Replacing one central heating radiator with two

[rwb196884]

I want to replace one radiator underneath the window (which is useless when it's cold and dark becuase it's behind the curtains) with one tall radiator at each side of the window.

I imagined plumbing them in parallel like this. (The dark squares in the middle are where the existing pipes go into the wall.)

Plumber has been and had a look and said that's impossible to replace one radiator with two because one of them will always be cold.
Is this so (seems somewhat implausible)?

To do this and replace three more radiators I've been quoted £1400. Does that sound right -- it's a lot more than what I'd guessed?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

What size is the pipework to the existing rad

10mm or 15mm

 

[rwb196884]

There are thin plastic pipes to the current radiators; so I'd guess 10mm.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep so won’t do two rads so need to open the ceiling up to find the manifold and take a new supply off for the rads

Note manifold won’t be in the same room as the rads normally in a hall ceiling

 

[rwb196884]

I was told something like that.
I like to double check everything so thank you for the second opinion.
That's annoying!

What will happen if I just do it anyway?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I was told something like that.
I like to double check everything so thank you for the second opinion.
That's annoying!

What will happen if I just do it anyway?

One will heat ish the other will be cold turn one off the other one will heat up fine

Welcome to new builds

Might be easier to upgrade the existing rad eg under the window and shorten the curtains

 

[rwb196884]

Options:

• Fit just one new radiator -- will look stupid becuase it's asymmetrical.
• Fit two radiators and keep one turned off
• Abandon

 

[snowhead]

Fit one radiator, correctly sized to heat the room, (if there is the space) it won't look as stupid as you think.
If the above turns out to be wrong, in your eyes, fit a second radiator to make it symetrical, but don't pipe it up.

Cheapest / simplest option, cut the curtains down in length.