extending hot n cold feed to bath

[streaky79]

Hi plumbers. I am replacing my bath suit at the mo. I bought 2 pairs of 15mm braided flexi connecters with ball valves, but forgot the tap thread on the bath is larger.
i cant find a replacement 15mm - 22mm?
am running plasic from the original copper.
no one in homebase/b=q is of any use.

Also have planned to replace the small rad for a heated towel rail. i wish to retain the tails in there upright position.
I have a baxi condensing combi 105 he.

What btu rating towel rad would i need, and where would be the best place for the purchace?

 

[Paul Barker]

You should be able to get flexis with 3/4 tap connector one end 15mm compression other at a local plumbers merchants.

You can buy special lockshield and TRV which run straight down for towel rails. Naturally they cost more because you need them more so you are prepared to pay a premium.

heat output of towel rail depends on cubic dimentions of bathroom, space available to mount it, and heat retention properties of fabric.

 

[streaky79]

Hi thanx for the speedy reply.

i have looked at a couple of towel rads in wicksy, they were similer in size but had totally different btu.

is this just for the towel rad or does it effect the boiler and what it can put out?

the rad i hope to replace is only 2 ft high by 19 inch wide and has no actual trv on it. just what appears to be 2 lockshield fittings.

thanks

 

[Biggles..]

reason for different btu' is normally down to the materials each manufacturer uses, same with all rad's. With towel rails also chrome has a lower btu rating than white. This might explain the difference. If you post your room size, ceiling height and number of outside walls someone will give you a rough required btu figure using a mears wheel.

 

[streaky79]

thanx

hi the room is 2 metre square by 2.3 cieling hight with one exterior wall containing a window, reveal opening is 1 metre high by 1.2 wide.

any ideas on the seeming lack of valves? and what i need to add to the install of the towel rad?

regards

 

[Biggles..]

Radiator size roughly allowing for wooden flooring, cavity walls no insulation is 0.65kw 2300 btus. if your new towel rad valve spacings are the same as your pipes at present drain down and replace lockshields with straight through valves designed for towel rads, avaliable from most sheds or merchants.

 

[streaky79]

thanks

sorry to trouble you yet again!

i have a screed floor with the copper running along the eges in a dug out section boarded over the top.
will this affect btu.
is a first floor maiseonnete

as is easily accsesable is it acceptable to couple from copper to plastic to chrome plated copper to towel rad

thanks again

 

[streaky79]

oh by the way, i live in a very hard water area and have heard a water softener would be a good asset.

i have no idea.

could some one advise on cost, wher to purchase, and further materials needed.

and more importantly would some one with basic plumbing knowledge be able to install one with not to much problem?

i can do many things but plumbing n sparks i have limited!

 

[Biggles..]

Wont effect the rating much. I dont advise mixing plastic and chrome plate, some people will say it works in my experience no matter how much i clean off the chrome to reveal copper they seem to blow off after a while. This debate has been had before and now i tend to use compression fittings for chrome.

 

[Paul Barker]

I agree, compression on chrome.

Water hardnes fighter is a good idea on a combi in hard water areas
One such as this.

http://www.loheat.co.uk/pdf/combimate.pdf

Just turn off stop cock drain water from lowest point available, (modern instalations have drain off just after stop cock. Put combimate on cold feed to boiler.

If you want to comply with building regs you shopuld fit a trv on the towel rail.

I think that boiler has in built bypass (Is that right gaztpoteng?), but just incase the installer was relying on your bathroom rad you might need to install an automatic bypass (12 quid at merchants) externally between flow and return heating pipes. If you can't solder get two 22mm compression t's a short length of 22mm pipe and some patent compound to help the compression joint seal.

 

[Biggles..]

Thats right Paul Baxi 105's be it e or HE have internal by-passes.

 

[streaky79]

been to my local plumb centre today to get the 15-22 braided flexi and was assured such a thing does not exist!?

my only option as am not happy with my ability to solder is from original copper, extend to plastic to original copper to tap!

a bit of a mix n match but is this acceptable?

waters still off, im still working on getting the bath level on my uneven screed and the misses just dont understand!!!!

 

[Biggles..]

Mix and match all you like. you wont get 15-22 flexi's but will get 15 to 3/4 flexi's either compression or pushfit which is the thread on the bath taps

 

[streaky79]

aah

i asked for 15-22.

but also explained exactly what i wanted it for!!!

also, i have six legs fixed to the bottom of the bath, two on the panel edge corners and two wall fixings.

do i need to fix the legs to the floor or are they ok as they are?

thanx