Removing radiator permanently - Cap off?

[Danielxxx]

Hi, first post, go easy on me .

I'm having a radiator removed totally as the wall its sitting on is coming out. I've read online that you can just cap off the pipes 3 inches or so from the Tee junction or completely remove the Tee junction and replace it with straight pipe. I'm really just trying to learn what is best practice so I can speak to the plumber when they come round and not sound like a total idiot.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Close to the t is fine. Best practice would be fit a straight I suppose. I would fit a straight if it was a water main line, but a heating circuit I would probably just cut it as close to the t a possible and solder on a stop end.

 

[steadyon]

Best practice is to replace the Tee's with straight connectors, as it leaves no "dead legs" in the pipework. However, in my opinion capping within 3 inches is fine. Presumably caps or straight connectors will be inaccessible once work completed. If so use soldered joints on copper pipework and test before covering.

Snap

 

[DXCross]

Hi & welcome,

To be fair any decent plumber wouldn’t make you sound like a ‘complete idiot’ just ask for the rad to be removed and they’d do it in the best possible way?

Preferably if it was me I’d remove the tees and replace with a straight section of pipe.
Of course this is just a best case scenario and with me reading from a screen and not an eyes on the job so to speak

 

[Danielxxx]

Thanks, from my OCD perspective I'd personally go straight pipes too but it seems it doesn't matter too much if its just the heating circuit. Thanks chaps.

 

[Rob Foster]

Hi Daniel, we always go easy.
Capping off the redundant pipework in a convenient spot adjacent to the 't' is fine. just make sure that there are no other t's between the radiator and the capping position...otherwise
you might isolate another radiator. Also do use soldered caps not compression. Test before covering up
Rob Foster aka centralheatking

 

[Danielxxx]

Thanks Rob. I will be leaving the capping and soldering to someone who knows what they are doing. Otherwise I'd likely burn the house down. Just wanted to know what the best method is. Thanks

 

[king of pipes]

Cut the tees out and replace with a straight section of pipe why would 'nt you ? Kop

 

[Keith Wesselschmidt]

Hello, does anyone remove radiators for low or no cost in the St Louis area? They can keep them for resale if they like. This house has nine of them.

 

[king of pipes]

Does any tradesmen work for free or low cost ?? , are you on benefits, elderly, suffer from a illness fallen on hard times ? you may find a good Samaritan to help you out I have often done a job for little or no gain for the elderly it's a good feeling to see them smile when you say there's no charge ☺️, I would reword your request maybe adding why you need help .

Regards kop

 

[Ric2013]

Hello, does anyone remove radiators for low or no cost in the St Louis area? They can keep them for resale if they like. This house has nine of them.

No idea on St Louis specifically, but the answer is 'very unlikely', (unless, as KOP says, someone is doing you a favour).

If they are old cast-iron radiators in very good cosmetic condition or something else of considerable potential resale value that is worth the effort of flushing, pressure testing, repainting, and then re-installing you may find someone will do it for free. However, 99% of radiators are worth considerably less than the labour cost of removing them particularly if removing them involves capping off the system and leaving the house tidy.

Most secondhand radiators have a negative value in that they aren't saleable for re-use and it would literally cost more in petrol to take them to the scrap yard than the scrap value of the steel.