Can radiators be adjusted to sit further/closer to a wall?

Mekrel

Mekrel

Mekrel

Soldato
Joined
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Buckinghamshire
Hi all,

We've finally got around to decorating the living and dining room of the house we've been in for a year.

The radiators downstairs are interestingly positioned, most of them are butted up against the wall, something I haven't seen before as usually they sit an inch or so from the wall on their brackets.

Annoyingly this means the pipes (coming up through concrete substrate floor) are either butted up against the skirting and in once instance, there's a semi circle recess drilled into the skirting for the pipes to fit.

Is this a known configuration for the rad the be directly on the wall? Or a bodge job? Usually I would take the rad off but I can't isolate it as the TRV pin is stuck open and I can't seem to loosen it.

I'm asking as it might be beneficial to move the rad away from the wall with an offset pipe fitting? After removing the wallpaper around this pictured rad, there's a clear dark patch above it.



Many thanks in advance
 
That would surely come under the bodge job category? I've never seen them like that either. You simply don't install them like that as the heat won't be efficiently rising out from the rad like it would if it had a gap.

Is your subfloor there a concrete screed so they couldn't be bothered to move the pipes maybe? Or maybe they replastered/boarded the wall brought it out further during redecorating and couldn't be bothered doing plumbing to reposition the pipes/valves so mounted it flush to line up?

Edit: see you said it is infact concrete floor. Yeah I reckon something happened where they redecorated and didn't want to move all the pipes coming out the screed.
 
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Hmm, try wd40 on the TRV pin and press down with a spanner or something flat/strong.
I'd go with bodge job as I imagine a lot of heat is being sent directly into the wall.
 
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jaybee said:
That would surely come under the bodge job category? I've never seen them like that either. You simply don't install them like that as the heat won't be efficiently rising out from the rad like it would if it had a gap.

Is your subfloor there a concrete screed so they couldn't be bothered to move the pipes maybe? Or maybe they replastered/boarded the wall brought it out further during redecorating and couldn't be bothered doing plumbing to reposition the pipes/valves so mounted it flush to line up?

Edit: see you said it is infact concrete floor. Yeah I reckon something happened where they redecorated and didn't want to move all the pipes coming out the screed.
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I don't think there's been any adjustment to the wall, it's the external wall in the picture and doesn't appear to be dot and dab.

Rob_B said:
Hmm, try wd40 on the TRV pin and press down with a spanner or something flat/strong.
I'd go.with bodge jib as I imagine a lot of heat is being sent directly into the wall.
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I've tried everything to released it, some WD40 with some mole grips (only pushing down and not pulling up)

Firestar_3x said:
Is that a single panel radiator with a metal cover around it? If so then the radiator is spaced off the wall, its just covered up.
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I think you're right, it is single panel and it does appear to be the casing.
 
You could use a couple of 45deg fittings to make an offset. You could cut that pipe down closer to the floor and the rad might stay at that height, otherwise you'll have to take it a bit higher, which shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Some careful measuring before cutting!
 
Take the cover off and have a look. Those ends slide upward, then away from the rads, whilst the top will then just lift off. You’ll be able to get a better look at what you’re dealing with then.

Vid of how to remove them;

 
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Firestar_3x said:
Is that a single panel radiator with a metal cover around it? If so then the radiator is spaced off the wall, its just covered up.
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What this dude said. I’ve previously only seen them in offices or schools - I assume to stop crap ending up down the back of them, though there may be a more technical reason for them :p
 
Looks like someone has overboard the wall and just trimmed around the radiator. I've just refitted a rad to a wall I insulated and even on the smallest setting this isn't how they look.
 
jaybee said:
Ah yes, good shout. Take the cover off and have a look. The pipes are still well close to the skirting though?
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They're ridiculously close, I have no idea how we'll remove the radiator in the dining room - that's the rad where one of the previous owners has chased the pipes into the skirting.

dlockers said:
Looks like someone has overboard the wall and just trimmed around the radiator. I've just refitted a rad to a wall I insulated and even on the smallest setting this isn't how they look.
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I don't think they've boarded, there's a metal back box for a wall light above so I can see the cross section of the wall.

It just appears as if they've installed these radiators and not thought about placing the copper pipes slightly in front of the outlets, then offsetting back.

Appears they had a preference for single radiators for some strange reason, despite the house being relatively new being built c. 2005.
 
Never seen a radiator fitted like that it looks like a total bodge maybe they upgraded from the old single panel rads with no fins to these? Have you tapped the try pin with a hammer (gently) sometimes a sharp tap helps!
 
That switch/socket to the right of the radiator. If you loosen it off the wall, how deep is the plaster/plasterboard to the back box. Can you post a photo?
 
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