Installing a radiator (or 3, it's blooming freezing)

[Igglybuff]

Our hallway is freezing in this weather. Every year I think we must get a radiator put in but we never do. Does anyone have any idea how much it would cost (labour only) to have a radiator put in? I don't think it should be too difficult, could have it on the wall shared with the bathroom.

I guessing that it very much depends on where the plumbing will be run from? Are your existing radiators (thermally) efficient?

Our existing radiators are fine (I think), problem is our hallway has nothing to heat it. (we're in a flat in a large Victorian building). Some of the rooms aren't well insulated (loft bedrooms) but we're slowly tackling that my draft proofing the windows which makes a big difference!

yes, I need to do some draft proofing myself

we have underfloor heating in the hall way and reception rooms with no radiators. The front door needs d-proofing as insulation and draft proofing is vital for underfloor heating. We should have kept a radiator in the hall way to supplement the underfloor heating.

It will depend on where the existing pipes are. Most pipes run underneath the floorboards, so be prepared for some disruption. It will also depend on whether your boiler can take another radiator. Some have a maximum that they can support.
We recently paid nearly £300 to have thermostatic valves supplied and fitted to 11 rads. I expect around £200 of that was for labour.
Your best bet would be to get a few heating engineers round to give you a quote. (If you can get hold of one, at the moment)

Apparently there is a website where tradesmen bid for work. You could try that? Will see whether i can find out what it is called.

was it www.mybuilder.com/?

for this sort of work i'd be sure to get someone listed with www.gassaferegister.co.uk/ too.

When we had our boiler fitted, we deliberately went for one that could take extra load as we're thinking of putting a new bathroom in. So I think we're ok (unless the engineer fobbed us off!).

We have thought about putting in underfloor heating in the hallway with a small radiator - there isn't room for a big one anyway. Also the thermostat is in the hallway so the heating goes into overdrive as it isn't as cold in the rooms.

Thanks, will check out the website, but I suspect we'll have difficulty getting anyone in soon!

yes, thanks, that is the one i heard of

be careful to check that your system can take another radiator. we had two new radiatirs put in over the winter but now have problems with a different radiator right at the end of the circuit because the pressure isn't great enough to cope with the additional rads (or something like that)