Cast Iron style rads on 10mm

[Bibbs118]

Hi,

A customer wants cast iron style rads throughout, 9 or 10 in total but currently has 10mm pipe .

Is there any problems installing this type of rad on mircobore? I'm worried about the water content being much higher and it not circulating?

Anyone else installed these on mircobore?

Cheers

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Best go for the alu style

Cast iron I would do in 15mm

 

[Welder]

Typically are they not a high water content beast? If so, I don't know how you'd get sufficient flow...

 

[Harvest Fields]

Nothing less than 15mm mate. Would take an age to heat up.

 

[Bibbs118]

Yes, this is what worries me, major job replying.

Plastic?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Defo not if it's plastic

 

[Old Account]

Can only agree with @Harvest Fields

 

[Bibbs118]

I'll ring the manufacturers tomorrow , try and get something in writing .

 

[Harvest Fields]

I'll ring the manufacturers tomorrow , try and get something in writing .

That’s is not funny

 

[Ric2013]

Surely the water flow required is related to OUTPUT, not water content? Agree that a CI rad will contain a lot of water and take a long time to heat up, but a 2kW rad requires a set amount of water, regardless of the water content, otherwise the system won't be balanced properly. So I'd argue that the fact that the radiator is cast iron is largely irrelevant.

 

[Best]

Surely the water flow required is related to OUTPUT, not water content? Agree that a CI rad will contain a lot of water and take a long time to heat up, but a 2kW rad requires a set amount of water, regardless of the water content, otherwise the system won't be balanced properly. So I'd argue that the fact that the radiator is cast iron is largely irrelevant.

Just come to this thread and above ^ was also my first thoughts.
I think a cast iron rad fed by 10mm will take a very long time to reach full heat because it has large water volume, but will maintain output once reached and then rad will hold heat longer once off.
Personally I would go with steel cast iron lookalike rads.

 

[Bibbs118]

Cast iron style

 

[Welder]

Hmm. Output can only be maintained if more energy is input than can be output. The larger the mass of water, the more sensible energy it contains. If the rad dissipates more energy than the volume of water can supply then it simply cannot do its job and complaints ensue - even tho you've told them.

You would normally slow down flow to improve heat transfer but doing that means you may not move enough mass through in a 10mm system bearing in mind 10mm is the external dia not internal. Other factors mean its usable bore is probably more like 7mm max. This means warm one side cooler the other.

I'm with Harvest on this one. 12mm copper borderline, 15mm copper to make certain.

 

[Bibbs118]

I don't know, all I know is I see loads of microbore and unless it full of magnatight it works, I don't like it but it works.

And my view on flow is to restrict down as much as possible on the lock shield, so the hot water in rad has time to give off it's heat.

Not really my area tho.

Nb . Bungalow, 22mm circuit in the loft with microbore tee offs, not on a manifold.

 

[Best]

Cast iron, or that style, will look stupid with 10mm pipes anyhow. I wouldn't do it unless with a total repipe.
People want luxury look with poor pipework supply.
Bit like putting a Ferrari body on a Sinclair C5.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I don't know, all I know is I see loads of microbore and unless it full of magnatight it works, I don't like it but it works.

And my view on flow is to restrict down as much as possible on the lock shield, so the hot water in rad has time to give off it's heat.

Not really my area tho.

Nb . Bungalow, 22mm circuit in the loft with microbore tee offs, not on a manifold.

Change the dogs legs to 15mm in the loft and run them in the corner of the room in trunking under the floor and up into the rad.

 

[Bibbs118]

Cast iron, or that style, will look stupid with 10mm pipes anyhow. I wouldn't do it unless with a total repipe.
People want luxury look with poor pipework supply.
Bit like putting a Ferrari body on a Sinclair C5.

I know, but it's all dropping down from the loft, might be happy to pay for chiselling in, I've not asked, and I've no idea how long that would take???

 

[Bibbs118]

Change the dogs legs to 15mm in the loft and run them in the corner of the room in trunking under the floor and up into the rad.

Can't,
Solid floor

 

[Best]

I know, but it's all dropping down from the loft, might be happy to pay for chiselling in, I've not asked, and I've no idea how long that would take???

Take ages even using a wall chaser. I have done that when piping to ordinary rads, but the lack of movement in the pipes to the rad valves is then a problem.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

For a chase normally allow an hour

 

[Bibbs118]

Take ages even using a wall chaser. I have done that when piping to ordinary rads, but the lack of movement in the pipes to the rad valves is then a problem.

How long per rad to chisel out and put copper in???, bungalow and I'll have ex BG installer with me, (I'm a service and repair guy, so slow on pipework, Just slow all round really)

 

[Bibbs118]

For a chase normally allow an hour

What, with a machine?

How much does a machine cost? And how many cutters will I go thru?

 

[Harvest Fields]

Behind the skirting?

 

[Bibbs118]

Behind the skirting?

That's what the customer mentioned, it's probably the best compromise, but pipes coming out of the skirting still looks a bit Rubbish I think.

Ffs, installing is hard!!!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What, with a machine?

How much does a machine cost? And how many cutters will I go thru?

Yes a wall chaser and extraction unit you can hire them for about 100 all in and none