New Heating system required help please

[Rick888]

hi ive just moved to a new house (to us) built in early 80s it currently has a microbore system with both pipes going to the same side on the rads.

im a sparky and am very hands on and would like ro replace the heating as we plan on being here until we retire, (not doing the gas or boiler itself dont worry) the whole house is a renovation project and the rewire starts next week.

i plan on removing the boiler and tank as i need the space in the kitchen and where the tank is will be stairs to the loft, do i plan to fit a combi in the loft.

my thoughts were to run 22mm plastic pipe from the boiler round the 1st floor outer edge of the building and T up and down in plastic microbore (1 rad per T off the 22mm) i could even use 15mm upstairs.

my thoughts on the microbore for the downstairs is i want it flush with no boxing in and some rads seem awkward to get to and i also like that the pipework is hidden, i have read there can be problems with this but it seems ok what we have now,

should it be 22mm for the hot and cold water also then down to 15?

many thanks yes im a novice but im trying to do as much as i can on my small budget

below is my floorplan and the red shows the current rads and the blue is where the boiler will be in the loft, could someone in the know mark out my 22mm run and manifolds possibly,

 

[Agile]

My advice would be to choose your new boiler installer and ask him for the advice you need.

He might also be needed to sort out your subsequent problems.

My advice would be to use nothing smaller than 15 mm for the heating and to plumb it all in copper!

Tony

 

[Rick888]

microbore has been fitted since it was built so i dont see an issue with it in the future. if it clogs ill flush it ,

thats why im here so i dont get into problems

 

[Agile]

Did anyone tell you just how difficult microbore can be to flush if it gets blocked?

 

[dilalio]

im a sparky

im a novice

could someone in the know

so i dont get into problems

Use 15mm copper mate

 

[Rick888]

i dont really like it on show, like coming up from the floorboards etc, plus im not sure i can stretch to it plus the cost of installation at the minute

 

[dilalio]

Ok. Then you could...

Forget going around the perimeter in 22.
Go through the centre(ish) of the floorplan(s) with 22 plastic, like an 'A road' and T off to each room in 15mm plastic. Use a decent barrier pipe and Hep20 fittings.
At each rad position, change to copper for the last bit and chase the tails up the wall and out to the valve positions - soldered 15mm elbow in the wall so it emerges a couple inches above skirting board height.
Use a separate circuit for the towel rails or use dual fuel rails, so that they can be warm during all months.

 

[Rick888]

thanks ok that seems do able, so i need to get the rads first then so i know the dimensions of where the pipe should be ,