Chris Harvey, Head of Marketing, Stelrad Radiators, argues that radiators are still the key to sharing heat around today’s homes.
Radiators are still the main source of heat in well over 85% of homes across the UK and Ireland and radiators work well with lower temperature heating systems such as those driven by heat pumps.
All heating systems – not just heat pump driven ones – need to benefit from adequate insulation and radiators need to be correctly sized for each room to deliver comfort heating around the home. That may require larger radiators or radiators with a larger heating capacity – and this is where new K3 radiators and larger vertical radiators come into their own.
K3s offer three panels and three sets of fins effectively offering 50% more heat than a standard K2 radiator would. So, 50% more heat from the same radiator footprint. The radiator is a little wider and weighs more but will adequately supply heat from a heat pump around the home.
Wall space
Vertical radiators have grown massively in popularity in recent years and many people prefer them in their rooms as they take up less horizontal space and will fit in nooks and crannies in older homes especially, ensuring sufficient heat whilst not taking up precious wall space.
And, of course, modern radiators can be far better looking than elderly ones and can genuinely be a focal point in a room rather than simply a heating appliance.
Take control
Additionally, the ability to target heat is very simple with radiators via a locally mounted TRV. Temperature control is intuitive and simple. No external wiring, controls or configuration are required.
Additionally, a popular function of heating controls is the one-hour boost. It’s a simple way of countering a cold snap or quickly raising the temperature outside of the normal occupational routine.
It is also the ‘go to’ control method for those who find modern controls confusing or who are trying to control costs.
