Heaters of the moment
IT’S been a mild winter but you never know when the next Beast From The East will strike, so if you want to update your old radiators, how do you start? “You need to know the output you require for your home,” says Ellie Sawdy marketing executive at Bisque Radiators. “With double glazing, these days, you don’t necessarily need as high an output as before.”
Ellie recommends using the heat-loss calculator on Bisque’s website (bisque. co.uk) to calculate the British thermal units or watts you need to heat each room to work out what size radiators you need. “If you have a high wattage to meet you might opt for a tall column radiator,” explains Ellie. “But if not, you might pick a smaller model than you have now.”
It’s most cost-efficient to put new radiators where old ones are so you can use the same pipes. Traditionally put
Efficient
under windows to counteract drafts, even if you have double glazing, putting radiators here uses dead wall space – unless you want floor-to-ceiling curtains.
Modern radiators are more heatefficient: “Cast iron radiators are very slow to heat up and not that practical,” says Ellie, who recommends radiators made from mild steel because they heat quickly and are cheaper than stainless steel or aluminium – although it’s worth installing stainless steel tower radiators in bathrooms because they won’t rust.
If your radiators are modern and you want to update them, consider installing a smart thermostat and smart radiator valves.
Netatmo smart valves (netatmo.com) can be retro-fitted to modern radiators to control individual room temperatures using a free app.
Other smart thermostats include Hive (hivehome.com) and Nest (nest.com). Netatmo Smart Thermostat, £149.99 and Smart Radiator Valves £69.99 each (netatmo.com) Dimplex Evorad 2000W oil-free radiator, £129 (0345 165 6565; dunelm. com) Adalina Towel Warmer, £214 (0845 634 4321; purebathroom collection.co.uk)