Choosing the Right Radiators for your Home

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By Katherine Sorrell

An upgrade to your central heating radiators will not only improve the comfort of your home, but also its looks. Radiators are one of those often-overlooked essentials of the home, conveniently forgotten about for as long as they do their job. However, over time, rust, corrosion and blockages can build up, resulting in cold spots or an inefficient system. Chemical ‘flushing’ and regular bleeding will help but, unfortunately, central heating radiators won’t stay in perfect condition forever. Sometimes they need replacing because a new boiler, with increased pressure, causes leaks, or you may even be installing an entirely new home heating system. A heat pump, for example, may require larger radiators in order to heat your home efficiently.

Extra efficiency

The good news is that, thanks to improvements in technology and manufacturing, modern radiators heat up more quickly and can be 50% more energyefficient than old models – especially if yours were installed before 2000. What’s more, today’s radiators are no longer a necessary-but-boring feature; in an array of sizes, shapes, materials and colours, they can be a good-looking as well as functional focal point of a room. This is your chance to complement your design scheme and even add a dash of style.

Where to start

Start by calculating the heat output required for each room. This is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units); you can use an online calculator or ask your plumber to work it out for you. You can achieve the same heat output with a long, low radiator (horizontal) as with a tall, thin one (vertical), or increase the heat with a double panel rather than single (though it will stick out from the wall more) – so the next task is to look at each space and work out what size and shape of radiator you want to install. You may even like the look of the traditional column radiator, while in a bathroom a heated towel rail is a great choice – though bear in mind that it gives off less heat than a panel radiator.

A choice of materials

While older radiators were made from cast iron (slow to heat and cool down, and very heavy), the vast majority of modern radiators are made from

mild steel. Other options include stainless steel (more expensive, but less prone to rust build-up) and aluminium, which is the most expensive option but also the best in terms of efficiency, and the greenest to manufacture. Stone, glass and brass radiators are also available, and offer opportunities for unusual and eye-catching designs.

Positioning your radiators

In terms of where to position each radiator, unless you are replacing an existing system like-for-like, there are options. They are best placed in the coldest part of the room, which always used to be under a single-glazed window, where the incoming cold air creates a circulation of warm air within the room. In modern, well-insulated homes, however, this principle is less important, and you can put radiators wherever you wish, depending on the positions of your furnishings, and on whether your aim is for them to blend in and be almost unnoticed, or to stand out as designer features. Just don’t block them with long curtains or bulky furniture, and in period houses it’s a good idea to aim for symmetry, with radiators placed centrally on a wall.

Design possibilities

Once you have worked out your required heat output and decided where each radiator will go, you’ll know how the size of radiator required corresponds to the floor footprint and wall space available. In many cases it’s then a simple case of choosing the material you prefer and deciding on a style and colour, though where space is limited or awkward you may need to research a few different solutions. It could be a corner radiator (around the

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outside or inside), a curved one for under a bay window, one that’s completely flat, one with a mirror finish, or one that includes a bench seat. Where you wish to make a statement, there is an intriguing range of radiators that are shaped like abstract wall art and, increasingly, radiators are available in a wide variety of powder-coated colours, both off the shelf and bespoke. No longer do radiators have to be an unseen necessity – both attractive and efficient, they may well be the new heroes of your home.

1 This steel radiator incorporates a wooden seat and is made to order in a choice of four, five and six columns and 218 colours. Ancona Bench Seat Vertical, from £1,312.80, The Radiator Company.

2 A copper finish gives this mild steel towel radiator a luxurious and timeless look. Terma Jade curved heated towel rail in True Copper, from £154.99, Only Radiators.

3 Patented horseshoe-shaped tubes are designed to provide a high heat output from this steel radiator, available in white, dark grey or your own colour. Cirque horizontal, from £305.76 in a colour, Feature Radiators.

STOCKISTS Feature Radiators: 01274 567 789; featureradiators.co.uk Only Radiators: onlyradiators.co.uk The Radiator Company: 01342 302 250; theradiatorcompany.co.uk