there, then the lounge radiator is just the other side of the wall in the corner of the room, then the pipes go through the wall in the corner to the dining room radiator.


Therefore we have only one set of pipes that go all the way from floor to ceiling, and they are in an area that you don't spend much time in.