Heating plumbing question

[Craig-SM]

Currently I’m sorting out the kitchen and in the extension part of it I need to run the pipes to the radiator along the skirting board, around 1.5m, due to them coming up from the floorboards under a cupboard and the floor being tiled.

The previous owner had just used copper pipes and painted over them so looks a mess and traps dirt as they’re flush up to the skirting board. I’m looking to use chrome pipes instead and have them stood off but as they’ll need to have 90 deg bends to take them up to the rad valves I have some queries. I am assuming the chrome pipes can’t be bent due to the chroming cracking or soldered (as can’t find chromed solder fittings) either so would it be OK to use compression fittings on heating pipes?

The other option would be to use stainless steel piping but again is this available in 15mm and if so bent easily? Connecting this under the cupboard to existing copper pipes I guess I would have to use a compression fitting or a push fit if these are suitable for heating pipes?

 

[dobbslc]

I don't think you are meant to use push fit on chrome pipe as the little teeth can't grip onto the hard chrome, you can however file off the chrome just enough so it fits, this is what I did in a bathroom and it seems to be fine a few years later.
You can also solder them by doing the above but it'll look crappy.

 

[Blobber]

You can get chrome comression fittings but it all looks a bit tat really, cant you box them in? just pull the skirting forwards and infill to top with a bit of 11/2 flat timber

 

[Robotstar5]

You can get chrome comression fittings but it all looks a bit tat really, cant you box them in? just pull the skirting forwards and infill to top with a bit of 11/2 flat timber

That's what the builder did when we had our kitchen re-furbed a couple of years ago, looks neat & tidy.

You can just see it to the right of the rad cover.

 

[brightspark]

or if your real fussy remove skirting board and sink the pipes in behind it

 

[gaz1]

you can slight dog leg a chrome copper pipe but 90 degrees and its a no

compression is the preferred option and you can get chrome compression fittings

 

[Craig-SM]

You can get chrome comression fittings but it all looks a bit tat really, cant you box them in? just pull the skirting forwards and infill to top with a bit of 11/2 flat timber

I had thought of boxing them in even looked at the dedicated pipe cladding but it goes into a very visible corner and it always looks odd against the adjacent skirting.

 

[Craig-SM]

Looks my concerns with chrome are confirmed so won’t be that.

What about stainless steel? I assume that can be bent and push fit and/or compression fittings used on it

 

[hunter27]

l don't know where you can't bend chromed copper pipe comes from? I have bent lots of 15mm chrome pipe with a spring and later with a pipe bender for radiators and showers with exposed pipework, and 12mm and 8mm chrome pipe using an internal spring for 15mm and external spring for 8mm from when gas fires had chrome pipe running across a tile fireplace.
Pipe isn't what it was but with a bit of care and with 15mm it's not hard to bend. We used capillary fittings mainly you definitely have to gently file off the chrome spigot that enters the socket first or we used emery tape strip on a roll.