Installation and connection of heating radiators with your own hands

Installing or renovating a heating system involves installing or replacing heating devices. The good news is that, if desired, you can do it with your own hands without involving specialists. How the installation of heating radiators should take place, where and how to locate them, what is needed to carry out the work – all this in the article.

What is necessary for installation

Installation of heating radiators of any type requires devices and consumables. The set of necessary materials is almost identical, but for cast iron radiators, for example, plugs are large, and the Maevsky faucet is not put, but somewhere in the highest point of the system, put an automatic air vent. But the installation of heating radiators aluminum and bimetallic is absolutely the same.

Steel panel radiators also have some differences, but only in terms of hanging – they come complete with brackets, and on the back panel there are special molded metal shackles, which the heater clings to the hooks of the brackets.

Maevsky valve or automatic air vent.

This is a small device for discharging air that may accumulate in the radiator. It is placed on the free upper outlet (manifold). It is mandatory to be on every radiator when installing aluminum and bimetallic radiators. The size of this device is much smaller than the diameter of the collector, so you will still need an adapter, but Maevsky valves usually come with adapters, you only need to know the diameter of the collector (connection dimensions).

In addition to the Maevsky valve, there are also automatic air vents. They can also be put on radiators, but they have slightly larger dimensions and for some reason are produced only in brass or nickel-plated housing. They are not available in white enamel. In general, the picture is unattractive and, although they deflate the air automatically, they are rarely used.

Plug

The radiator with a side connection has four outlets. Two of them are occupied by the supply and return piping, on the third put a Maevsky faucet. The fourth entrance is closed with a plug. It, like most modern batteries, is most often painted with white enamel and does not spoil the appearance at all.

Shut-off fittings

You will need two more ball valves or shut-off valves with the possibility of adjustment. They are placed on each battery at the inlet and outlet. If they are ordinary ball valves, they are needed to be able to disconnect the radiator and remove it if necessary (emergency repair, replacement during the heating season). In this case, even if something happens to the radiator, you will cut it off, and the rest of the system will work. The plus side of this solution is the small price of ball valves, the minus – the impossibility of regulating the heat output.

Almost the same tasks, but with the ability to change the intensity of the coolant flow, perform shut-off regulating valves. They are more expensive, but they also allow you to adjust the heat output (make it less), and they look better, there are in the direct and angular version, so that the strapping itself is more accurate.

If desired, you can put a thermoregulator on the supply of coolant after the ball valve. This is a relatively small device that allows you to change the heat output of the heater. If the radiator heats badly, they can not be put – it will be even worse, as they can only make the flow less. There are thermoregulators on the batteries different – automatic electronic, but more often use the simplest – mechanical.

Related materials and tools

More for hanging on the walls will need hooks or brackets. Their number depends on the size of the batteries:

• if the sections are not more than 8 or the length of the radiator is not more than 1,2 m, two fixing points from the top and one from the bottom are enough;
• for every next 50 cm or 5-6 sections add one fixing point at the top and one at the bottom.

It is necessary to use fum tape or linen winding, sanitary paste to seal the joints. You will also need a drill with drills, level (better leveler, but the usual bubble will do), some number of dowels. You will also need equipment for connecting pipes and fittings, but it depends on the type of pipes. That’s it.

Where and how to place

Traditionally, heating radiators are installed under the window. This is necessary for the rising warm air to cut off the cold from the window. In order that the glass does not sweat, the width of the heater should be at least 70-75% of the width of the window. It should be installed:

These are all recommendations, compliance with which ensures the normal circulation of warm air in the room and effective heating.

How to choose pipes from polypropylene read here.

How to install correctly

Now about how to hang the radiator. It is very desirable that the wall behind the radiator was flat – so it is easier to work. On the wall mark the middle of the opening, draw a horizontal 10-12 cm below the sill line. This is the line along which the upper edge of the radiator is leveled. Brackets should be installed so that the upper edge coincides with the drawn line, that is, it is horizontal. This arrangement is suitable for heating systems with forced circulation (if there is a pump) or for apartments. For systems with natural circulation make a slight slope – 1-1.5% – along the course of the coolant. It is not allowed to do more – there will be stagnation.

Mounting to the wall

This should be taken into account when installing hooks or brackets for radiators. Hooks are installed according to the type of dowels – a hole of suitable diameter is drilled in the wall, a plastic dowel is installed in it, and the hook is screwed into it. The distance from the wall to the heater is easily adjusted by screwing the hook body in and out.

When installing hooks under heating radiators, note that the main load falls on the upper fastener. The lower one serves only for fixing in a given position relative to the wall and it is installed 1-1,5 cm lower than the lower collector. Otherwise you simply will not be able to hang the radiator.

When installing brackets, they are applied to the wall in the place where they will be mounted. To do this, first lay the battery to the place of installation, look where the bracket will “stand”, mark the place on the wall. Having laid the battery, you can put the bracket to the wall and mark the location of the fasteners on it. In these places, drill holes, insert dowels, screw the bracket to the screws. Having installed all the fasteners on them hang the heater.

Fixing to the floor

Not all walls can hold even lightweight aluminum batteries. If the walls are made of lightweight concrete or plasterboard, floor mounting is required. Some types of cast iron and steel radiators come with feet, but they do not suit everyone in terms of appearance or performance.

It is possible floor installation of heating batteries made of aluminum and bimetallic. For them there are special brackets. They are fixed to the floor, then install the heater, arc fix the lower collector on the installed legs. Such legs are of adjustable height, there are fixed. The method of fastening to the floor is standard – on nails or dowels, depending on the material.

Options for piping radiators

Installation of heating radiators implies their connection to pipelines. There are three main ways of connection:

• saddle;
• unilateral;
• diagonal.

If you put radiators and the bottom connection, you have no choice. Each manufacturer rigidly binds the supply and return and its recommendations must be strictly observed, because otherwise you simply do not get heat. There are more options with side connection (more details about them are written here).

Strapping at one-way connection

One-way connection is most often used in apartments. It can be two-pipe or one-pipe (the most common variant). In apartments still use metal pipes, so consider the option of tying the radiator with steel pipes on bends. In addition to pipes of suitable diameter you need two ball valves, two tees and two bends – parts with external thread on both ends.

All this is connected as shown in the photo. In a one-pipe system the bypass is mandatory – it allows you to disconnect the radiator without stopping and draining the system. Do not put a tap on the bypass – it will block the movement of coolant through the riser, which is unlikely to please the neighbors and, most likely, get under a fine.

All threaded connections are sealed with fum-tape or linen winding, on top of which is applied packing paste. When screwing the tap into the radiator manifold, not too much tape is needed. Too much can lead to micro-cracks and subsequent destruction. This is relevant for almost all types of radiators except cast iron ones. When installing all others, please, without fanaticism.

If you have the skills/ability to use welding, you can weld the bypass. This is how the radiator piping in apartments usually looks like.

In a two-pipe system, a bypass is not necessary. Supply is connected to the upper inlet and return to the lower inlet, and of course, taps are needed.

When the bottom distribution (pipes are laid on the floor), this type of connection is very rarely done – it turns out to be inconvenient and ugly, it is much better in this case to use a diagonal connection.

Strapping at diagonal connection

Installation of heating radiators with diagonal connection is the best option in terms of heat output. It is in this case the highest. At the bottom distribution this type of connection is not difficult to realize (example on the photo) – supply on one side up, return on the other side down.

One-pipe system with vertical risers (in apartments) does not look so good, but people put up with it because of the higher efficiency.

Note, with a single-pipe system, a bypass is again required.

Strapping in the case of a saddle connection

When installing radiators in this way, it is the most convenient and least noticeable way to install them.

In the case of saddle connection and bottom single-pipe installation, there are two options – with and without bypass. Without bypass, the taps are still installed, if necessary, the radiator can be removed and a temporary jumper between the taps can be installed – a bend (a piece of pipe of the required length with threads on the ends).

With vertical distribution (risers in high-rise buildings), this type of connection is not often seen – too high heat losses (12-15%).

Video lessons on installation of heating radiators