Radiator Installation
We fit, replace and relocate radiators for homes across Brighton and Sussex. Each one is sized for the room it has to heat, fixed level, connected properly and balanced against the rest of the system, so the house warms evenly rather than one room at a time.
What's involved
From a single like-for-like swap to a whole new heating layout in an extension, this is the range of the work.
Like-for-Like Replacement
Swapping a tired or corroded radiator for a new one on the existing pipe centres, so floors and decoration stay undisturbed.
Resizing and Upgrading
Working out the heat a room actually needs and fitting a radiator to match, for rooms that have never warmed up properly.
Moving and Adding Radiators
Relocating a radiator, or adding one where there was none, including the new flow and return pipework that needs running.
Valves and Balancing
Fitting thermostatic and lockshield valves, then balancing the whole system so heat is shared fairly across every room.
Sizing comes before fitting
A radiator that is too small will never heat the room, whatever you do with the thermostat, and one that is too large costs more to run and makes the room stuffy. So the first thing we do is work out what the room actually needs: floor area and ceiling height, how many exterior walls it has, the size and type of the glazing, and what insulation is there. A north-facing back bedroom with a big window and a solid wall needs far more output than a small internal room next to the airing cupboard.
Then we look at the system as a whole. A radiator draws its heat from the boiler, so adding output in one room takes it from somewhere else unless the boiler and the pipework can carry it. Where a radiator is being added rather than replaced, that is the check that matters most, and it is the one that gets skipped most often.
A radiator that is the wrong size is not a fitting problem; it is a sizing problem that only shows itself after the fitting.
Fitting
The old unit comes off first. We isolate at the valves where we can, so only that radiator drains rather than the whole system, and we drain into a container rather than over your floor. Where the valves are seized, which is common on anything old, we drain down properly and change the valves while the system is empty; it is far less work than coming back to them later.
Brackets go on next, and the wall dictates the fixings. Solid masonry takes one thing, a stud wall takes another, and a stud wall carrying a long double panel radiator sometimes needs noggins fitted between the studs before anything is hung on it at all. A radiator full of water is heavy, and a bracket pulling out of plasterboard two winters later is not a small problem. We check the radiator sits level, partly because it looks wrong otherwise and partly because one that slopes will not bleed properly.
Flow and return are then connected, with a thermostatic valve on one side and a lockshield on the other. The system goes back together, gets refilled, is vented at every radiator in the house rather than just the new one, and the boiler pressure is checked and set before we leave.
More information
Jobs this usually covers
- Replacing a corroded, leaking or badly discoloured radiator
- Upgrading a radiator in a room that has never been warm enough
- Moving a radiator to free up a wall for a kitchen unit, wardrobe or sofa
- Adding radiators to an extension, loft conversion or converted garage
- Fitting heated towel rails in bathrooms and en-suites
- Replacing seized valves and rebalancing a system that heats unevenly
Balancing, which is the part that gets left out
Once everything is refilled we balance the system, adjusting the lockshield valves so each radiator takes a fair share of the flow. Without it the radiators nearest the boiler run hot while the far ones sit lukewarm, which is what most people mean when they say the upstairs never really gets warm. It is unglamorous work with a thermometer on the pipework, and it is the difference between a radiator that heats and a house that heats.
Domestic gas work is carried out under our Gas Safe registration, 568345, and we are an accredited Vaillant installer, so where the boiler needs looking at alongside the radiators we can take on both rather than send you elsewhere. We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.
Recent work
Combi boiler relocated to the loft
We removed the existing boiler, cylinder and tanks and relocated the new Vaillant combination boiler to the loft, freeing up space in the new kitchen. New radiators were fitted throughout the house, along with a new gas main run from the meter direct to the boiler.
Viessmann storage combi boiler installation
We installed a Viessmann 222-F storage combination boiler, controlled by a smart thermostat and protected by a dirt separator. The wider project also included a new gas main, a new bathroom suite and new radiators.
Column radiator installation in Woodingdean
A set of column radiators fitted for a customer in Woodingdean, in a raw metal finish.
“Fantastic experience all round, RK plumbing and heating installed a new valliant boiler and 7 radiators throughout my property. I could not fault them at all, incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, clean and tidy. The work was completed on time at the agreed price with zero hassle. I would recommend RK plumbing and heating and will look forward to using such a great company in the future. Thankyou Ryan and the team.”
Bradley Chaston
“Ryan, the manager, came round promptly and gave us a quote. Once agreed and a date arranged, the engineers Josh & Sam arrived on time and worked extremely hard all day to install the new boiler. It was a device they weren't very familiar with but were still very efficient in the work they carried out. They barely seemed to take any breaks & when the work was completed in very good time, they cleared up well and then checked all the radiators in the house to ensure they were functioning at maximum efficiency. We would highly recommend them as a company and in fact have already done so.”
Rex Hampton
5.0 average from 4 reviews
Worth considering
Heating Controls Installation
Thermostats, programmers and smart heating controls supplied, fitted and set up for homes across Brighton, Hove and the surrounding Sussex towns.
Heating Controls Installation→Underfloor Heating Installation
Wet and electric underfloor heating installed neatly and tested properly, often alongside bathroom design and fit-outs.
Underfloor Heating Installation→Central Heating Repair
Gas Safe registered central heating fault-finding and repair for homes across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Central Heating Repair→Radiator Repair
Fixing cold, leaking or noisy radiators, from bleeding and valve repairs to flushing and full radiator replacement.
Radiator Repair→Radiator Valve Replacement
Seized, dripping or outdated radiator valves replaced and leak-tested, for homes across Brighton, Hove and the surrounding Sussex towns.
Radiator Valve Replacement→Underfloor Heating Repair
Diagnosis and repair of wet and electric underfloor heating systems, with minimal floor disruption, for homes across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Underfloor Heating Repair→Before you book
The questions that come up most when someone is having radiators fitted.
Can you fit a radiator somewhere different to the old one?
Do you have to drain the whole heating system?
How do you decide what size radiator I need?
Can I keep the existing pipework?
What is the difference between a TRV and a lockshield valve?
Can you fit a heated towel rail in a bathroom?
How do I get a price?
Which areas do you cover?
Let's get your rooms warm
Tell us which rooms aren't heating properly and we'll talk you through what would fix it.
Call 01273 911551