How much does it cost to move a radiator?

What if I need a new radiator before moving it?

Adding a new radiator is a little more expensive with an average cost of £180 which partly reflects the cost of the new unit. Moving the site of a radiator is a good opportunity to upgrade in terms of style and design and to fit in with the new interior design.

New radiators cost anywhere from £40 for a small size to around £120 for a large radiator. Column radiators which are very in vogue at the moment retail at about £115 for a small version through to £350 on average for a large unit. Vertical radiators or designer radiators can start in price at around the £500 mark. A large cast iron radiator can retail at between £700-£800.

Factors that affect the cost of moving radiators

Factors that affect the cost of moving a radiator include:

The ease of relocation – time is a big factor when it comes to the cost of moving radiators, for instance, does the pipework need to go through plaster, coving, skirting boards or brickwork? Every barrier or obstruction will add time to the job which will cost more in terms of the labour charge and you may also require extra plumbing work to install the radiator in its new location. For example you may have erected a new wall in your home or undertaken kitchen rewiring or kitchen wrapping.

• Bleeding the radiator – once the radiator is successfully installed in its new site, the old pipework will need to be capped off and then the radiator should be bled. This takes around half an hour but could add another £40-£50 to the final bill
• New thermostat – you may require a new thermostat which will cost in the region of £150-£280
• New TRV radiator valve – a Thermostatic Radiator Valve or TRV controls the temperature of a room or area by changing the flow of hot water to the radiator. TRVs usually cost between £20 and £40
• Your geographical location – the hourly labour costs for a plumber or heating engineer are generally higher in London and the South East compared to other regions in the UK so moving radiators can cost more depending on where you live
• VAT – always find out if your contractor is VAT registered and will charge VAT

Why move radiators?

There is clearly a cost attached to move radiators so why do it? Well, there are lots of reasons.

First off is a redesign or refurbishment, this could be in a new property or one you have lived in for a while. A simple re-organisation of the room or a change of purpose can mean that the current radiator or radiators end up being in the wrong place or just in the way of the newly organised interior. Equally, an extension or more major structural works will often raise the need to relocate radiators to a new place or simply add more to heat a bigger space.

Where can a radiator be moved to?

A radiator can usually be moved to any wall in the room where there is no electrical wiring or plumbing behind the wall. There must be enough space on the wall and enough clearance between the bottom of the radiator and the floor for any new pipework.

The best positioning for a radiator is somewhere in the coldest part of the room for maximum benefit. Don’t block the radiator with furniture so if you are re-designing an interior then take this into account. Traditionally, radiators have usually been mounted on an external wall and under a window but new heating technologies mean that you can ring the changes and with different shapes and sizes of radiator now available, there is a whole new world of design possibilities.

Placing the radiator under the window and on an outside wall did make sense because single glazed windows often bring draughts into the room. The advent of sealed unit double glazing which is common in many homes has all but eliminated this requirement and now you can put your radiator wherever you want.

Mistakes to avoid when moving radiators on an interior revamp or refurbishment

Keep radiators away from furniture, if you place the radiator in a location where you intend to put furniture then you will lose all the benefit of the heat. If the room is small and this is unavoidable then consider a convector radiator which will blow heat.

What are the things to take into account before moving radiators?

Moving radiators is a job which requires a degree of forethought and planning. Here are some of the key considerations:-

• The main issue is usually the pipework – there needs to be access to the old pipes either through the floorboards or the ceiling
•  It may be necessary to lay some new pipes to connect to your radiator valves if the size of the radiator is very different
• Measure your current radiator and the location where you would like it to be moved to in order to ensure it fits – sounds obvious but it’s easy to assume it will fit just based on appearance. Always measure between the bottom of the radiator and the floor in the fresh location to ensure there will be enough room for the new pipework
• The location of a radiator in a room used to be essential for maximum heat but this has become less of a concern with the development of new technology like convector radiators and underfloor heating. Convector radiators emit far more heat than their old-fashioned predecessors so radiators can now be smaller and more compact so there is more choice about where to put them
• Consider the output you will need for the room, this might be a change of purpose for the room so it could be somewhere you will spend more time or less time. There may also be other forms of heating within this space like electric radiators, underfloor heating or an open fire in addition to the radiators
• If you are extending or converting the loft, you may be moving radiators and adding more because your house has just got bigger. Adding radiators can impact on the output of the central heating system and may call for a more powerful boiler

What is the process of moving a radiator?

Your plumber or heating engineer will make an assessment to ensure the current or replacement radiator can be moved to a fresh location.

The first thing he will need to do is drain down the central heating system, this means turning the boiler off and isolating the electricity supply. Then once the system is drained, the pipework that leads to the radiator will need to be capped off. The radiator can then be moved along with the original wall fittings and it is connected to the heating system usually with new piping. The system is re-filled and then the boiler is switched back on. The whole system should be checked for leaks and soundness not just the newly located radiator.

See information from the government on improving your energy efficiency and cold weather payments if you are struggling with home heating in the winter months.