Radiator Installation
Across London — Sized,
Fitted, Balanced.
Panel, column, vertical, designer and cast-iron radiators specified to the room's actual heat loss, fitted onto sound pipework, and balanced back into the existing circuit so every room in the property reaches temperature — not just the one closest to the boiler.
Radiators that match the room, not just the wall.
A radiator is a heat emitter first and a design object second. Picked on looks and fitted to whatever pipework is already there, it looks tidy on day one and leaves the room three degrees under-temperature for the next twenty winters. Chelsea Plumbing & Heating Co. sizes every new radiator to the room's calculated heat loss — window area, wall construction, ceiling height, exposure — and then confirms the existing pipework and pump can actually deliver that output.
We install and replace panel radiators, double-panel convectors, vertical radiators, aluminium column radiators, traditional cast iron columns and heated towel rails across combi, system and open-vented central heating systems. TRV upgrades, lockshield rebalancing, radiator relocation during refurbs, and cutting-in of new circuits on extensions are day-to-day work.
This service suits homeowners doing a refurb, landlords upgrading dated single-panel rads to modern doubles, and anyone whose 'cold room' problem has been diagnosed as an under-sized radiator rather than a boiler fault.
Every install is carried out by Ian Fisher directly — Gas Safe registered (952303), many years in the trade, and the same engineer who quoted the job.
The reasons a new radiator still leaves the room cold.
The most common failure isn't the radiator — it's the sizing. Designer verticals in particular are frequently 30–40% down on the panel radiator they replaced, because they look bigger but have a fraction of the surface area and water content. The room never gets to temperature and the homeowner blames the boiler.
The second failure is the pipework. A new radiator with 40% more output plumbed into 8mm microbore that fed the old one is throttled at the tail. The rad warms at the top and stays cold at the bottom because the flow rate isn't there. A proper install checks the pipework can carry the design flow.
The third is balancing. Every heating system needs the lockshield valves adjusted so each radiator gets its share of the flow. Skip the balance and the closest radiator to the boiler cooks while the furthest never warms — a symptom that gets misdiagnosed as 'the boiler's too small' when it's actually a five-minute balancing job.
- ×Choosing a designer vertical on looks without checking its BTU/hr output against the room's heat loss.
- ×Fitting new radiators onto old microbore tails without checking flow rate — new rad, same cold bottom.
- ×Reusing old compression olives — the number-one cause of a slow drip appearing three months later.
- ×Skipping the balance on completion — first radiator cooks, last radiator never warms.
- ×Cheap TRVs that stick open or closed within a heating season — leaves you calling out an engineer to replace them all.
- ×Wall-mounting a heavy cast iron column into plasterboard without proper structural fixing — it will come off the wall.
A methodical system,
not a rushed callout.
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01SurveyRoom measured, heat-loss calculated, existing pipework and pump duty confirmed.
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02SpecifyRadiator size and type recommended in writing with BTU/hr output shown against the calculated load.
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03InstallExisting rad drained and removed, new tails and valves fitted, radiator hung, filled and vented.
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04BalanceLockshield valves adjusted so every radiator on the circuit reaches temperature evenly.
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05Guarantee12-month workmanship guarantee in writing; site left clean, old radiator and packaging taken away.
Concrete outcomes,
not vague promises.
Sized to the room's heat loss
Every new radiator specified with calculated BTU/hr output — no more 'it looks big enough' guesswork.
Old rad taken away
Removal and disposal of the old radiator included on every swap — no leftover metal on your driveway.
System balanced on completion
Lockshield valves tuned so no radiator on the circuit gets starved of flow.
Any style, any finish
Panel, column, vertical, designer, cast iron; chrome, brass, anthracite, matt black, RAL colours — all fitted properly.
TRV upgrades included
Manual valves swapped for thermostatic radiator valves so each room controls itself — the cheapest efficiency upgrade on any system.
Owner-fitted
Ian Fisher on the tools from arrival to sign-off. The same engineer who quoted the job stands behind it.
Photographs from
actual jobs.
Real installations, repairs and diagnostics carried out by Ian across London and the Home Counties. No stock photography.
The technical detail behind a proper radiator install.
Everything below is worked through on every new radiator or radiator replacement job — nothing skipped and nothing invoiced without being explained first.
Heat-loss calculation
Room area, ceiling height, window U-value, wall construction and exposure worked into a design heat loss (W/m² or BTU/hr). Radiator output selected at the correct system flow temperature — not the manufacturer's optimistic 75/65/20 headline figure.
Pipework and flow verification
Existing tail size (10mm, 15mm or 8mm microbore) checked against the required flow to deliver the new radiator's output. Upgrade recommended in writing where the tails are undersized.
Radiator style and finish
Panel (single/double, plus/without convector fins), aluminium column, cast iron column, vertical designer, mirror radiator, or heated towel rail — specified for the room use and the wall it's going on.
Valve selection
Angled, straight, corner or H-block valves in chrome, brass or matt black. TRV head on one side, lockshield on the other. Manual valves offered only where a room's use demands them (bathroom with the towel rail as the primary emitter, for example).
Mounting and structural fixings
Cast iron and large columns fitted with resin-anchored or floor-mounted brackets — never straight into plasterboard with cheap plugs. Weight of a filled column radiator can exceed 60kg.
Pressure test and commissioning
System refilled, air vented from every rad, joints pressure-checked, and the whole circuit balanced by adjusting lockshield valves to give even temperature across all rads on the loop.
Chrome and designer pipework
Chrome tails fitted press-fit or soldered where compression olives would risk cracking the plating. Copper tails presented cleanly with correct clip spacing where visible.
Sludge protection
Where an older system is opened up for a new rad we recommend a magnetic filter and inhibitor dose to protect both the new radiator and the boiler heat exchanger.
How much does a radiator installation cost in London?
A like-for-like swap on existing pipework is typically 1–2 hours at £90/hr plus the radiator and valves. New installs onto new pipework are priced per job — every quote is written before we start.
Can you fit any brand of radiator I buy?
Yes — we fit standard-tail radiators from any UK-supplied brand. For designer and column radiators we recommend confirming the size and output with us first so it's right for the room.
Do you fit vertical and designer radiators?
Yes — vertical, horizontal, column, flat-panel and towel radiators all fitted. Chrome, brass, anthracite and matt finishes handled.
Can you replace a radiator without draining the whole system?
Usually yes — with valve isolation and a pipe-freezing kit where appropriate we can swap most rads without a full system drain-down.
Will you take the old radiator away?
Yes — old radiator, valves, packaging and offcuts all removed at the end of the job. Site left clean.
Do you upgrade TRVs at the same time as fitting a new radiator?
Yes — TRV and lockshield upgrades are usually done at the same visit. It's the single cheapest efficiency upgrade on a standard central heating system.
How long does a full house of radiator replacements take?
A typical 3-bed London house is 1–2 days for a full set of like-for-like swaps, longer if pipework is being re-routed or upgraded.
What guarantee do I get?
12-month workmanship guarantee in writing. New radiators and valves carry the manufacturer's warranty on top — typically 10 years on quality radiator brands.
Do I need to be home for the work?
For access to isolate the system yes, but for full-day jobs we can often work with a key or a nominated key-holder — common for landlord and letting-agent work.
Fixed price. Gas Safe.
12-month guarantee.
Free estimates from Ian directly — no call centre, no subcontractors, no surprise bills. One point of contact from first call to twelve-month follow-up.