Chris Harvey, Head of Marketing, Stelrad Radiators, explores why radiators remain a vital part of both the heating system of a home and the décor.
Today’s radiators offer a wide range of designs and features – they are a part of the décor rather than simply heating appliances.
Until maybe ten years ago, radiators tended to be the standard Compact design – basic but clean cut, sleek radiators that were invariably white and found in every room of a new house.
There’s a trend now for radiators to be upgraded – designer or decorative radiators – particularly in a new property’s bathroom and kitchen and sometimes in the main living room or the main bedroom and en-suite. And of course, the arrival of renewable heating systems – introducing heat pumps to the heating mix – has seen the arrival of K3 radiators that offer higher outputs from the same radiator footprints.
Then there is the advent of vertical radiators which can have larger metal area surfaces to share higher outputs too, in hallways and on landings and in nooks and crannies around a new or existing home, where a horizontal radiator might take up too much wall space – or where the wall space simply isn’t there.
Correct sizing
Whilst underfloor heating is growing in popularity for downstairs spaces in new build homes, radiators are still very much the favoured option for upstairs – whether heated by traditional boiler driven heating systems or modern renewable systems like heat pumps. Radiators work equally as well with heat pumps as with boilers – but as with any homes, and new or existing system replacements, it’s important to size the radiators properly at the outset.
If the levels of insulation are adequate, then radiators will happily provide the levels of heating needed for comfort in any home. You may need to specify slightly larger radiators or you may decide to take a closer look at the K3 radiators available in a number of designs – offering three panels and three sets of fins to ensure you get an extra 50% of the level of heat from the radiator that you would from a similar sized standard K2 design.
K3s are proving increasingly popular not just in new build homes that feature heat pumps, but in existing homes where, as part of the refurbishment, increasingly you see a heat pump installed and replacement radiators throughout the home to up the ante when it comes to providing comfort heating. The additional heat outputs from K3s are significant, especially in colder rooms in the house and those furthest from the source of heat – whether a heat pump or a boiler – the additional oomph that K3s offer can transform the comfort levels and bring areas of the home back into use in the colder months of the year.
Design led
And it’s not just the choice of technology. The choice of designs for new radiators has burgeoned in recent years with flat fronted, vertical and horizontal lined casings, flat tube and traditional column style radiators – there’s a look that will complement pretty much any style of new home on the marketplace.
And not just in standard horizontal styles. As mentioned, vertical radiators are growing in popularity and the most recent style choice is to go for coloured radiators. No longer available in any colour ‘so long as its white’, radiators are available from stock with some suppliers in a number of colours – anthracite grey seems to be the number one choice when it comes to colours around the home – a colour that can mix and match with décor colours very happily.
The selection of a ladder style radiator in the bathroom and en-suite has been an option for many years although the number of styles and designs has increased hugely in recent years. As well as operating as a towel warmer, the radiator still needs to offer enough heat to make the bathroom or en-suite a warm and cosy place in colder months, so be sure to size the radiator properly to get the levels of heat you need in these rooms.
Electric options
As well as the traditional radiators that you select to sit in rooms around the home on the wet heating system, it’s worth taking a closer look at electric radiators as an option for new homes, particularly if you are off the gas mains and out in the country. Electric radiators offer a selection of interesting designs that will enhance your home but also offer a variety of options that include fan assisted heating to up the ante on the heating front.
There’s a wide range of electric models available and its worth considering these if there are extensions, conservatories and added rooms that need heating if you don’t want the expense of extending the existing heating system with a new boiler or heat pump sized to expand the system to heat additional radiators.
If your home will see you living with elderly, very young or vulnerable people in the home, take a closer look at the available LST – low surface temperature – ranges of radiators, designed so the casing never exceeds 43°C. It means no one in the home will suffer dry burns from being too close to the heating system. These radiators are designed so even all the incoming and out-going piping is covered at all times and comes with easy-to-use controls that allow people to turn the heat up or down, even if they have a weak grip and difficulty in turning controls.
And there are a number of heavy-duty radiators available these days too, for areas around the home that need more robust radiators and can take hard knocks better than a standard radiator. There are also Compact Extra Protection options for wet rooms and areas of the home that may experience moisture and condensation.
