Do I need to drain the system?

[Slicecbr]

Hi all.
I'm renovating my bathroom and want to put a towel rail where a radiator once was. I've taken the radiator off so have the existing pipe work there with the valves still on (turned off)

I need to cut the pipes back and re-do the layout. I was hoping to have a plumber do this but they all seem stacked out!

I live in a bungalow and have a combi boiler (vallient eco tec) which has a drain valve under the boiler and one other drain valve under a radiator by the front door.

Do I power off the combi boiler, turn all the valves off for all radiators and open the valves on the pipe work for the pipes I need to cut back and drain? Then repressurise the system? Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Schrayder]

In a word, yes.

If you isolate the rads and boiler then you won't need to " drain the system "

 

[Slicecbr]

Thank you for the quick response.

So I power off the combi boiler, turn all the valves off for all radiators and open the valves on the pipe work for the pipes I need to cut back and drain. Cut it back etc. Then open all the valves on all the radiators and repressurise the system. That should be okay? Anything missing?

Thanks again

 

[Mottie]

Don’t forget to add fresh inhibitor into the system before filling.

 

[Slicecbr]

Don’t forget to add fresh inhibitor into the system before filling.

Yeah had read that, but have read that if you didn't drain the system fully you wouldn't need to?

 

[kidgreen61]

There is no need to drain the system, simply close the flow & return valves under the boiler, then open one of the valves that fed the rad you've removed.
A small amount of water will come out until the system reaches ambient pressure, you can then alter pipes accordingly.
You probably won't be able to solder joints though, as the pipes will contain water.
However, if you want soldered joints on show, then make up a piece of pipe to fit, and then join to "wet" pipe using compression fitting under floor if possible.