Swapping single radiator for double

[theoriginaldus]

I recently swapped a single radiator for a double which is significantly deeper than the original single, but the same length. This means that the pipework no longer lines up as the radiator tail is now at least 30mm further from the wall with the valve staying in the same position. So what I have is the radiator valve closer to the wall than the radiator tail and two obviously don't line up. It's not practical to move the pipework, but the valve can rotate 90 degrees to point out into the room. It looks to me like something like a bent tap connector or male elbow could be the answer but as far as I can tell the connections on each end would not allow going between a radiator valve and tail. Can anyone suggest if this would work or give any other way I can connect between a valve and tail at 90 degrees to each other?

Here is a picture of what I am talking about.

 

[Last Plumber]

Rad extension, chrome compression elbow, short piece chrome tube.

Or get a plumber !

Hope this helps

 

[lucas121]

Would look much neater to repipe it then make good the boxing.

 

[theoriginaldus]

Last Plumber - thanks for that. Problem is there is very little wiggle room on dimensions, literally an elbow touching the radiator tail will touch valve. Really need something that will go directly between the two. Will a male elbow for instance do that?

lucas121 - I agree, nothing about the boxing is neat! But it's the same deal with many things in the house. Projects for another time I think!

 

[Best]

You should have had the pipework already figured out, or altered before you hung the new rad.
Jobs like that are not easy if you approach it without any thought.
You could perhaps remove the rad valve and fit a compression chromed brass elbow and the valve straight onto rad horizontally. Will look a mess, but might do you.
Or fit rad a little further out from wall and use chrome elbows to reach rad tails.
Or get a heating engineer to do it properly by redoing the pipework
Couple of points, - Do cap off TRVs as they are risk of leaking and don't use ptfe tape on rad or other compression fittings valves threads as it doesn't actually do anything, apart from being obvious someone has been doing DIY.

 

[JCplumb]

I wasn't sure if there was such a thing, but just Googled it and there is.
A compression street elbow may work.

 

[Azzer1704]

I wasn't sure if there was such a thing, but just Googled it and there is.
A compression street elbow may work.
View attachment 27622

That's news to me too ^^^^^

 

[joni os]

Fit TRV directly to rad. Then fit street elbow immediately below TRV orientated towards existing pipework. A compression elbow on existing pipe can then be orientated towards street elbow. If necessary lift rad. brackets, to bring fittings level. As the existing nut and olive is retained on existing pipe you will have an unused nut and olive to connect street elbow to TRV.
Depending on system it will be necessary to drain down or create vacuum to carry out work.

 

[oz-plumber]

You may be able to keep the rad valve in the same position.

If you got yourself a 1/2" m+f elbow, screw the male end into the rad, screw the tail into the female end and hopefully you will end up close enough to connect the tail to the rad valve.

If that doesn't work, drain the system and go from there.

 

[clarky101]

Or get a new single panel radiator if you don't wanna change the pipework....

 

[Frog67]

Most rad brackets have 2 fixing depths depending which way round you fit them, are you sure you haven't fitted the brackets on their widest fixing? Sticking elbows straight on the valves will reduce the flow to the rad and create a point for sludge to form. Do what most people are saying and redo the pipework. Check the bracket depth aswell

 

[theoriginaldus]

Thank you all for the replies. For those suggesting redoing the pipework, I agree - this will happen but that's a project for another time.

I've now got a compression valve tail:



with a compression elbow attached to that:



and that brings the connection pretty close to the valve, but there is a bit of a gap. Can I use a female stem adaptor to go between the valve and the compression elbow? I know that the stem adaptor is meant for plastic speed fit connections but brass compression fittings exist so I'm guessing this will be ok? Will the screw end fit the valve?