Quick answer
You might find a local handyman-type company willing to do this for around £100–£150, if you already have the radiator. Legally you don't need to be Gas Safe Registered to change a radiator — but allowing a company that isn't Gas Safe Registered to work on any part of your heating system could turn out to be incredibly expensive, as you'll see below.
What's actually involved
Whether you're replacing a radiator that's old and leaking, maybe you want it moved to a new location, or maybe you just want a change in style? Legally you don't have to use a Gas Safe Registered company to do this work. . . but there's a really good reason why you should!
Here are the key steps involved:
- Drain the system. Replacing one radiator with another of the same size may only need the radiator itself drained. Installing a radaitor of a different size, or moving the radiator, means draining the whole system to alter the pipework.
- Remove the old radiator. This doesn't usually pose any problems.
- Install the new radiator. Depending on the wall construction, special fixings may be needed. (Designer or column-style radiators take longer to install.)
- Connect & modify pipework.
- Fill the system & check for leaks.
- Add cleaning chemicals. A new radiator will contain some debris from the manufacturing process and the installation process itself will allow contaminants to enter the system — both need removing.
- Vent the system & operate for one hour. The system needs to run at maximum rate for at least an hour to let the cleaning chemicals do their job and clear manufacturing and installation debris.
- Remove the Cleaning chemicals. It is vital to remove the cleaning chemicals and wash out the contaminants that have broken down during the cleaning process.
- Fill & Vent the system, then add inhibitor chemicals. Inhibitor minimises corrosion going forward — However it won't prevent damage to the system from installation contaminants if they are not cleaned/removed.
- Operate the system. Make sure all the radiators are heating up, there is no trapped air in the system and more importantly, all the air has been removed from the boiler.
- Test the water. The final test once the system has been fully tested is to confirm the inhibitor levels are sufficent for the volume of water in the system.
Why might your boiler be at risk?
Anyone with sufficient DIY skills can manage steps 1–5. It's what happens from step 6 onward — specifically around your boiler — that changes things.
In step 6 above, it's important to understand that using the wrong cleaning chemicals for the type of heat exchanger in your boiler will lead to rapid corrosion of the most expensive part of your boiler.
In step 7 above, as the system refills with water, small pockets of air will become trapped around the system in radiators, sections of pipework and in the boiler itself. This air needs to be removed before the boiler can be safely operated.
On some boilers, you need to manually operate an air vent inside the boiler. The only way to access these valves is to remove the boiler casing. — However as the often forms part of the seal that prevents carbon monoxide from entering your property, it only takes one small mistake, an oversight by someone that doesn't know what they are doing to cause a carbon monoxide leak in your home. As you know, having carbon monoxide leaking in to your home can have fatal consequences. This is why removing the case on a boiler can only be done by someone that knos what to look for and is Gas Safe Registered.
On other boilers, air is removed from the control panel — however on these boilers it's easy to accidentally change a setting that can lead to your boiler failing to operate as it used to.
If this air isn't removed from the boiler, it becomes very easy for the boiler to overheat and thats when things can get really expensive!
The thermal fuse problem
A number of very popular boiler brands use a plastic casing on the heat exchanger that contains a thermal fuse. If your boiler overheats and that fuse gets too hot and blows, your boiler will stop working completely.
You might be thinking, Okay, so I need a new thermal fuse?
Unfortunately this fuse isn't a replaceable part on its own because it forms part of the heat exchanger itself. The only way to resolve this is to replace the entire heat exchanger, which is without a doubt the most expensive part inside your boiler.
Heat exchangers currently cost £500–£1,200, plus the seals needed to fit them, plus a Gas Safe Plumber's installation fee.
Whilst you are not breaking the law by allowing someone who's not Gas Safe Registered to change a radiator or modify the heating pipework in your home — Do you really want to gamble with a potential £1,000+ repair bill, when a Gas Safe Registered company can simply do the work correctly the first time?
What is it likely to cost?
Exclusive Trades is a Gas Safe Registered company in Eastbourne and can help with your radiator replacements, upgrades or pipework alterations. However until we see the job, we can't say exactly what it will cost because there are a number of factors to consider. (What are the pipes made of, what size are they, are they accessible, are they buried in a wall or the floor, what type of system do you have, etc!)
Exclusive Trades operates on a fixed price basis, so assuming the radiator is being replaced with one of the same size, in the same location, the system is clean (not full of black sludge), this is classed as a small installation and would cost £187 plus materials.
We do charge £47 to attend a property to assess any work and provide you with a price. However, using the example above of a straight forward, like-4-like swap that costs !187 Plus materials. If you decided to proceed with the work straight away, we would carry out the work for an additional £140. (£47 already paid + £140 = £187). However if you decide not to proceed straight away, your total cost is just the £47 to attend, assess the installation and calculate a fixed price for the work.
Things that can increase the cost
| Situation | Why it adds cost |
|---|---|
| Larger radiators | Often require pipes to be moved to suit the new size. |
| Change of location | Moving the radiator elsewhere means pipework alterations. |
| Designer-style radiators | Column and designer radiators take longer to install than a standard panel radiator. |
| Blocked pipework | If the pipes feeding the radiator are found blocked with sludge, clearing this adds time and materials. |
| Plasterboard walls | Large radiators on plasterboard need special fixings to support the weight safely. |
| Lath & plaster walls | Older lath and plaster walls can need significant extra work to support a large radiator, particularly the taller designer style radiators. |
| No proper drain point | Poorly designed systems with no specific draining points make the job significantly more time consuming. |
Before You Contact Us. . .
Assuming you. . .
- Want the work to comply with all regulations.
- Want the work carried out to a high standard.
- Accept we will not be the cheapest company in town.
. . . then there is just one last question to determine if we are the right company for you? . . . Would you object to having 'Freddy' in your home while the work takes place?
If you have no objections to Freddy being in your home while this work takes place, contact us using the button below to schedule your appointment now.