Radiator Replacement (?)

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by Rail_man, Jun 29, 2022.

  1. Rail_man

    Rail_man Member

    Hi there,

    The radiators in my house are mostly the type shown in the photo - i.e. 1970s rads from when the house was built in 1972.

    The CH system is running well with a magnetic filter, plenty of inhibitor, and a recent (ish) boiler from before my time in the house. The radiators heat up fairly well with no obvious cold spots, and don't appear to be rusting (though they have been painted over several times!). Emptying out the TF1 showd some sludge/black water, but not a significant amount.

    As I am redecorating the room(s) and want to remove the rads to decorate, is it worth replacing them with something more modern/efficient? Will there be a worthwhile improvement in efficiency/lower boiler temp?
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chesterw

    chesterw Well-Known Member

    Modern rads contain less water, therefore, heat up quicker and save money.
     
  3. Nexial

    Nexial Active Member

    Entirely upto you, first thing i would do is measure it, as some of these older radiators were imperial sized, and to replace it you would end up paying a small fortune for a Myson Imperial unless you were going to re-pipe it. Metric sized rads would be much easier, and cheaper.
    Basic example a 21" x 69" will cost around £300
    Metric equivalent 600 x 1800 is less that £200
    I would say if it isnt broke.... dont fix it!
     
    Cliff Rees likes this.
  4. Offshore

    Offshore Active Member

    Personally, I think they look in pretty good nick, and if they are working well then you might be giving yourself unnecessary work and expense. I would say modern radiators would probably take up less wall space than your current ones because they tend to have a larger surface area for a smaller physical size, due to the layout of the fins etc, so you might give yourself different options for laying out your furniture, if that's a consideration. However, you could argue that they may not have the longevity of your current ones due to thinner steel and you would also have to re-route your pipework which could be a real pain. Down to personal choice I think.
     
    Cliff Rees likes this.
  5. Rail_man

    Rail_man Member

    Thanks for that, useful advice. DImensions are 1320mm x 600mm, but nothing this exact size on Screwfix. I could buy a slightly smaller metric radiator, and valve tail extensions which I would cut to size (and add to new TRV/lockshield). This would avoid re-piping.

    The other issue is that the pipes seem to be very close to the wall, with 40mm between pipe centres and the wall. Modern radiatiors seem to require a larger distance.

    I may just paint the rad with a good radiator paint and concentrate on building the wadrobes that have ben requested...;)
     
  6. vrDrew63

    vrDrew63 Active Member

    Probably not worth replacing, providing they are working as expected.

    The efficiency of a radiator in a central heating system is really defined by how well it transfers energy from the hot water running through it to the surrounding air. Some materials (such as aluminium) conduct heat faster than steel. Meaning a room will get up to temperature faster once you turn the CH system on. Conversely, aluminium radiators also get cooler faster. Touch an aluminium rad half an our after the CH is turned off, and it will be cold, where a steel rad would probably still be warm.

    Think about radiators this way: Any heat energy that a radiator doesn't transfer to the room air isn't necessarily "wasted". It just stays in the system and moves on to the next radiator in the loop. As long as all the radiators in your house are getting up to temperature, then that would suggest that most (if not 100%) of the energy your boiler put into the CH water is doing its job.

    If a radiator is clogged by scale and rust, and is no longer able to pass sufficient hot water through its body to adequately heat the room - then it's time for replacement (or repair.) But doing so won't significantly cut your heating bill. And in your case the radiators seem to be working fine.

    You could arguably see a small (± 5%) increase in heating system efficiency by replacing radiators with newer aluminium ones. But given the considerable expense involved, it would be a long time indeed before you saw a real return on your investment.
     
  7. Rail_man

    Rail_man Member

    Interesting points. If I were to go down the re-piping route, than I would do other rads too to save down draining and re-filling the CH system several times over.

    As it happens, I am confident in "pulling a vaccum" and switiching without draining down (as have done this before), but that won't be possible on the whole system .

    As much as I like DIY plumbing, maybe prudent to hold back this time and build the wardrobes...
     
  8. MRY

    MRY Screwfix Select

    If they are still doing their job and warming the room adequately, I wouldn't bother, it will cost for little reason. You won't get anything more "efficient", heat output is heat output, although you may find radiators which are smaller for the same heat output, put out more heat for the same size, etc. Boiler temperature vs efficiency is a different thing, there's lots of information "out there" and if you're interested in that, maybe have a look and refer to your boiler manufacturer/model.
     
    Cliff Rees, exbg and Rail_man like this.
  9. Offshore

    Offshore Active Member

    The vacuum method would be ok for a short duration replacement but I was just thinking if you were, for example, to replace the radiator in the photo with one of a smaller physical size you would need to reroute at least one end of the pipework and you would need to drain down at least some, if not all, of the system. This is likely to involve lifting floors etc and would be considerably more labour and upheaval. Worth it perhaps if you wanted to free up some wall space for alternative use.
     
    Rail_man likes this.
  10. Rail_man

    Rail_man Member

    That's really useful and relevant advice - thanks! The boiler was replaced about 10 years ago, with a fair amount of new pipe work, TF1 filter, new tank etc. and given the standard of the work - which is pretty good - I think that the radiators were either flushed, or not replaced due to being in decent-enough condition.

    Given the upcoming energy price increases, I'll save the money and use it for more loft insulation, as there is only about 50mm of it on the ceiling at the moment....
     
  11. Nexial

    Nexial Active Member

    1320mm = 53"

    https://www.mytub.co.uk/premier-he-21-53-sc-4-tapping-3840b-product-113112

    Myson 21.53 is £200
    To adjust this down with spacers you may need to either get a 1300mm radiator (few and far between) or a 1200mm long radiator (which would look ridiculous with 4" worth of spacers) So you would be best to leave it be, and re-painting, Or spending £200 on a radiator (a 1200mm rad would be around £90)
     
    Rail_man likes this.
  12. exbg

    exbg Screwfix Select

    100%
    I cringe when folk talk about rads being “more efficient “. They are not, in the full sense.
    Modern rads take up less space, look better, and probably heat more quickly. But that does not generate more useable test from a given input.
     
    Cliff Rees, MRY and Rail_man like this.
  13. Rail_man

    Rail_man Member

    Thanks for the input and replies to this everyone.

    Have learnt a few things from you all and will take them on board. I think the money will be better spent on the loft insulation which is lacking at the moment.
     
    Cliff Rees and exbg like this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice