Chasing central heating pipes into walls

[clockworks]

As part of my upcoming kitchen diner refit, the ceiling is coming down and the walls are being skimmed. The pipework to the dining room radiator comes down through the ceiling in the corner of the room, then runs along the wall to the radiator. All pipework is exposed, and it looks ugly.

I am buying a wall chaser to hide the cables to some new sockets, and thought I might also chase and bury the radiator pipes - 15mm copper.

Would it be better to cut a chase either side of the radiator, and run each pipe straight down, or run both pipes in one chase in the corner, then horizontally to the radiator?
It's a dormer bungalow, so re-doing the pipework above the ceiling shouldn't be a problem.

[Simpo Two]

My thought is do whichever makes for the least cutting.

[megaphone]

I'd go for the corner, less chance of the pipe being hit in the future, say if someone hangs a picture. Nice deep chase and make sure you use insulation around the pipes before your re-plaster.

No floor boards?

[clockworks]

Running down either side of the radiator would mean much less cutting, but would increase the chance of accidental damage. Radiator is below a window, so no chance of hanging a picture there, but someone in the future may put up a curtain track or pole.

Floor is solid concrete. All the pipework runs in the loft space, then drops down the walls and along the skirting boards.

The walls are cavity block with a hard render, built in 1966. How deep can I safely go for the horizontal chase?

[Little Lofty]

Last time I had to do droppers we used 10mm plastic pipe (in the corners) and dot and dabbed the walls, no chasing needed. If you stick to 15mm copper then chasing 20mm out the block should be ok, use cooper saddle clips as they don't protrude too much.

[clockworks]

Good point about using copper pipe clips.
I've bought a wall chaser from Screwfix - was going to use an angle grinder, but this should save a lot of time and hopefully create less mess.
I'll stick to the corners for safety.

Rather than using foam pipe lagging to insulate, I'm thinking of using a litle squirty foam?

[moles]

I did my drops in 10mm plastic coated copper was only £10 dearer than bare copper for a 50m reel and used electrical capping over the top then plastered that, in the floor I put the copper in electrical conduit as had deeper chases cut out

[megaphone]

clockworks said:

Good point about using copper pipe clips.
I've bought a wall chaser from Screwfix - was going to use an angle grinder, but this should save a lot of time and hopefully create less mess.
I'll stick to the corners for safety.

Rather than using foam pipe lagging to insulate, I'm thinking of using a litle squirty foam?

You need to allow the pipes to move as they expand & contract, in my house we used felt lagging, not sure if there's a more up to date product.??