Moving Cast Iron Radiators
We know that you know but we really want you to really know...... Cast iron Radiator are heavy, very heavy.
It’s important that you read our terms and conditions so you know what we will and will not do. We have some simple rules to protect ourselves from injury and want you to take some time to consider how you too will protect yourself and your radiators. This means you have to think about at least two things
Firstly
You must take care not to damage your radiator(s) when moving them.
There are some basic rules when moving radiators. The first one is to make sure you have some strong friends at hand, and never try and lift radiators on your own.
Radiators should be held upright at all times when being moved. Never carry a radiator flat, stretcher style. This is because the seals between each section are put under strain when being moved. The longer the radiator, the greater the risk of damage. The middle sections are particularly vulnerable.
Do not drag the radiator along the floor as this too will strain the seals. This technique is usually used when moving radiators on your own so, again, make sure you have someone else to help you to avoid the temptation to drag.
The best technique is to use a stack truck but you may not have one of these available. That said, if you have your whole house refitted the small additional cost to purchase one is worth it, you ought to get one for around £40 - £60. Make sure you get on capable of lifting 200kg. It’ll also come in handy for any number of other tasks around the home and garage.
If you don’t have the room or don’t want to go to the trouble of purchasing a stack truck or if the radiator does not have a good place to grasp it, make a handle for it. It is better to take some time now to make a handle rather than take more time later trying to relieve an injured back. A simple solution is to pass a short length of floorboard at each end of the radiator between the last two sections.
For smaller radiators, one person can hold both ends of each floorboard. For larger radiators, each end of each floorboard can be held by two people (one person at each corner).
Large Radiators, two people are required at each end
Small Radiators, one person is required at each end
Secondly
You must take care not to damage yourself when moving them.
You should always take every precaution to avoid injury to yourself and others. Your first rule should be to remember that you are far more important than your radiator or your schedule. Do not be tempted to press ahead without help, there will be plenty of other opportunities. NEVER place yourself between a falling radiator and its final resting place.
Plan what you will do, share the plan with your helpers and those around you, and ALWAYS wear flat shoes or even better wear protective footwear with steel toes.
Lift with your knees, not your back, and push the load rather than pull when you must move heavy objects. Don't strain yourself. Sometimes an object is simply too heavy for you to lift. Accept that this is okay, and don't try to lift it anyway.
Lift by bending at the hips or bending at the hips and knees. Keep your spine straight in both instances and track your knees over your feet (when lifting the second way). When lifting a heavy object, in general, keep your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart.
Make sure you are standing directly in front of the radiator you wish to lift. Take hold of the object firmly with both hands. Distribute the weight evenly - make sure you are not unbalanced. Keep the object close to your body. Stand up slowly. Straighten your legs, do not move quickly or jerk when doing this.
When you are able to walk with the object take small steps if possible. Don’t forget one (or two) of you may be walking backward. If your view is restricted, ask if someone can guide you.
When placing the radiator down, bend your legs and take the same precautions as you did when lifting it, remember to keep your back straight as you bend down again. Be careful to lower each side of the radiator to the floor separately- this will avoid trapping your fingers under the weight.
Make sure you communicate with your helpers, let them know what you are doing, and make sure they do the same for you. Agree beforehand with helpers and those around you what you should do if the plan isn’t working or if you suddenly become fatigued.
Finally
Moving cast iron radiators demands lots of careful attention. Moving them often causes scuffs and scrapes. The bottoms of wall-mounted radiators will be affected as will the bottom of the feet of free-standing radiators. You may get the odd scuff elsewhere, it’s generally unavoidable, don’t beat yourself up. It’s always handy to know what colour your radiators are so you can apply some touch up later. For our part, we’re always happy to provide touch up to customers for our own radiators.
