Radiator & TRV Replacement Specialists

verified Professional Service calendar_month Pick a Time That Suits You
history Typical Duration 1.5 Hours
category Service Category Plumbing
payments Starting Price From £90

Service Overview

A thermostatic radiator valve, or TRV, sits where the radiator meets its pipe and turns the radiator down as the room warms up, so each room holds the temperature its dial is set to. We change a manual valve for a TRV, replace a TRV that has stuck or started to weep, and swap an old radiator for a new one.

When the pipes are already where the new radiator needs them, it goes straight on. When they are not, we alter the pipe ends to suit.

We charge £90 an hour for this work, with a one-hour minimum; after the first hour, time is billed in 30-minute blocks. Pick a time that suits you online: a £50 deposit secures your slot and comes off the final bill.

What we usually find

  • A stuck TRV pin. Under the head is a small pin that the head pushes in and out; after a summer with the heating off it can stick, and the radiator stays hot or cold whatever the dial says.
  • A weeping valve. Water creeps out round the spindle, or at the nut where the valve joins the radiator, and leaves a stain or rust on the floor below.
  • A radiator rusting through. Small leaks start along the bottom or the seams of an old steel one. Once it has rusted through, it is replaced, not repaired.
  • A TRV in the room with the room thermostat. BEAMA's guidance on the Building Regulations puts a TRV on every radiator except those in the room where the room thermostat is, so that radiator keeps a plain valve.
  • A TRV hidden behind a curtain or a sofa. Worcester Bosch says a TRV should be in the open, not covered by curtains or furniture: a covered head reads the warm air trapped round it and turns the radiator down too early.

The visit, step by step

  1. We turn the heating off and let the system cool.
  2. We close the valves either side, or drain the water down below the radiator when a valve itself is being changed.
  3. We fit the new radiator or valve, altering the pipe ends if the new radiator's connections sit in a different place.
  4. We refill the system, bleed every radiator on it, and top up the pressure on a sealed system.
  5. We run the heating and check that every new joint stays dry once it is hot.

Before we arrive

  • Turn the heating off before we come, so the water has cooled when we start.
  • Measure the radiator you want replaced: its width, its height, and the distance between the two pipes where they come out of the floor or the wall. Add the figures, or a photo with a tape measure in it, to your booking.
  • Move furniture back from the radiator and lift anything off the floor beneath it: a little dark water comes out when one is taken off.

What is included

  • Changing a manual valve for a TRV, or an old TRV for a new one
  • Replacing a radiator with one of the same size or a new size
  • Altering the pipe ends to suit a new radiator
  • Refilling, bleeding and repressurising the system afterwards
  • Checking every new joint with the heating hot

What is not

  • Work on the boiler itself: that is for our Gas Safe registered engineer, under Boiler Installation & Servicing

Questions about radiator & trv replacement

Can a TRV be changed without draining the heating? expand_more
The head, yes: it unscrews from the valve body, and a new one goes on with the water still in. Changing the valve body means draining the water down below it first, then refilling and bleeding the system.
Does every radiator need a TRV? expand_more
Every one except in the room with your room thermostat, by BEAMA's guidance. Since June 2022 in England, a new boiler in an existing home has to come with thermostatic control in each room, and TRVs are the usual way to give it.
Will a new radiator fit my old pipes? expand_more
If its connections are in the same place as the old one's, yes, with no change to the pipes. A different size usually means altering the two pipe ends, and the measurements in your booking let us plan for that.

Deposits, cancelling and paying are on our FAQ page.

Worth doing in the same visit

Leak Repairs from £90 Pipe Repairs from £90 Boiler Installation & Servicing free quote

Areas we cover

Ashtead Banstead Cheam Chessington Cobham Dorking Epsom Esher Guildford Kingston upon Thames Leatherhead Molesey New Malden Reigate Richmond Surbiton Sutton Twickenham Walton-on-Thames & Weybridge Wimbledon Worcester Park & Ewell
Zapryan - Owner & Lead Plumber
Your Local Expert

Hi, I'm Zapryan – Owner & Lead Plumber in Surrey

I've been in the construction industry since 2004, and I believe the secret to stress-free renovations is simple: turn up on time, manage the trades properly, and do the job right the first time. I personally survey every project and work alongside our teams on-site until the final checklist is complete. You'll always have a direct line to me, and my personal guarantee that the work is finished to perfection.