When you need to move a new radiator, or relocate one you already own, within your home, it can feel like some challenge. Where do you begin? What about the plumbing?  Is it going to break? Thankfully, we are here to help. Whether you are moving convector radiators, tubular radiator, towel rail radiators or anything in between, the process is fairly standardized throughout, so you can have your radiator set up and heating the room you desire in near to no time at all.

Measure Up!
Understanding the dimension you are working with is the first step to relocating your radiator to its new home. Firstly, measure it in its current position, as well as measuring the space between the bottom of the radiator and the floor to allow for any pipework running from it. If you are not sure you will be able to estimate the amount of pipework needed, consult with a plumber

Draining Your Radiator
You may feel the urge to grab your radiator and tear it straight down off the wall, but please, don’t! You must firstly drain the heating system of any water. Before you begin draining, you must also turn off the boiler, isolating any electricity supply.  If you are to begin draining with the electricity still running, the boiler may fire back, or the pump may start, burning out and overheating the boiler.

Capping the pipework
Happy that the radiator is empty and completely drained? Great!  You can start to cap the pipework and prepare the radiator for moving. You may need to consult with pipework contractors. Many plumbers may use a push-fit cap to cap off the existing pipework; however, we prefer to use the soldering method as it provides a more secure capping method. Once the pipework has been removed you can open up the TRV’s to ensure that any remaining water is removed from the radiator.

Installing the new radiator
When it comes to fitting the new radiator onto the wall, you should have already made the required measurements, allowing for the pipework in the process. Make sure that you use the wall fixtures from the original radiator when fitting it.

If you try to use a different set, it may have different screws and fitting spots, which couldn’t fit. Without the correct fitting parts, you won’t be able to hang the radiator onto the wall.
Make sure that the TRV’s have been closed and the pipework has been correctly fitted and secured before proceeding to refilling the system.
Refill the system, switch the boiler on, and enjoy!

Once all the previous steps are complete and all the necessary pipework adjustments are aligned, you can start to refill the system. Once the system has refilled, feel free to turn on the electricity supply, and test the new radiator. Make sure that the boiler is able to reach the correct pressure. If it isn’t, you’ll need to get a registered gas engineer to take a look for you.