Radiator valve replacement in Exeter
Professional radiator valve replacement services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£85-£110
Typical Duration
1 hr
Location
Exeter, Devon
Radiator valve leaking or seized? I'll replace it with a modern thermostatic valve - stop the leak, get proper temperature control, system tested and balanced.
When Your Radiator Valve Gives Up
There's a drip coming from the valve, or it's seized solid and you can't turn it at all, or the radiator's stuck on full blast and the room's boiling. All signs your valve's had it.
💡 Pro tip: Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) save energy by controlling each room separately. Fit them and you can turn down rooms you don't use much, saving £100+ a year on heating bills.
Why Valves Fail
Age, corrosion, and hard water do for them eventually:
| ✅ Working Valve | ❌ Failed Valve |
|---|---|
| Turns smoothly | Seized solid, won't budge |
| No leaks | Dripping from body or connections |
| Controls temperature | Stuck on or off |
| Silent operation | Clicking, hissing, or whistling |
| Radiator heats evenly | Radiator cold or too hot |
What You Get
🔧 The Full Service
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Drain radiator | Close other valve, drain radiator into bowl |
| Remove old valve | Unscrew carefully (they can be seized tight) |
| Fit new valve | TRV or lockshield, sealed properly with PTFE/paste |
| Refill & test | Open valves, bleed radiator, check for leaks |
📦 You're Left With
- New valve fitted and working
- No leaks
- Proper temperature control
- System balanced if needed
Pricing Guide
| Job Type | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Single TRV replacement | 45-60 mins | £85-£110 |
| Both valves on one rad | 60-90 mins | £110-£135 |
| Multiple radiators | 2-3 hrs | £135-£210 |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Includes standard TRV or lockshield valve.
Perfect For...
✅ Leaking valve - water damage, stains on wall
✅ Seized valve - can't control radiator
✅ Upgrading to TRVs - better temperature control
✅ Old valves - 20+ years, corroded, ugly
Why Choose Us for Radiator valve replacement in Exeter?
Stop leaks and water damage
Control temperature properly again
Modern thermostatic valves fitted
System balanced and tested
What to Expect
Step 1: Drain The Radiator
Close the other valve (or both if both are dodgy), open the bleed valve, drain radiator into a bowl. Much easier than draining the whole system.
Step 2: Remove Old Valve
Unscrew the valve from the radiator tail and from the pipe. Old valves can be seized solid - sometimes I need heat or extra leverage to shift them.
Step 3: Fit New Valve
Wrap threads with PTFE tape or jointing compound, screw new valve onto radiator tail and pipe. Tighten carefully (not too tight or it cracks).
Step 4: Refill, Bleed, Test
Open valves, close bleed valve, refill radiator. Bleed air out, check all connections for leaks. Test the TRV actually controls temperature properly.
🔧 DIY Tips
Radiator valve replacement is intermediate plumbing - doable but easy to get wrong:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Adjustable spanners (2)
- Bowl or bucket
- Old towels
- PTFE tape or jointing compound
- Radiator bleed key
- Possibly pipe wrench for really seized valves
- New valve (measure pipe size - usually 15mm)
🔩 How to do it
- Turn off heating, let radiator cool
- Close the other valve on radiator
- Open bleed valve, drain radiator into bowl
- Unscrew old valve from both ends
- Wrap threads of new valve with PTFE tape
- Screw new valve onto radiator tail
- Connect to pipe
- Close bleed valve, open other valve
- Slowly open new valve
- Bleed radiator, check for leaks
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Over-tightening and cracking the brass
- Not using enough PTFE tape (leaks)
- Wrong size valve for pipe
- Forgetting to note lockshield valve position (system won't balance)
- Forcing seized connections (cracks the pipe)
💡 Pro trick: If the old valve is really seized, apply penetrating oil 24 hours before trying to remove it. Saves a lot of swearing and broken connections.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🔧 TRVs on every radiator? Not quite - don't fit one in the same room as your thermostat (they'll fight each other). Also, keep at least one radiator without a TRV to allow free circulation when other valves are closed.
TRV numbers explained - the dial on a TRV goes from 1-5 (or sometimes 1-6). It's not degrees - it's roughly: 1 = ~10°C, 2 = ~15°C, 3 = ~20°C, 4 = ~25°C, 5 = maximum. Most people run living rooms on 3-4.
Old imperial pipes? Houses built before about 1970 might have imperial pipe sizes (1/2" instead of 15mm). Modern valves still fit but you might need adapters. I carry these for older Devon properties.
Lockshield vs TRV? Every radiator has two valves. One end usually has a TRV (temperature control). The other end has a lockshield valve (plain cap, needs a spanner to adjust). That one balances the system - don't mess with it unless you know what you're doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my radiator valve needs replacing?
It's leaking water (drips from the valve body or connection), seized and won't turn, makes clicking or hissing noises, or the radiator won't heat up properly. Sometimes the temperature control just stops working - the thermostatic head has failed.
Can I just replace the thermostatic head?
Sometimes, yes - if the valve body is fine and it's just the TRV head that's failed, I can just swap the head (cheaper and quicker). But if the valve body itself is leaking or seized, the whole valve needs replacing.
Do you need to drain my heating system?
Not the whole system - I can usually isolate just that radiator using the other valve, or if both valves are dodgy, drain just that one radiator. Draining the whole system is rare unless multiple valves need doing.
What's the difference between a standard valve and a thermostatic one?
Standard valves are just on/off. Thermostatic valves (TRVs) let you set the temperature for that room - turn the dial to the number you want and the valve automatically controls flow to maintain that temperature. Much better control and saves energy.
How long does it take?
One valve usually takes about an hour - drain the radiator, remove the old valve, fit new valve, refill, bleed, test. If doing multiple valves at once, each additional one is quicker because I'm already set up.
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