Removing radiator leaving flow/return pipes open

[CMeNow]

Hi.

I am about to lay new wooden flooring and replace my skirting boards. I want a full skirting board behind my radiator but to do this I will have to remove the radiator (take it off the wall) - obviously the system has to be depressurised to do this ... my question is this ...

I do not need my central heating to work i.e. put the heating on but I do need the boiler to work for hot water. Can I leave the flow and return pipes open/exposed? or do they need to be capped and the system re-pressurised back to 1.5 bar.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Close the valves ? Best to use 1/2” brass caps you might need a 3/4” one depending on lockshield

 

[cjg]

there should be no need to depresure boiler , close both trv/lockshield, remove rad, fit end cap on trv side.

 

[CMeNow]

Thanks to @ShaunCorbs and @cjd for your replies. However, forgive me for having to say this but none your replies makes any sense at all.

Wanting to remove a radiator for a few hours while I perform some work on the wall, as mentioned I want to fit a new skirting board and the only way to remove the old board and fit a new one is to remove the radiator - there is no way the radiator can be removed without de-pressuring the system. Both valves are bog-standard turn on/off push fit so it'll be a case of pulling out the pipes going into the valves. The valves themselves will remain screwed into the radiator. That's going to leave me with the flow and return pipes open/exposed.

Can the boiler operate for hot water use only when the boiler has no pressure or do I need to fit two blanking/stop caps on both the flow and return pipes and then re-pressurise the system back up to 1.5 Bar.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Can you take a picture of said rad ?

Need pressure in the boiler for hw to work

 

[CMeNow]

Can you take a picture of said rad ?

Need pressure in the boiler for hw to work

Thanks for the reply. That's what I needed to know - that the system has to be pressurised for the HW to work. I will buy two 15mm stop ends to cap the flow/return pipes and bring the system back up to 1.5 Bar. Central heating not needed - only HW needed. Thanks for your reply.

 

[cjg]

please post picture, as we said there should be no need to depresure boiler, picture please then we can see why you say it can not be done the way we said. thanks.

 

[CMeNow]

please post picture, as we said there should be no need to depresure boiler, picture please then we can see why you say it can not be done the way we said. thanks.

@cjd

Yes posting a picture is no problem - but forgive me for questioning your reply, you say there is no need to de-pressure the boiler? Don't you mean the central heating system pressure?? It is not possible to remove a radiator while the system is pressurised to 1.5 Bar. Loosening the valves under pressure would be tough but as soon as the nut on either the flow or return is loosened, water will escape under pressure. You must be thinking of something else? I don't have thermostatic or any fancy valves, just simple on/off turns to open/close the radiator. As @ShaunCorbs previously said ... the boiler needs pressure in order for the domestic hot water to work - so I need to drain the system, remove the radiator then fit 2 stop ends on the flow and the return and then turn on the filling loop to pressure the system back up to about 1 bar.