Radiator Wall Bracket Installation

A bare wall always needs new brackets. Replacement is the more common case, though. A new radiator almost always differs from the old one in size, weight and bracket spacing, so the old brackets rarely fit.

• Fitting a new radiator in a flat or house
• Replacing an old column radiator with a modern panel radiator
• A loose radiator that moves when touched or leans away from the wall
• Rusted or bent brackets in older buildings
• A renovation where the radiator moves to a different spot

If you are replacing a radiator, it makes sense to do the removal, new brackets and new valves in one go. The wall is opened only once and the plaster is repaired only once. In a block of flats with a shared heating system, you cannot take a radiator off without isolating it and draining it, so speak to the building management or owners' association first. Sometimes a whole riser has to be drained, which is done on an agreed date, ideally outside the heating season.

The radiator itself mostly decides the bracket type. Manufacturers usually supply brackets in the box or specify them clearly in the installation instructions.

Brackets for panel radiators

This is the standard choice today. They are pressed steel brackets with a plastic insert that the lugs on the back of the radiator drop into. The insert absorbs movement as the radiator heats up and lets you lift the radiator off easily, for example when you decorate.

Brackets for column radiators

Cast iron and older steel column radiators hang on hooks or pins fixed into the wall. A cast iron radiator is very heavy, so it needs more fixing points and a solid wall.

Floor-standing feet

If the wall cannot carry much weight, such as a thin partition or a stud wall with no timber behind it, the radiator stands on feet fixed to the floor. The wall fixing then only stops it tipping forward. The floor needs preparing before the final floor covering goes down.

Brackets for towel rails

Bathroom towel rails come with their own fixings that set the distance from the wall. Accuracy matters here, because the rail is in full view and any slant shows straight away.

Why does the wall matter so much? A radiator full of water does not only pull the wall plug downwards, it also pulls it away from the wall. Each material holds a fixing differently.

Concrete

Common in blocks of flats. It holds very well but is harder to drill, and there may be steel reinforcement inside. Standard nylon or metal plugs with screws of suitable length are used.

Solid and hollow brick

Solid brick is easy to fix into. Hollow or perforated brick has cavities inside where an ordinary plug has nothing to expand against. Here longer plugs for hollow materials or a resin (chemical) anchor are used. Drill without hammer action so the thin inner walls of the brick do not break up.

Aerated concrete block

A soft, light material found in many newer houses, both in inner leaves and internal walls. An ordinary plug can easily spin in it. You need plugs made for aerated block or a resin anchor.

Plasterboard

The most demanding case. You cannot hang a radiator on the board alone. Either timber noggins or metal reinforcement are built into the stud wall when it goes up, or the radiator stands on floor feet. If the partition is already finished and there is no reinforcement, the wall has to be opened up or feet used instead.

The simplest case is a flat, solid wall where the pipe positions are clear and an old bracket is replaced with a new one of the same type. The job takes longer and gets harder with:

• Hollow brick, aerated block or plasterboard with no reinforcement
• A heavy cast iron radiator or a very long radiator needing several brackets
• Old holes exactly where the new ones should go, leaving the fixing nothing to grip
• Electric cables or water pipes in the wall that have to be avoided
• Pipe connections that do not line up with the new radiator and need altering
• Poor access, for example behind kitchen units or under a low windowsill

A handy homeowner can fix the brackets to a concrete or brick wall. Leave taking the radiator off, connecting it to the heating, draining and refilling the system and any pipework changes to a heating engineer. If you are not sure what is inside the wall, get a professional in before you start drilling.

1. Check the radiator manufacturer's instructions for the recommended height above the floor, distance from the wall and bracket spacing.
2. Check where the flow and return pipes are, so the radiator lines up with them once hung.
3. Use a detector to make sure there are no cables or pipes where you plan to drill.
4. Draw a level line with a spirit level or laser and mark the bracket positions.
5. Drill the holes with a bit suited to the wall material, with hammer action off for hollow brick.
6. Blow the dust out of the holes and fit the plugs or resin anchor as the instructions describe.
7. Screw the brackets on and tighten them so they do not move, without stripping the screw.
8. Check with a spirit level that all brackets are in line and the same distance from the wall.
9. Push firmly on each bracket by hand to confirm it holds.

Most problems do not show at once but after a few weeks of heating. The radiator starts to lean, a bracket pulls out of the wall or the joints at the valves start to weep. In practice it often happens that someone allows for the weight of the empty radiator and forgets the water, or uses a general-purpose plug in a wall it was not made for. Another common mistake is setting the radiator too low or tight under the windowsill, which restricts the airflow so the room heats up more slowly.

When the job is handed over, check that:

• The brackets are solid and do not move when pushed
• The radiator is level, or on some types has a slight fall towards the bleed valve as the manufacturer specifies
• The height above the floor and the gap below the windowsill match the instructions
• There is a gap between the radiator and the wall for air to circulate
• The pipe connections are not under strain and nothing is dripping
• The wall around the holes is free of cracks and the plaster is made good
• You have received the radiator instructions and know which fixing method was used