radiator hanging by a thread!

[ilm]

I've a small radiator that my little one has used as a step.

It us currently being held on by one wall fixing but that has dropped from the wall too.
Basically. How do I rehang the radiator (small in size) in the same place but now there are two holes in the plasterboard where the fixings should be.

See images below

Thanks

ILM

Untitled

• ilm
• 9 Nov 2014
• 1

Untitled

• ilm
• 9 Nov 2014
• 1

Untitled

• ilm
• 9 Nov 2014
• 1

 

[ALCPlumbing]

With great difficulty.

 

[ilm]

With great difficulty.

bugger, was hoping for something positive when I saw your response!

 

[ilm]

could I not lift the radiator by say 6 inches, is extending the copper pipes up by that much a lot of work?

can you attach the radiator holder/fixings to somewhere else on the radiator?

 

[DaleRCL]

Re drill some new fixing holes in the bracket and use them to put new screws through.

 

[regsmyth]

Are the brackets still fixed to the wall at the bottom end?
You might be able to lift the radiator off the brackets, loosen the nuts on the valves and rotate it forwards so it's lying on the floor. You'll need to catch any leaks as you do it as the leaking water might be black.
But this might not be that simple and you need decent spanners.

Then you can figure out a way to refit the brackets, which might involve cutting a slot in the plasterboard and fixing some wood between two uprights.

Or screw a wooden board over the area (fix it to the uprights) and screw your brackets to this. Sometimes you can't move the radiator forward at all though.

Hmm. Not easy.

 

[ilm]

hi all,

fortunately there is a lot of play in the radiator as the holes in the floorboards are large and allows movement forwards/backwards

 

[regsmyth]

Could be a piece of cake then!

But potentially one of those nightmare situations too! (eg leak under the floorboards, bent pipe, dripping/spraying water, valve won't shut off, brackets too high/low ....)

 

[ilm]

"could" is the word.

do you think fixing a wooden piece to the plasterboard as the easiest way to this fix? Can then put the original fixings in the same place given that I've some play in the radiator.

What would you do regsmyth?

 

[ALCPlumbing]

Ideally a small square of thinnish ply screwed to the wooden uprights that will be hidden by the radiator but big enough that it covers the area of both brackets. This is probably the easiest way. Probably easier to drain rad and take it off than rotate forward on its tails as suggested. Just mark the vertical alignment of the brackets with pencil above the height where the ply will cover and the horizontal height to the sides. Simples.

 

[regsmyth]

Yes for a quick fix I would put a piece of wood across.

But getting the rad away from the wall is the potentially tricky bit.
You could put a block under it and just lean it forward enough to get a screwdriver onto the bottom bracket fixings.

You'll need to loosen the valve nuts at each end, and when you swivel it, one will get tighter and one will get looser....
Your son could help with the rags.

To loosen the valve nuts you normally need two spanners - one on the nut and the other on the valve to stop it bending the pipe.

 

[ilm]

obviously I need some plywood but not on the too thick side.

Would you put two small pieces on the plasterboard (for each bracket) or one large one as in my thinking I can put more supportive fixings into the plasterboard with one large sheet of plywood.

thanks

 

[regsmyth]

You want to fix the board to the timber uprights (studs). Finding them might be difficult, but you can drill lots of holes to find them, or use a stud detector, or bit of bent wire through the hole.
Use one bit of ply (prob 12mm). Make it big enough to fit to at least two studs.
You could get away with using plasterboard fixings for the board - just not my preference for peace of mind.

 

[Lectrician]

How about cutting out a section of plasterboard and replacing it with ply?

 

[ALCPlumbing]

How about cutting out a section of plasterboard and replacing it with ply?

That's what I would normally do. Bit of 12mm ply will be perfect and you can even fill any gaps round it and paint it if you want to go all out. I would definitely use one piece of ply screwed to two or more uprights. When you find the uprights cut the plasterboard so it is still supported by half the width of the upright and screw the ply to the other half.