Fittings for new Radiator ?

[ronaldbiggs]

Hi I have puchased a 600mm towel radiator, I currently have a 650mm radiator in place in my bathroom. The pipes are coming up from the floor and are 730mm apart. The new radiator will be going on to a combi boiler central heating system.

So obviously when I will be trying to fit the new radiator I have 130mm difference, the new radiator also has both inlet and outlet fed from the bottom of the radiator and not side entry as I have got now, I would like any advice of the easiest way round this potential problem, if possible without draining the system.

I have looked around and found tails and different shaped angles to add but am not certain what I need.

Thanks for any help


Ron

 

[garry]

hi mate you will av to move one of the pipes so you will av to drain down, most towel rads are bottom feed but if you move the pipes you can get inline valves so you can go straight up and into the towel rad easly also bearin mine most towel rads hang higher the rads if i was you i would cut the tails under the floor fit a compestion No1 and run it in crome for a good finish it looks better the copper.

 

[ronaldbiggs]

Thanks Garry, If I can figure out how to drain and then refill the system I will be happy to cut the pipes and use compresson fits, any tips welcome, will Ijust have to drain the top half of the system or the complete thing ?

Thanks

Ron

 

[uug197h]

turn the radiator off, drain that radiator, remove floorboards, install towel rail on wall and pipe back to the pipe work under the floor, freeze the pipes and cut where you want to join the two pipes fix with compression joint, let the pipes thaw and blead the towel rail as normal (top up pressure if needed)

 

[HTB]

Can I ask you guys on the forum what you would routinely charge for this kind of work? Personally I charge £90 + VAT for a straightforward rad swop, usually done in less than 2 hours (but not always!!!).

I'm all for helping out and giving assistance on here but can't help thinking that the best advice in this case is a get a plumber in and have done with it, it shouldn't cost all that much and the client will have a waranty on the work. Am I wrong???

 

[garry]

hi ronaldbiggs if i was you go with advise from fatoftheland if you ae going to do this and drain down better to safley and slowly then rush and it all go wrong, if you make a mistake when you drain dwn its just a matter of stop filling and drain down again, if you make one with freezing and panic it could be very costly, remember work safe take your time and check everything twice and you should be fine.
hi HTB i agee but some people just like to av a go, or just cant offord to av someone if they are going to av a go i would perfer to try and give them the safest way then them going in blind a makeing a right old mess of things, but the best advise is to get someone to do it(perfer it to be me lol)

 

[NickH]

With all due respect to you Ron, judging by the questions you're asking you have very limited knowledge of plumbing/heating. Even an experienced plumber can run into all sorts if problems draining and filling a system, is it worth the risk ?

 

[HTB]

Garry I agree with what you say, and would think that if he can run to it Biggsy the the train robber ought to get a plumber in and and ask if he can watch what goes on so that on his next diy project he is better armed to carry out the task. I say this because his well phrased question shows that he is far from thick but may not be quite ready for this task. Getting a good guy in and being shown what to do might be the best solution all round.

 

[Deleted member 2053]

Can I ask you guys on the forum what you would routinely charge for this kind of work? Personally I charge £90 + VAT for a straightforward rad swop, usually done in less than 2 hours (but not always!!!).

I did one today and that is exactly what I charged, though I do not work full time and therefore manage to stay below the dreaded VAT threshold. That price did involve sourcing the rad as well.

 

[HTB]

Graham I like it when I get a chance to supply and fit rads as it offers a chance to make a couple of bob on the rad and sometimes a bit on the rad valves (especially when fitting TRV's), mostly nice work, but obviously get the odd drama.

Perhaps I shouldn't be amazed but I still am when I start draining down and the old heavy black sludge starts coming out, I find it surprising the number of systems that produce the black stuff (magnetite) or even worse the dark brown (iron oxide) indicating that these systems getting close to being their on their arse. I've done the Fernox Plower Flushing Course but have not yet bought the flushing equipment, (its not cheap) the South East of England gets it worst (Hard Water adds to the problem with scaling) so I reckon those guys must do a bit of power flushing.

 

[Deleted member 2053]

I actually moved from the south-east 3 years ago and still have many customers there. Powerflushing was described to me by another Berkshire plumber as 'A nice little earner' and it has certainly been worth the outlay I made for the pump, magnetic filter, adaptors, extra long hoses, and the bits of electronics. I have been informed that you can hire the major bits of gear for about £40 so you don't have to spend the near on two grand I did to get started.

My worst drama when replacing rad valves was finding faulty threads on the rad. Ever tried to buy a 1/2" thread tap? All my local tool suppliers laughed!

 

[sonray ltd]

i would laugh at a 1/2" thread tap because its 19mm tap you need to do rads

 

[leakylea]

a good earner is to show the client the colur of their water and push the benefits of a magnaclean simple to fit when drained down and start to work imediateley you fill up turns £90 into £140 without blinking

 

[plumbnuts]

Wrong again Sonray - Since when did they start using 19mm BSPT in the UK on radiator tails?

 

[sonray ltd]

BSP (British Standard Pipe) Thread Data

read it for yourself.
use a 3/4" or a 19.05mm tap

 

[plumbnuts]

Sonray
Read it for myself, however I didn't need to. You obviously don't understand threded pipe either. Why would you use a 3/4" tap on a domestic rad that would normally be 1/2" BSPT?
The 19.05mm does not refer to a tap size, it is merely a conversion size for the drill that would be required if creating a new hole to thread. Stick to giving advice on cooking or something similar because plumbing certainly isn't your forte!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sonray ltd]

do you just act thick or what ?

a 1/2" bsp thread uses a 3/4" tap or die.
try measureing a 1/2" bsp rad tail it measures 3/4"
you'll have a job cutting a thread on it with a 1/2" die.

try reading up on bsp fittings you measure the od in inch then subtract 1/4" that gives you the bsp size.
a 1/2" rad tail don't measure 1/2" its 3/4" od.

now what rubbish you gonna come out with?

 

[plumbnuts]

Wrong again!!!!!
1 A 1/2" BSP thread uses a 1/2" BSP tap (Thats quite obvious)

2 A 1/2" rad tail will measure around 3/4" because the 1/2" refers to the ID.

3 I would have a "Job" cutting a thread on a rad tail with a die as I would need to use a tap.

4 Try measuring a 1/2" BSP fitting without subtracting 1/4" and it will give you the actual size of a 1/2" BSP fitting.

5 Are you trying to say that when a FM fitting is 1/2" BSP that I need to order a 3/4" male fitting to make a joint? (Another rib has just gone!)

6 By the way, I have never worked for BG and have been in the game for 28 years and been self employed for 20. I have done large contracts such as the Home Office and numerous hospitals. All the pipe work in these places was installed in black iron and sizes ranged from 1/4" BSP to 10" BSP. Pipe upto 6" pipe was threaded and involved complex arrangements and fittings.

7 Stop giving wrong advice on subjects that you know nothing about.

8 Can you let me have the recipie for an apple pie?

 

[sonray ltd]

dumbnuts should i say.

2 A 1/2" rad tail will measure around 3/4" because the 1/2" refers to the ID.

so a 1/2" threaded bolt you measure from inside.
a rad tail has nothing to do with id

3 I would have a "Job" cutting a thread on a rad tail with a die as I would need to use a tap.

so you would cut this rad tail with a tap

4 Try measuring a 1/2" BSP fitting without subtracting 1/4" and it will give you the actual size of a 1/2" BSP fitting.

i'll copy it for you in simple terms
maybe you have trouble following our language.
i'll even put a link for you.
Adaptall Inc. - The Conversion Adapter Specialists


BSP parallel fittings and their specifications can be identified by a completing few calculations. To find the thread size:

1) Measure the O.D (outer diameter) of the BSP thread.
2) Take the O.D measurement (in inches) and subtract 1/4 inch (.25”).
​

For example, a BSP parallel male thread measures out to O.D 1”. Subtracting 1/4 gives a thread size of 3/4, also known as “dash” 12.

so where does this come into it ?
Try measuring a 1/2" BSP fitting without subtracting 1/4" and it will give you the actual size of a 1/2" BSP fitting

6 By the way, I have never worked for BG and have been in the game for 28 years and been self employed for 20. I have done large contracts such as the Home Office and numerous hospitals. All the pipe work in these places was installed in black iron and sizes ranged from 1/4" BSP to 10" BSP. Pipe upto 6" pipe was threaded and involved complex arrangements and fittings.

nothing to do with this question at all.

 

[plumbnuts]

Wrong yet again - Keep it up!

Bolt sizes and threads are irrelivant as they have a wide variety of different threads - none of them are BSPT.

If you had a brain and knew what you were doing, you would realise that the tap refered to is for re-threading the radiator. Why would yoe ever want to recut a thread on a TRV? The dye would cost you more than a new valve. You are obviously trying to bulshi-- your way out of the comments that you have made.

The link that you supply is a FOOLS guide to identifying pipe sizes. i.e for those who have no experiance and cannot identify a pipe size by experience and have nothing to do with a 19.05 tap!

A 1/2" BSP fitting/pipe will never be a 3/4" fitting, however you look at it.

Maybe mince pies then?

 

[sonray ltd]

dumbnuts.

whos talking about bspt no one where talking bsp threads.

i don't see why you have to keep swinging the subject round.
is it to avoid the question.

nevermind your just small time and a waste of time.

 

[billybongo]

Sonray , plumbnuts is not swinging it round you said that it was 19mm tap for 1/2" tail , this would mislead people because it is 1/2" bsp and likewise 3/4" bsp for large rad tappings , these taps are purchasable from engineers merchants and should be part of the staple toolkit , cheers mark

 

[garry]

dont get involved let these two argue it out its more fun lol.

 

[plumbnuts]

Thanks for the comments. There is no argument and this is the second time that Sonray has behaved in this way. As previously stated, I was under the impression that this forum was to assist people in need of advice. I normally try to do this and you will notice that Sonray thinks he is the be all and end all of plumbing and is often quite agressive towards the person in need.
He often gives wrong advice and cannot admit when he is wrong or has little knowledge about a subject.
I'm glad that this thread is keeping you amused, but sadly Sonray has resorted to abuse and also carp about his own statements.
It doesn't really bother me other than for him to admit that he is wrong and that somebody else might just know more than him.
Any other comments welcome.

 

[Deleted member 2053]

I find all this a bit confusing as the bottom line was that I eventually called up a good farming supply place I know in the Essex marshes and they told me they could supply a 1/2" tap. When it arrived it did the job!