How To Temporarily Remove A Radiator

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If you happen to be decorating you have a choice, do it the right way or do it the wrong way. Many people choose to take the easy way out and paint around the radiator, some even paint around furniture. If you want to do the best job possible you should research your options. It is possible to get longer, thinner rollers to get in behind the radiator as an option for those that want to avoid removing their radiator.

Temporarily removing a radiator to ensure you carry out a good job is not as difficult as it may sound and it will mean that you can avoid a messy job.

To carry out this task you will need a bucket, a large bowl, a screwdriver, a spanner and some old sheets, towels or rags.

First you will need to turn off both valves (Manual control valve and lockshield valve) then unscrew the cap-nut that keeps the valve attached to the adaptor in the end of the radiator. You should have your towels or rags in place here as water will drain out as you slowly open the bleed valve. You can use your bowl to catch the water and transfer it to a larger bucket until you are confident the flow has stopped.

Next you will have to unscrew the cap-nut that keeps the other valve attached to the radiator, you will be able to carefully lift the radiator from its supports. Stay aware for any water that may have remained in the radiator.

As TRVs have a function that opens if the room temperature drops you should use this point to cap them off.
To put the radiator back up you should carefully get it back onto its supporting brackets and tighten both the cap nuts. You should take this opportunity to bleed the radiator, for more information on how to do this please read our How To Bleed A Radiator Guide. Be careful when you are putting the radiator back that you do not scrape your freshly painted wall.

As always, if you are unsure about any aspects of this or cannot guarantee your own personal safety please seek the advice of experts.