How Much Does a New Radiator Cost?
Radiators are an important part of any commercial or industrial building’s emergency power system, providing cooling to the generator’s engine. The issue with radiators is that, after years of wear and tear, they will eventually need to be replaced.
If you’ve ever wondered how much a new radiator costs, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’re breaking down all the many factors that go into determining your radiator replacement costs and helping you save money with our own LionHeart best practice solutions and tips!
Factors that Determine Radiator Replacement Cost
Wondering how much to save for a new radiator? We wish it was as easy as typing into Google, “How much does a new radiator cost?” Unfortunately, there are numerous factors that determine what the ultimate price of a radiator placement will be.
A radiator replacement can cost anywhere between a couple thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Factors like size, brand, labor, and the type of radiator you ultimately choose will give you a much clearer idea of what you’ll be paying at the end of the job.
Fortunately, we’ve done the (metaphorical) heavy lifting and provided you with an ultimate reference guide you can use to estimate how much you’ll need to replace your radiator.
Type of Radiator
Let’s start off with one of the most important factors for radiator replacement cost: the type. Not all radiators are created equal, so when replacing a radiator, it’s crucial to know what type of radiator you have – whether that be skid-mounted, remote, or a heat exchanger.
Skid-mounted
The least expensive option for a radiator replacement, and most straight-forward, will generally be a skid-mounted radiator. These are the radiators which are mounted in front of the generator’s engine, similar to the location of a radiator in your car.
Remote
The most expensive radiator set up tends to be a remote radiator system, due to the custom nature of this set up, as well as the amount of support structure required to support these horizontal or vertical remote radiators. Most remote radiators will also use a large electric motor to drive the fan, which adds to the cost and complexity of the system.
Heat Exchanger
The type of “radiator” with the most variables and complexity is often times a heat exchanger system since these will usually integrate to a building’s HVAC system or sometimes utilize a dual-loop feature for transferring heat. For this type of radiator cooling system, we definitely recommend contacting a critical power specialist and having them install it for you to prevent any mistakes from occurring and to ensure the radiator’s longevity.
Labor
Installing a new or replacement radiator can be a complicated process, which is why it’s always important to contact an expert with hundreds of radiator replacements completed. The size and complexity of the radiator system, and difficulty to access, will ultimately determine how much labor and other equipment is required; sometimes, a crane or rigging company is also required to perform heavy or complicated lifting, but we can handle all of that for the project.
Size of the Radiator
The larger your generator, the more radiator cooling capacity you’ll need, ultimately costing you more money. This also goes for the size of your radiator. If you have a larger generator, you’ll need more radiator cooling capacity, which are larger in order to properly cool the engine; which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $22,500+, depending on location
Radiator Material
Radiators typically come in two types of material: copper/brass and aluminum, and sometimes stainless. Both are great options that come with two different price tags. A traditional copper/brass radiator will cost less, falling somewhere in between a few hundred to several thousand. An aluminum or stainless will cost more and provide more corrosion resistance, in certain environments.
Brand
When purchasing a new radiator, it’s important not to forget about the brand. Many manufacturers of radiators will specialize in skid-mounted, remote radiators, heat exchangers, cores, and each provides different warranty coverage. LionHeart will help you select the best solution for your project, most often utilizing an OEM replacement option.
For questions on which is most appropriate to choose, speak to a radiator replacement expert that can help find the best one for you.
Call the Experts at LionHeart for Your Next Radiator Replacement Job
Need to replace your radiator, and fast? Our radiator replacement experts at LionHeart are here to help you complete your project from start to finish. They’ll walk you through the initial process, find you a new radiator, and replace it – just like that.
Keep your generator’s engine running cool with a brand-new radiator for your facility. To get started, contact us today!