#convect

When revamping your heating system you may feel restricted by the current position of pipework.  However, with radiator technology coming on leaps and bounds over recent years and the ever improving insulation of properties, you no longer need to feel restricted by the standard conventions for radiator installation.  

Radiators were historically always situated in the coldest part of a room, often against an outside wall or under a window, where the cold air drops to the floor.  This meant that radiators were traditionally always around 600mm or 2ft high. 

There was logic behind this standard at the time.  Older properties that were poorly insulated with single glazing were prone to draughts; if a radiator was positioned on a wall opposite the window, this would cause cold air to be drawn across the floor due to the convection process.  So a radiator was put under the window to help eliminate the cold draught problem.

Nowadays, though, most properties are far better insulated and double-glazing is rapidly becoming the norm.  Alongside this, radiators are now available in a wealth of shapes and sizes and are definitely no longer the “normal” corrugated panels that we have become accustomed to.  This means that you can now choose a radiator in the size and shape that you want, and position them, to best suit your room design. 

With so many different radiator options now available, there are likely to be several possible places where you could put your radiators.  So consider the following points when deciding on a setting for your radiators:

·         Try and make the best use of space where possible and don’t be restricted by the positioning of current pipework.  A new radiator in a new position might free up valuable wall space.  For instance, it might be worth considering switching from a horizontal radiator, to a vertical model that can be installed in a corner or alcove, a place that would have previously been considered unusable. 

·         If you are opting for full length curtains, then the radiators should not be placed under the windows as much of the heat will be shut behind the curtains when they are closed. 

·         In a lounge, it is preferable not to put a radiator behind furniture such as a sofa, which may absorb the radiant heat.  However, if your options are limited and behind furniture is the best position available, then it is better to look at radiators that are designed to ‘convect’ i.e. emit heat from the top, rather than models that ‘radiate’ i.e. emit heat from the front.

·         In a kitchen, units often take up most available wall space, so the best solution may be a tall slim radiator, to fit behind the door or fill a space that you previously considered to not be wide enough for a radiator. 

·         In a bathroom, where a radiator is often used to dry towels, consider where the radiator will be in relation to the bath or basin.

·         Why not consider positioning radiators to highlight a particular feature of the room?  For example, you could place two identical radiators symmetrically, one each side of an entrance, archway or window.  Or you could consider aligning the top of a vertical radiator with the top of a door, a window or a painting; the radiator will seek to draw the eye upwards towards the feature. 

In conclusion, the radiator world is your oyster!  No longer do you need to go for the boring bog-standard radiators we are used to, that often take up much needed wall space.  Instead, look at your room afresh and speak to a radiator specialist for some advice on which products might best suit your space.