Fixing a tall panel radiator to plasterboard wall

[crossbat]

Hello

Please can I get some advice. I want to buy a tall panel radiator (new designer style) and fix to a plasterboard wall. The heater weighs around 25kg (1800mm x 300mm approx). The one I'm looking at is a Double-Quick RT radiator. Not sure how much it will weigh when full of water.

We have a bog-standard (similar to Stelrad Elite) double radiator measuring 1000mm x 600mm in another room also fitted to an internal wall ... and in the brochures, this also weighs around 25kg. But the radiator retailers have been putting me off the RT panel radiator because of its weight.

Any advice would be welcome on whether I should go for the tall one or not? I presume both types are fitted on brackets.

Many thanks

 

[mrlennie]

Hullo! Welcome. Can you not fix some wooden battens behind the plasterboard?

 

[crossbat]

I don't want to break down the newly painted wall 🙂

 

[mrlennie]

unfortunatly it may come to that if you want a big rad it need proper support. Can you not take the part of the wall away from the other side in the opposite room?

 

[crossbat]

So do you think the other double rad (weighing 25kg) would have battons behind it? ... That one would have been installed when the house was built, so no need to worry about mess etc

 

[mrlennie]

i think it may or it may not. seen it done with plasterboard fixings and seen it done with wooden support. even if it has you will still need wood support because your fixings will be in a different place, Unless they have lined the back of the wall with ply which they may not have lined higher up as the rad is low but your one may be too high for it if that makes sense

 

[crossbat]

I see ... appreciate your help on this. My fallback is just to move the existing rad which is a single panel covector. Although doesn't look as good, the power output will be the same if not more than the tall one, plus less cost 🙂

 

[LegionellaSlave]

Work out where you will be screwing into the wall, and then just screw a two inch screw into it.
There might be timber already there.

 

[Destroyer2813]

Get the plasterboard fixings that expand against the back of the plasterboard will hold it i have a 1600x350 double coloum hanging of them and aint fallen off yet. Scr***ix no 12229

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

Get expanding plasterboard bolts, the type where you need the tool to expand them, ive hung boilers on plasterboard with these

 

[WHPES]

Get one of the brackets into existing timbers in the plasterbard frame, then use expanding fasteners for the other side

 

[crossbat]

Fab, thank you all. I'm sure it can be done as you say, but the dealers are just being cautious I guess. They were saying that a 25kg upright heater woule weigh around 50kg when full of water. The standard convestor ones measuring 1200x500 only have a capacity of approx 7 litres (=7kg) of water. Not sure why the upright ones would have a lot more water, maybe the way they are constructed, particularly the RT model which has T shaped panels to increase the surface area.

 

[Best]

First check where timber is, but you really need at least the top left & right brackets into wood. Rarely, you can be lucky to find wood. NO plasterboard fixings are strong enough - they are only as strong as the bit of plasterboard they are behind. Think of a worse case, like a child giving it a tug! I would open wall, screw 4" x 2" timber which is cut to a tight fit, in or similar & redo. I heard of a heavy rad fitted with the scew in type fixings, falling off wall & smashing new expensive bedroom units & pipes , with water everywhere.

 

[twistednuts]

Some of the tall designer stylee rads have various points for fixing the brackets, so you may get lucky with the studs. Like someone previously said, as long as you get into one stud then the other side should be ok with plasterboard fixings.

I wouldnt rely just on the plasterboards fixings alone though, and id definately put more timber in if you cant get into at least one stud.

Imagine if that bad boy swung off as you were walking past? Even if it doesnt actually drop off, it might move a bit and disturb the joints - then lovely central heating water everywhere!!

You only need to do it right once.

 

[MattWeth]

I recently fitted a screwfix supplied 'Erupto' square tube tall 1800x600 rad to a battened / drylined wall.

Great looking rad but exceptionally heavy - it was a two man job just to move it around, let alone hang it. There was no way I could use plasterboard fixings - I ended up offering it up (packed up on blocks to the right height) and drawing round where the brackets sat on the wall. I then cut through the plasterboard and let wooden blocks in so they sat against the masonry, flush with the face of the plaster. I 'no more nailed' these blocks to the wall behind the dry lining and then drilled through them into the wall so that I could use resin anchors and studs for the brackets (I guess I could have used expansion bolts or deep frame fixings instead of resin and studs but I have resin and studs handy).

A long job, but the only way I could be confident about the thing not landing in the middle of the kitchen floor!

 

[kel4783]

Try using a stud finder to find the wood.Make sure there are no buried cables or pipes behind plasterboard when ur drilling.

 

[WHPES]

For dry lined walls I use frame fixings for the brackets - through the board and into the wall behind

 

[casaco]

The way we do it is to cut a 90 mm hole in the plaster board where the support screws are to be drilled, fit a section of wood into the hole as large as you can get it, stick the wood to the back of the board using silicone or board adhesive, hold the wood in place with 4 board screws, countersink, then stick the original plasterboard piece back in the hole, fill the screw holes and the cut marks with fine filler, sand down and repaint. You can then fasten the new radiator the the wooden batons in the usual way.

 

[mitchellplumber]

Get expanding plasterboard bolts, the type where you need the tool to expand them, ive hung boilers on plasterboard with these

You are joking of course!! ?!!

 

[Best]

I use coach screws for screwing the brackets for heavy rads, to solid walls ( with rawplugs), & to stud walls using a pilot hole first, that have timber fitted inside for to screw to. They are easy to tighten with socket bits, hand or cordless drill & they look neat.The stainless steel coach screws are very good for outside, for fixing brackets for heavy flue pipes etc, & handy to tighten up a ladder.