Gas and heating
Radiators and heating controls
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Radiators and heating controls: what the job involves
Adding, replacing, moving or resizing radiators on a wet central heating system, and fitting thermostatic radiator valves and controls. Work on the water side is not restricted, but anything on a gas boiler itself needs a Registered Gas Installer.
Also asked for as: radiator replacement · new radiator fitted · move radiator · thermostatic radiator valves · TRVs fitted
How the job is usually done
- Agree which radiators change and size each one for the room’s heat loss.
- Isolate and drain the system, or the section being worked on.
- Remove old radiators, alter pipework and fit brackets and new radiators with TRVs.
- Refill, bleed and add inhibitor, checking every joint for leaks.
- Balance the system so every radiator heats evenly.
- Show you how to use the TRVs and controls.
Radiators and heating controls: what is included
Usually included
- Fitting radiators, valves and brackets
- Draining, refilling, bleeding and inhibitor
- Balancing the system
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Lifting and refitting floor coverings to move pipes
- Making good plaster and decorating behind old radiators
- Boiler repairs or servicing
Materials and who supplies them
- Radiators and TRVs, supplied by the installer or chosen by the customer
- Pipe, fittings and inhibitor, supplied by the installer
How long it takes
Swapping one radiator like for like usually takes an hour or two; moving several radiators or re-piping takes a day or more.
When to book
Do radiator work in late spring or summer, when the heating can be off for a day without hardship.
Radiators and heating controls: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Work on the water side of a heating system is not restricted, but any work on a gas boiler or its gas supply must be done by a Registered Gas Installer.
Applies to: the installer
Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006; Register of Gas Installers of Ireland · rgi.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Grants
SEAI heating controls grant
A grant of €700 towards upgrading heating controls, with or without a new boiler. SEAI does not grant-aid fossil fuel boilers themselves.
Who qualifies: Homeowners, including private landlords, whose homes were built and occupied before 2011, using an SEAI registered contractor with approval before work starts. Not available where a heat pump grant has been or is being claimed.
seai.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
SEAI heat pump system grant, with boiler removal
Up to €14,500 for a house (€11,500 for an apartment): up to €10,500 for the heat pump, up to €2,000 for radiator or underfloor upgrades and €2,000 for removing an oil or gas boiler, storage heaters or a solid fuel system. SEAI announced the removal element on 29 September 2026, subject to final implementation arrangements.
Who qualifies: Homes built and occupied before 2021. Homes built before 2007 need a technical assessment first unless a valid BER shows a heat loss indicator of 2.3 W/K·m² or less. Approval must be in place before any work starts.
seai.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What radiators and heating controls costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Number of radiators and whether the pipe positions change
- Like-for-like swap or a new size or position
- Pipework under concrete floors or in finished rooms
- Designer or column radiators versus standard panels
- VAT: work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered business, unless materials exceed two-thirds of the price; ask whether the quote includes it
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
What heating upgrades cost: SEAI’s median figures
| Upgrade and home | Median cost |
|---|---|
| Heat pump, detached house | €17,000 |
| Heat pump, semi-detached or end of terrace | €16,741 |
| Heat pump, mid-terrace | €16,000 |
| Heat pump, apartment | €9,025 |
| Heating controls, detached house | €3,700 |
| Heating controls, semi-detached or end of terrace | €3,000 |
Median cost of grant-supported upgrades completed January–June 2026, as reported by contractors to SEAI — before the grant is deducted.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- Radiator and valve warranties
- A note of inhibitor added and the date
Safety
- Radiators full of hot, dirty water are heavy; let the system cool before draining.
- Make sure inhibitor is added after draining, to protect the boiler from corrosion.
Radiators and heating controls: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- Are the radiators sized for the room’s heat loss?
- Will you add inhibitor and balance the system after?
- Do any of the pipe runs need to go through floors?
- Is VAT included?
What you can do yourself
Bleeding radiators and swapping a TRV head is fine for a householder; draining and re-piping is better left to a plumber or heating engineer.
What to put in your task
- What needs doing?
- How many radiators?
- What are the floors where pipes run?
- What heats the system?
Photos that help
- Each radiator to change, with valves visible
- Where pipes come out of the floor or wall
- The boiler and hot press
Radiators and heating controls by county
Choose your county for radiators and heating controls close to home.
- Radiators and heating controls in Dublin
- Radiators and heating controls in Cork
- Radiators and heating controls in Galway
- Radiators and heating controls in Kildare
- Radiators and heating controls in Limerick
- Radiators and heating controls in Meath
- Radiators and heating controls in Tipperary
- Radiators and heating controls in Donegal
- Radiators and heating controls in Wexford
- Radiators and heating controls in Kerry
- Radiators and heating controls in Wicklow
- Radiators and heating controls in Mayo
- Radiators and heating controls in Louth
- Radiators and heating controls in Waterford
- Radiators and heating controls in Clare
- Radiators and heating controls in Kilkenny
- Radiators and heating controls in Westmeath
- Radiators and heating controls in Laois
- Radiators and heating controls in Cavan
- Radiators and heating controls in Offaly
- Radiators and heating controls in Sligo
- Radiators and heating controls in Roscommon
- Radiators and heating controls in Monaghan
- Radiators and heating controls in Carlow
- Radiators and heating controls in Longford
- Radiators and heating controls in Leitrim
Gas and heating
Need radiators and heating controls? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about radiators and heating controls
Does radiators and heating controls need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Do I need bigger radiators for a heat pump?
Often in some rooms, because a heat pump runs at lower water temperatures. SEAI’s heat pump grant includes support towards radiator upgrades.
Why is one radiator always cold?
Air, sludge or an unbalanced system are the usual causes. Bleeding fixes air; a cold patch at the bottom points to sludge and a flush; a cold radiator at the end of the run often needs balancing.
Do I need a gas installer to change a radiator?
No. Radiator and pipework on the water side are not restricted. Only work on the gas boiler or gas pipe needs an RGI.