Moving a range cooker takes more planning than almost any other appliance. A range is wide, tall and far heavier than a standard cooker. It also has to be disconnected properly before anyone shifts it. Customers ask us about these jobs during house moves and kitchen refits all the time. Our Cockhedge depot handles van hire in Warrington for jobs like this. This guide explains how to get a range from one kitchen to another without damage or injury.
What Makes Moving a Range Cooker So Hard
Weight is the obvious problem. Cast iron hotplates, thick steel panels and several ovens add up fast. A traditional heat storage range is heavier still. However, the shape causes just as much trouble. A range sits low and wide, with nowhere sensible to grip. The doors and handles stick out at the front.
That combination makes lifting it by hand risky. So the whole plan should aim to lift it as little as possible. Roll it, slide it and let machinery do the climbing. In practice, that means a sack truck or appliance trolley, plenty of floor protection and a van with a tail lift.
Some people ask whether a panel van will do. A range may fit through the rear doors of a long van. However, the floor sits at knee height or above and there is no lift. That means lifting a heavy appliance by hand at both ends. For that reason, we steer customers towards the tail lift whenever a range is involved.
Disconnection Comes First
Never pull a range out from the wall until it is safely disconnected. If yours runs on gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer must disconnect it and cap the supply. Electric and dual fuel ranges often run on their own heavy circuit. So use a qualified electrician for those, too.
Book that visit before you book the van. Engineers get busy, especially around house move dates. Ideally, have the cooker disconnected the day before, so it is cool and ready to roll. Then arrange reconnection at the new house soon after delivery. Nobody wants to wait a week for a working oven.
Stripping the Range Down
Every removable part you take off makes the cooker lighter and safer. Lift out the shelves, racks, pans and drip trays first. Then take off the hotplate lids, burner caps and trivets if your model allows it. On many ranges the oven doors also lift off their hinges. Check the manual before you try.
Wrap each part in a blanket and box it separately. Next, label the boxes, because a missing burner cap at the new house is annoying. Tape any doors you cannot remove so they stay shut. Also, photograph the back of the range before you move it. That helps the engineer at the other end.
Moving a Range Cooker With a Tail Lift
The Luton van with tail lift is the vehicle we recommend for this job. You wheel the range onto the platform on a trolley, raise it to floor level and roll it straight into the box. Nobody has to lift it up a ramp or into a high sill. As a result, two people can usually manage the whole move.
Keep the range upright throughout. Lying it on its back can damage the controls, the glass and the internal fittings. Once it is inside, stand it against the front wall, strap it to the tie points and wedge blankets around it. Bring your own straps, blankets and trolley, since these are not part of the hire.
Use the lift with care. Stand to the side of the platform, never behind the load, and keep your feet clear of the edge. Chock the trolley wheels before the platform moves. Then raise it slowly and stop if anything starts to roll.
Protecting Floors and Measuring Doorways
Most damage on a range move happens indoors. Before you start, measure every doorway, hall and corner on the route out. Do the same at the new house. A range that went in before a kitchen was fitted may not come out through the finished doorway. Sometimes a door has to come off its hinges first.
Lay hardboard or thick card across kitchen tiles and wooden floors. A loaded trolley wheel can crack a tile in seconds. Meanwhile, use the sack truck rated for the weight, not a light garden one. Take the outside steps slowly, with one person below and one above.
At the new house, unload in reverse order. Roll the range onto the platform, lower it and wheel it straight to the kitchen. Moving a range cooker into a new kitchen is also the time to check the gap it goes into. So measure that space before delivery day, and the range should slide in first time.
Collection, Timing and Local Routes
Our depot on Tilley Street opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm. So collect early and work backwards from the engineer’s appointment at the new house. Bring your photocard licence and a DVLA check code when you collect. Our Luton is 3.5 tonnes or under. The government guide to driving licence categories confirms what a standard car licence covers.
Plenty of range moves head east into Trafford. If you are moving that way, our page on van hire Altrincham covers that town. Likewise, van hire Urmston covers the west side of Trafford. Fitting a whole new kitchen? Read our guide to hiring a van for a kitchen or bathroom fit-out as well. Booking two weeks ahead earns 10% off selected vehicles, so check our van hire special offers first.
Tell us the make of the range and where it is going. We will then confirm the right van for moving a range cooker safely. Phone Warrington Van Hire on 01925 396 222, or drop us a message via the contact us page.
