Radiators

[MPC]

Hi

I joined the forum a week or so ago & have found it to be great so far. I have just recently finished a short tiling course & I am now ready to tile my bathroom.
Just wondering what most of you lot do as regards to removing radiators?
I feel confident enough to take it off in my own house but as I have not recieved any proper training I wouldn't be confident doing so in a customers house. Plus the fact I have already read on this forum that tilers insurance probably wont cover me for taking them off.

What do you lot do?
Was thinking when doing the quote for a customer would you just add in the price for a plumber explaining that I'm not trained to be removing radiators, or insured.
If the customer didn't want to pay for a plumber I was wondering if you would just explain to them that you could just tile around the radiator but it wouldn't be as good a job in the said area.

Does that sound like a plan?

I'm new to this guys, its advice I'm looking for not a shooting down

[doug boardley]

I'd get a plumber in MPC and incorporate it into your price

[MPC]

Yeah sounds the best idea to me, is that what you have done in the past?

Thanks

[doug boardley]

it is mate, easy things like taking out toilets, basins is ok as long as they are on isolator valves, but I've always been wary of rads

[Tenchman]

as per Doug = good advice, years ago with my Biz partners (now gone elswhere) we ran domestic & commercial contracts as well as restoration, commercial was mostly for MOD, and mainly for the yanks, domestic varied, i used to concentrate on restoration but one day i went to help with a domestic , tried to untwist a micro bore rad pipe, went ok as far as i knew. however the plumber had put a joint in sub floor, i had untwisted this, result the top floor was flooded over the weekend and the ceiling had to be dropped & replaced.

Now although i only carry out bathroom or kitchen stuff for friends or family i would never move pipes just get a plumber in i know damn sight easier and no grief. cost us a few quid that job.

[Scott]

You wont get shot down in here

Heating is always mreo invloved that hot and cold feeds as there is far more to go wrong. I do it because i feel confident with it and im quote knowledgable on plumbing. For now stick with using a plumber and watch and learn from him. If you use the same one each time then he will give you tips that could help you both.

[Dave]

You could always do a short bathroom fitting course.. then add that to your skills..

[Scott]

How much of the heating system would that incorporate though Dave?

[united]

How much of the heating system would that incorporate though Dave?

They are really good, I did a 5 day plumbing course and it gave me all the knowledge to do full bathroom re fits no problem

I only did it as I wanted the confidence to remove and replace but it taught me so much more

[faithhealer]

why not go on the sister plumbing forum and see if theres any one in your area who would give you a hand

[Scott]

They are really good, I did a 5 day plumbing course and it gave me all the knowledge to do full bathroom re fits no problem

I only did it as I wanted the confidence to remove and replace but it taught me so much more

Did it teach you about the different types of central heating system though United? There are so many things that can go wrong and its very different to your basic bathroom feeds and waste.

[united]

Did it teach you about the different types of central heating system though United? There are so many things that can go wrong and its very different to your basic bathroom feeds and waste.

It went into a few types like gravity fed and combi to give you the basics

[pjc]

always found you could come a cropper but if you know someone that can help you out if you do great but i used to just loosen the joints lift it of the brackets twist it round so it was lying on top of a bucket (thats the only time ready mix is used IMO ) then tighten the joints up tile & grout it then reverse the procedure

[365drills]

If you do remove the radiators (and other items) the advantage for the customer is a more elegant finish with tiles. This is basically because the white goods fit over the tiling and look great. Example the radiator brackets are screwed on over the tiles and tiles look great behind the pipe work when there is no towel on the unit.


Above you can see the improved tiling effect of removing the radiator.
1) Tiles behind the unit can be seen. Look great.
2) Plumbing is neat and tidy. No pipework.



In this project we drilled 16mm holes with PORSADRILL diamond core tile drills into the tile and slipped through the 15mm radiator pipes


Removing everything from the room being tiled does make set out and tile job much more effective.

But the penalty is that you will have to balance what the customer is prepared to pay. The time it takes to remove everything. The time it takes to put everything back.

And finally.... What happens if pipes leak when you test it..! If you find out that a pipe joint is leaking in the wall then will you have to take off all your tiles and fix it.



The finished result is always best for the customer... because they have a stunning bathroom. The tiles flow seamlessly and the white goods hang from your tiles.

Just remember that extra work involved can be significant. And must be paid for and agreed in advance.

NB: (here comes the advert bit) All the holes in the above project were cut using PORSADRILL tile drills best selling pack "Bathroom Fitters Kit" BFKMX from 365Drills



This kit not only covers those service pipes mentioned above (like the 15mm copper, the anchor bolts for the sink and toilet, the waste pipe for the sink) but also includes the 6mm and 8mm rawl plug sizes to hang the radiator plus all the other nick nacs like shower doors, toiler roll holders, toothbrush holders. £49.99 or £7 a diamond core drill bit.


All Bathrooms Need Rawl Plugs... At 6mm and 8mm the kit has FOUR cores to do it.

[SandyFloor]

I don't touch rads. They're fairly easy to remove and refit but if the heating system shuts down for whatever reason and you're not qualified to fix it you look a complete cowboy. I would get a plumber/ heating engineer who can cope with every eventuality.