As a DIYer, there was a certain joy in watching a highly skilled plumber have a serious moment of self contemplation around life choices when doing this install. Well done!
Yes this is probably the way to go. I suggested an access hole in the left hand side which would be hidden by the fridge but a spare shelf resting on the bottom would be perfect to cover a large hole.
Never fail to put a smile on my face mate. Not in the trade anymore but your videos instantly take me back to the “why did I agree to do this job” moments 😂
Fitted one of these earlier in the year in my own kitchen with its own dedicated programmable wall stat wired into the kickspace heater electric feed, so it only runs if the kitchen needs heat and heating water is circulating - of course, had to chase the cable for the wall stat, which adds to the work and making good….
Plumber brain 😂 A DIYer would take one look at that and go "I'll pull the cupboard out". But a highly trained plumber will ONLY think of using their plumbing skills to sort the entire job.
Although they're pain to go through these jobs are the best ones to showcase as there's nothing worse than watching someone do it smooth as then you end up in the mud when it comes to having a go yourself! Great vid!
When i moved into my first home (2021) I had my mind set on one of these. Seemed a smart choice. Small kitchen. Question being, "Do i use free wall for a radiator or a fridge?" Answer: Fridge obviously, and install one of these connected to the plumbing. Great idea. It DOES work well too! However, i had the misfortune of Mice invading my kitchen that i didnt notice till way after the installation (whther they were there before I moved in or not, i dunno. Maybe the decorators or plumbers accidentally let them in). This was during the covid pandemic. Long story short, i DID get Covid, but it left me wondering whether it got as bad as it got (respiratory wise) because id had a kickspace fan running where mice had no doubt been pissing and shitting. So ive got the thought of all that nonsense being heated up, particulated and blown out into my kictchen. That was like 3 years ago. Since living with long covid and now diagnosed with mild asthma, I've actually been afraid to use it since, despite how well it works. Dunno if im just overthinking it. I almost put it on earlier cuz of how cold its just got this weekend haha.
I replaced the broken one in the house I purchased with an upgraded model. The flow and return were already in place, I just had to switch the plumbing and electrical. I did add compression elbows at the rear of the unit too. Works amazingly and the fan noise just doesn't bother me (less than a rotating summer fan). Warm feet and room outway any noise. 😊 There's loads of brands out there, just do your research and get one with lower decibels. x
Great vid James. The epitome of how most of my DIY project go. I did one of these years ago in our kitchen. A Myson one I think & I used similar long braded flexy pipes fed from 10mm micro bore from an old rad so I could pull the whole fan unit out the front for cleaning. I was forever having to vacuum the dust out of it (no air filter) to keep it working at full capacity. The fan was a bit noisy as well. It got ditched a few years ago when we had the kitchen refitted & I installed a big radiator elsewhere in the kitchen, far easier to live with. BTW, I'm impressed by your Lotus position sitting capability. My old bones won't allow that sort of thing anymore. 🤣
IR heater bars from surya are awesome and smart controlled. Low energy, high heat output and I use them to heat our 40ft extension with a lot of glass. They also run from 130am to 7am at 7p per kWh to keep that large room nice and toasty for coffee time.
James….. omg I felt your pain…..I think you’ve definitely put everyone off ever thinking of fitting one of them😂. Joking apart a tidy job in a really tight space.😀
Great video. Good to see how you solve problems I seem to face all the time! By the way, what tool do you use for deburring inside copper pipe? I thought the Vouyar Tube Cleaning Brush was it but I see that only does the outside.
Should have insta electric one. I absolutely hate working in my own home. But watching you struggle is a joyous experience to me oh did I ever mention I'm a Sparkie. Lol
grate install! just thinking out loud … with an underfloor heating and wall hang radiators, we might still be required to have one of those guys… food for thoughts i suppose . great video by the way, as always!
Hi. Dear James I am also plumber.but I like your plumbing work. You are great job. I am learning a lots from you. I watch all videos. Am from pakistan.and I want online plumbing course
Another brilliantly entertaining video, thanks, James. I am definitely looking forward to your next swimming pool video, too (when you get a chance to make it) 😊👍🏴
I was planning a similar job in my kitchen to add a bit more heat for those really cold days in winter. It hasn't happened yet so will probably be next year now. One thing though, I will not be soldering at arm/s length under a kitchen unit! Well done though.
I do like the idea and look of "open plan" with lots of glass - but - when it's winter, making that space feel cosy on a budget can be a challenge. I've just re-fitted a two-way swinging interior door to my kitchen / dining to help make it feel more comfortable; without a door, most of the heat of the kitchen was lost through the doorway, which was then replaced with colder air from the corridor.
These heaters are great and pump out loads of heat, I ended up putting in a digi stat to control the heat in one kitchen job.. Ditch the flexi hoses, though, as they eventually block. Use some push fit would be my advice.
It’s a bit late, but the Smiths version of the plinth heater has the flow and return along the side, within the dimension of the width, so is slightly easier to access and pipe up :)
I'm not the biggest lover of pushfit stuff, but surely this was one of those occasions where it would have been 3 million percent easier, plus no fighting to get daft press fit tools in or having to tighten up the iso valves?!
Interesting choice of heating, Don’t you have underfloor in that kitchen? I would have been tempted to explore the weathercomp/low flow temps instead. I understand the logic behind boosting the room up to temp, but the alternative is to hold the room at a steady temp for longer periods. It’s more comfortable, and you should get better condensing in the boiler too. Some food for thought anyway.
I planned to add one of these heaters to my new kitchen renovation, but before I committed to it I upgraded the size of radiators in the kitchen to see if that was sufficient for our heating needs. I fitted the pipework required for the plinth heater at the time of doing the radiator upgrade in case I ended up needing the extra BTU. Just stuck a couple of isolating valves on and was going to use flexible hose to do the final connections to the plinth heater if I required one. But thank god for global warming (even up here in Scotland), I've not needed one. 😄😃
Nice, frustrating little hole to work in! Would it have been possible to just do your connection for the Flexi pipes behind the fridge. If you needed to remove the unit then you could pull the fridge out, undo the compression connector and remove the unit pulling the pipes out from behind the fridge as you pull it forwards.......
Nice work. Why did you not consider to move the cupboard out of place, work all the pipes from the top and after that put it back over it? Just some small and later not seen cutouts in the wood would be needed for that...
Mate.....4 screws and a multi cutter round the pipework and you could have just pulled the larder unit out like you did the fridge!! Good job tho and lovely kitchen
Very entertaining, thanks for a good laugh and I did feel your pain😂😂 just a suggestion, why did you not slot the kickboard and have the unit sit on spacers off the floor - neater look. Thanks agsin
I feel your pain, fitted one to an ikea kitchen 80mm plinths, had to cut cupboard out and make a box. Absolute dogs dinner I don’t mind admitting. Never again! Found the dan was clicking and noisy like yours, fan cylinder was out of whack inside. Customer moans the pitch of the motor changes as the voltage in the house fluctuates slightly (and it does) horrendous!!
Life is so easy these days I remember fitting them when we didn't have flexi pipes all hard piped then no thermal cameras you had to hold the pipe to feel if if was getting warm.
Not a job you want in a customers house. Thought you should have put a piece of padding under the radiator fan thing to lessen the noise of the fan on the tiles. What a job!!!
Press makes us LAZY - that is the fact. Dripping pipe - press, time running out - press... stupid customer behind the shoulder - press.. With rapidly rising press counter, I will have to re-learn how to solder very soon!
Not a job you want to do for a customer with such a maze of pipework. I thought it would have been a good idea to put some sort of padding under the bottom of the unit to stop it making so much noise as it sits on the tiles and makes more noise as a consequence. You could still do that one would think? Anyway job done with a number of changes. Love the facial expressions. How many did you cut out?😀👍👍
I usually,y put a couple of sheets of plaster board underneath then it's quiet easy to cut cheap ans holds it up enough to get a decent cut on the plinth
Your best video yet James. I started out thinking, "Oooh, that's cool. Wouldn't need rads in our kitchen refurb, more cabinet space", ended up thinking "I need to delete this video from the internet, wife can never see it, I'm never fitting one of them" :😆
Why not just either remove the cupboard or just multitool an access square in the side (which would be hidden by the fridge) so you can get your hand in and push the fitting on tighten it with the wrench? Would have made life a whole lot easier...
Hmmmm could you not measure up and then take the unit out It will only be attended to the wall with screws. Or cut a hole in the bottom of the cupboard and then cover the hole with a piece of laminate covering the entire cupboard bottom? You could then use the hole as an access point to service the heater.
Hi well done you keep it up you are doing a great job and having fun making some brilliant videos superstar Ali Walsall west midlands england junction 10 m6 Walsall churckery up the walsall
Honestly, vertical panels are pretty much a waste of time, they look nice but heat output is not that good. I think it’s Stelrad who make a vertical panel that really puts out heat, just doesn’t look terribly fashionable.
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As a DIYer, there was a certain joy in watching a highly skilled plumber have a serious moment of self contemplation around life choices when doing this install. Well done!
I suggest you make a large removable panel on the base of the cupboard so you can access the pipework and make it easier to service.
Yep, that's exactly what I did, far easier.
Yes this is probably the way to go. I suggested an access hole in the left hand side which would be hidden by the fridge but a spare shelf resting on the bottom would be perfect to cover a large hole.
That's what I thought
Never fail to put a smile on my face mate.
Not in the trade anymore but your videos instantly take me back to the “why did I agree to do this job” moments 😂
Fitted one of these earlier in the year in my own kitchen with its own dedicated programmable wall stat wired into the kickspace heater electric feed, so it only runs if the kitchen needs heat and heating water is circulating - of course, had to chase the cable for the wall stat, which adds to the work and making good….
His expression at the end just says it all why did he not remove the cupboard? lol .👍👍
My thought exactly!!!! After 'underfloor heating'
I was wondering about that
Plumber brain 😂 A DIYer would take one look at that and go "I'll pull the cupboard out". But a highly trained plumber will ONLY think of using their plumbing skills to sort the entire job.
what a great video, good to see the thought process and not just the how to that normal plumbers put up.
Although they're pain to go through these jobs are the best ones to showcase as there's nothing worse than watching someone do it smooth as then you end up in the mud when it comes to having a go yourself! Great vid!
Oh my word, that was soooooo entertaining.
Master James, you never fail me 😂
Exceptional quality video
You always crack me up, but i honestly thought the same, just stick to a plug in fan heater....lol.
When i moved into my first home (2021) I had my mind set on one of these. Seemed a smart choice. Small kitchen. Question being, "Do i use free wall for a radiator or a fridge?" Answer: Fridge obviously, and install one of these connected to the plumbing. Great idea. It DOES work well too! However, i had the misfortune of Mice invading my kitchen that i didnt notice till way after the installation (whther they were there before I moved in or not, i dunno. Maybe the decorators or plumbers accidentally let them in). This was during the covid pandemic. Long story short, i DID get Covid, but it left me wondering whether it got as bad as it got (respiratory wise) because id had a kickspace fan running where mice had no doubt been pissing and shitting. So ive got the thought of all that nonsense being heated up, particulated and blown out into my kictchen. That was like 3 years ago. Since living with long covid and now diagnosed with mild asthma, I've actually been afraid to use it since, despite how well it works. Dunno if im just overthinking it. I almost put it on earlier cuz of how cold its just got this weekend haha.
I replaced the broken one in the house I purchased with an upgraded model. The flow and return were already in place, I just had to switch the plumbing and electrical. I did add compression elbows at the rear of the unit too. Works amazingly and the fan noise just doesn't bother me (less than a rotating summer fan). Warm feet and room outway any noise. 😊 There's loads of brands out there, just do your research and get one with lower decibels. x
'Why did I start this job' vibes. Love it
Great vid James. The epitome of how most of my DIY project go. I did one of these years ago in our kitchen. A Myson one I think & I used similar long braded flexy pipes fed from 10mm micro bore from an old rad so I could pull the whole fan unit out the front for cleaning. I was forever having to vacuum the dust out of it (no air filter) to keep it working at full capacity. The fan was a bit noisy as well. It got ditched a few years ago when we had the kitchen refitted & I installed a big radiator elsewhere in the kitchen, far easier to live with.
BTW, I'm impressed by your Lotus position sitting capability. My old bones won't allow that sort of thing anymore. 🤣
a lovely piece of pipework there, mate, good job
IR heater bars from surya are awesome and smart controlled. Low energy, high heat output and I use them to heat our 40ft extension with a lot of glass. They also run from 130am to 7am at 7p per kWh to keep that large room nice and toasty for coffee time.
James….. omg I felt your pain…..I think you’ve definitely put everyone off ever thinking of fitting one of them😂. Joking apart a tidy job in a really tight space.😀
Great video. Good to see how you solve problems I seem to face all the time!
By the way, what tool do you use for deburring inside copper pipe? I thought the Vouyar Tube Cleaning Brush was it but I see that only does the outside.
Put one in my kitchen 8 years ago John guest push fits plastic pipe no probs a lot easier.😊
Should have insta electric one. I absolutely hate working in my own home. But watching you struggle is a joyous experience to me oh did I ever mention I'm a Sparkie. Lol
Put the face and a little sound player that says “hold tight” when the toilet opens.
Like a mini drama series Jimmy 😂 what’s that little chrome hook thing on the radiator. Looks like a handy little gadget for hanging towels.
I have this exact heater, old one broke and juat needed to plug this one in and connect.. The 2 pipes does it matter which connection goes where?...
grate install! just thinking out loud … with an underfloor heating and wall hang radiators, we might still be required to have one of those guys… food for thoughts i suppose . great video by the way, as always!
I was thinking the same. How come it's not enough? Great video, as always. Thank you James.
Hi. Dear James I am also plumber.but I like your plumbing work. You are great job. I am learning a lots from you. I watch all videos. Am from pakistan.and I want online plumbing course
Another brilliantly entertaining video, thanks, James. I am definitely looking forward to your next swimming pool video, too (when you get a chance to make it) 😊👍🏴
The pool looking good
Did one myself but had to use tec tite push fittings, I think if the air flow comes in at 21⁰C it cuts off the fan also. I'm not too sure, though.
Nice work James! Next time you'll take the whole wall unit RIGHT OUT first
I was planning a similar job in my kitchen to add a bit more heat for those really cold days in winter. It hasn't happened yet so will probably be next year now. One thing though, I will not be soldering at arm/s length under a kitchen unit! Well done though.
You crack me up! Nice Beatles singing!
Kiev 2018 😉 I was there too - YNWA x ally mac x
I do like the idea and look of "open plan" with lots of glass - but - when it's winter, making that space feel cosy on a budget can be a challenge. I've just re-fitted a two-way swinging interior door to my kitchen / dining to help make it feel more comfortable; without a door, most of the heat of the kitchen was lost through the doorway, which was then replaced with colder air from the corridor.
These heaters are great and pump out loads of heat, I ended up putting in a digi stat to control the heat in one kitchen job.. Ditch the flexi hoses, though, as they eventually block. Use some push fit would be my advice.
It’s a bit late, but the Smiths version of the plinth heater has the flow and return along the side, within the dimension of the width, so is slightly easier to access and pipe up :)
Hi.. Good Job
Should an used flexis for the whole install
I'm not the biggest lover of pushfit stuff, but surely this was one of those occasions where it would have been 3 million percent easier, plus no fighting to get daft press fit tools in or having to tighten up the iso valves?!
Interesting choice of heating, Don’t you have underfloor in that kitchen? I would have been tempted to explore the weathercomp/low flow temps instead. I understand the logic behind boosting the room up to temp, but the alternative is to hold the room at a steady temp for longer periods. It’s more comfortable, and you should get better condensing in the boiler too. Some food for thought anyway.
I planned to add one of these heaters to my new kitchen renovation, but before I committed to it I upgraded the size of radiators in the kitchen to see if that was sufficient for our heating needs. I fitted the pipework required for the plinth heater at the time of doing the radiator upgrade in case I ended up needing the extra BTU. Just stuck a couple of isolating valves on and was going to use flexible hose to do the final connections to the plinth heater if I required one. But thank god for global warming (even up here in Scotland), I've not needed one. 😄😃
Probably a silly question, but would it not have been far, far, far easier to unscrew the cupboard from the wall and move it!??
Jimmy was it worth the hassle? As a plumber and watching the video i can confirm i think its too much agro to do in my house
Nice, frustrating little hole to work in! Would it have been possible to just do your connection for the Flexi pipes behind the fridge. If you needed to remove the unit then you could pull the fridge out, undo the compression connector and remove the unit pulling the pipes out from behind the fridge as you pull it forwards.......
Nice work. Why did you not consider to move the cupboard out of place, work all the pipes from the top and after that put it back over it? Just some small and later not seen cutouts in the wood would be needed for that...
I thought you did underfloor heating in that kitchen, Jim? Anyway, glad you got it in , does sound like its a bit loud though!
Watched you since day 1 that was the most painful video 😂😂😂 why didn’t you just connect it behind your fridge in Flexies?? 👍💪
I would have ripped out that corner unit too . 😂
tanacity 👍 am i missing a trick, could you not pull the unit,to get your pipework in
Mate.....4 screws and a multi cutter round the pipework and you could have just pulled the larder unit out like you did the fridge!! Good job tho and lovely kitchen
Very entertaining, thanks for a good laugh and I did feel your pain😂😂 just a suggestion, why did you not slot the kickboard and have the unit sit on spacers off the floor - neater look. Thanks agsin
I feel your pain, fitted one to an ikea kitchen 80mm plinths, had to cut cupboard out and make a box. Absolute dogs dinner I don’t mind admitting. Never again! Found the dan was clicking and noisy like yours, fan cylinder was out of whack inside. Customer moans the pitch of the motor changes as the voltage in the house fluctuates slightly (and it does) horrendous!!
Why have you connected them both in parallel and not series, do you want to use it when the tado closes the rad?
Life is so easy these days I remember fitting them when we didn't have flexi pipes all hard piped then no thermal cameras you had to hold the pipe to feel if if was getting warm.
What press gun do u use?
Is pex a thing in the UK I would of just used pex
Would it not have been hell of a lot easier to just fit the flexi and iso behind the fridge.
Pool update? 😊😊😊
Got one of these in the kitchen but it never seems to give out a lot of heat unless the boiler is on MAX.
what happend to all that underfloor heating ?
Still going just takes an age and I don’t run it all year.
Plumbing pays 😮
Will it dehumidifier the room. Do you have dehumidifier in your hose plumberparts
It will only change the relative humidity.
What a Kerfuffle 😂
Max missed many opportunities to Tea Bag Jimbo here! 😂
Not a job you want in a customers house. Thought you should have put a piece of padding under the radiator fan thing to lessen the noise of the fan on the tiles. What a job!!!
20:08 The face of “read the fucking room”
How's the pool, is it full of leaves now 😁
The lengths you go to to avoid using Speedfit 😂
This is one of them scenarios where push fit is your friend
Should've used pushfit and flexis ;)
This must have seemed like a good idea at the time,
but you know they do all electric kick-space heaters?
Just use flexible pipes
Press makes us LAZY - that is the fact. Dripping pipe - press, time running out - press... stupid customer behind the shoulder - press.. With rapidly rising press counter, I will have to re-learn how to solder very soon!
I enjoy your videos wouldn’t it be easier to remove the cupboard to make life easier for yourself then install the cupboard back?
Not a job you want to do for a customer with such a maze of pipework. I thought it would have been a good idea to put some sort of padding under the bottom of the unit to stop it making so much noise as it sits on the tiles and makes more noise as a consequence. You could still do that one would think? Anyway job done with a number of changes. Love the facial expressions. How many did you cut out?😀👍👍
I usually,y put a couple of sheets of plaster board underneath then it's quiet easy to cut cheap ans holds it up enough to get a decent cut on the plinth
Great video. I don't think I could cope with the noise
Your best video yet James. I started out thinking, "Oooh, that's cool. Wouldn't need rads in our kitchen refurb, more cabinet space", ended up thinking "I need to delete this video from the internet, wife can never see it, I'm never fitting one of them" :😆
Ha cheers man!
You changed clothes lol how many days did it take 🤣
You need a fancy Dyson fan heater
It would have been easier to size those radiators right first day.
I fitted an all electric one. So much easier..😂
Definitely would’ve been a lot easier just to take the cupboard out.
Nice work. Random question but what Watch strap is that, is it a protective case?
It’s called a “fan coil unit” James
Im my day we would turn the oven on and leave the door open to warm the kitchen
Should have used a leccy one!
Why not just either remove the cupboard or just multitool an access square in the side (which would be hidden by the fridge) so you can get your hand in and push the fitting on tighten it with the wrench? Would have made life a whole lot easier...
Hmmmm could you not measure up and then take the unit out
It will only be attended to the wall with screws.
Or cut a hole in the bottom of the cupboard and then cover the hole with a piece of laminate covering the entire cupboard bottom? You could then use the hole as an access point to service the heater.
Ever thought about retirement or getting a job washing pots much easier
Jg all the way 😂
Hi well done you keep it up you are doing a great job and having fun making some brilliant videos superstar Ali Walsall west midlands england junction 10 m6 Walsall churckery up the walsall
James, you could always give up plumbing and become a gynaecologist....🙂
We miss Big G!
Why not lay some masking tape, line up the unit, remove the wall cabinet, and work on it with far more space then re-fit the cabinet. Good video tho.
ISO valves are better on pipework side in case you need to change the hoses.
You know you got a bad leak when you have to stand on a hop up
Could have saved all the hassle and fitted an electric fan convector heater 😂😂
Language Jim!
2 words.... Underfloor. Heating! 😂🤣😂🤣
Honestly, vertical panels are pretty much a waste of time, they look nice but heat output is not that good. I think it’s Stelrad who make a vertical panel that really puts out heat, just doesn’t look terribly fashionable.
Ah Ah………now I know why I retired in 2015, I was a C/H heating installer/house basher much easier than this plinth install 😂😂😂