Author Topic: Need some plumbing advice (Read 2668 times)

Womble · « **on:** October 14, 2012, 10:28:42 am »

We're currently re-doing our central heating (such as it is), and part of this involves replacing an existing electric towel radiator with a standard water-powered one.

However, the old one suited the room quite well, so I'm trying to come up with a way of connecting it to up to our water central heating.

The trouble is, the thermopocket for the electric element is siezed in place, so I can't remove it without risking damage to the brass tubes. My next thought was to carefully cut off the black pocket completely, but I'm not sure how to go about making a new connection to the cut-off end.

Can any of you think of a way to do this? For reference, the outer diameter of the larger pipes is 31.82mm, i.e. 1.25", whilst the smaller pipes are 25.2mm, i.e. 1".

Cheers!

Victorian Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2012, 11:01:44 am »

YES THE ONLEY WAY BRAZE A BRASS FITTING ON TO THE PIPE AND THEN REDUSE DAWN TO HALF INCH USE AMARITE SIVER PAINT AND THE JOB IS A GOOD ONE

Womble · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2012, 11:42:24 pm »

Thanks VF. I'll confess, I've never brazed or welded anything before in my life. (Braised, yes, but that's a different thing altogether

.)

Do you have any idea where I'd go to get that sort of thing done?

Cheers!

Victorian Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** October 16, 2012, 10:29:18 am »

you need some 1 that does it local we have a metal shop where folk make things mend things black smith local welder .

chrismahon · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2012, 06:17:23 am »

Hi Womble. The tube used to construct the radiator may not be water tight for very long anyway. I assume it used to be full of non-corrosive oil, but will now be full of corrosive water, even if you put inhibitor in it. Your pipe sizes are imperial and any copper fittings for them will be really expensive. As VF says brazing is the way forward but it is not a simple operation as using the wrong grade of braze (steel brazing rods) will melt the pipe. Silver solder would do.

That aside, the fundamental shape of the radiator is wrong. You need to feed hot in at one end and extract cold at the other and you need to add an air vent at the highest point. The flow will take the shortest route so the top bar may be the only bit that gets really warm. Have to confess, even as a plumber and retired design engineer it's not a job I would like to tackle.

My preference for towel rails is a low standard radiator with a traditional towel rail over the top, so the towels hang over the radiator. As the towels are always in place, what the radiator looks like is unimportant -you can only se the ends of the towel rail itself.