So you want a new radiator, but can't move your pipes?
We've all been there. You've got a nasty old radiator in a room you're about to do up. Immediate thoughts as a quick fix go to radiator covers. Don't go there. Honestly. Firstly, they're a false economy, costing up a couple hundred pounds for a made to measure unit and then you have to put a bazzillion coats of undercoat on it or that crazy expensive MDF primer. You're talking £250 plus whatever time its taken you and to top it, you'll be lagging the radiator behind it and either not getting any heat into the room or turning everything up to compensate. Not great.
Onto option number 2. New radiator. We have a great range. One problem that can arise is that the range of radiators you like aren't the same size as the old one. On the surface, this seems like an insurmountable problem. In reality, its very easily solved with some careful selection and a few additional bits.
Firstly, if you're looking to replace a towel rail, these can be a little more tricky than a standard radiator as most towel rails have downwards facing connections. This means that the connections are situated at the bottom of the vertical bars, and as such the pipework will need to fit exactly both width and out from the wall. Fortunately, many manufacturers are starting to make their products using a uniform sizing system, so something should be available with a little digging around. We're happy to do the digging for you.
If you're looking to replace a radiator, then odds are you'll have to make a new radiator fit. With a few simple rules, this can be made to work in an elegant way and few people would even notice you've retro fitted to existing pipes.
Firstly, the most important rule is to size the radiator smaller than the existing one. Only slightly and if its almost the same size then all the better, but larger doesn't work. You'll need to move or heaven forbid bend the pipes to make it work. A slightly smaller radiator can be made to fit by changing a couple of parts in the valves. Valve extenders come in a variety of widths from 15mm to 70mm and upwards and look like this:
Quite simply, all we need to do is use a slightly smaller radiator than the one in situ. In most cases, this will solve your replacement radiator woes.
Please feel free to give us a call on 08450 580 540 or 023 9269 6622 or email Sales@RadiatorShowrooom.com and we'll be happy to advise.
