Why Older Styled Radiators Still Trump Modern Radiators

When it comes to home décor, the radiators that you choose are actually very important. They can change the whole feel of the room. Most people, when they renovate their homes, change their radiators, and when they do this, they often opt for modern styles. This is because they fit well with the contemporary décor. However, people should not be so quick to dismiss traditional radiators. A cast iron radiator, for instance, looks amazing – it fits well with a modern build, and in fact, is often the choice for builders when buying trade radiators, because they perform to an optimum standard and they look great. There are many other benefits too, and below, we’re going to look at some of the advantages of sticking to the more traditional styles of radiator; you may be surprised about what you learn.

Energy and Heat Output

You may assume that with new technology, they have improved the efficiency of radiators, but older styled radiators are equally, if not superior, to modern versions. Radiators are relatively simple, and they all work in a similar manner, so no matter what style you choose, there isn’t much difference between one and the other. A cheaper radiator may not last as long, but when it’s working properly, it will work well. Traditional radiators, though, are built to the manufacturing standards of the past, which are much higher than in our own times. This is because, today, manufacturing is all about building in redundancy – they want their radiators to fail, so that they can sell more. Clearly, this isn’t true of every manufacturer, but those that build to the higher standards sell their radiators at a premium: they’re expensive.

Because traditional radiators are built to a higher standard, they keep their efficiency much longer than newer styles. There are a number of ways in which this is apparent:

1.       They’re more airtight – you will not need to bleed the radiators as often as you would with a newer model.

2.       They’re made using higher-class material. Cast iron is an excellent material, and it is the material that is used most often in traditional radiators. In fact, it’s such a good material, that they still make radiators from cast iron, even today.

Appearance

There’s something about traditional radiators that has a classic look. They are efficient, solid and incredibly attractive. The thing about classic styles of anything, whether clothes, furniture, cars, buildings, etc. is that they look beautiful. They have a style and grace that we simply can’t capture today – maybe it’s something to do with our fast-paced world, that we can’t devote the time to beauty, and that in the past, they had plenty of time to focus on creating beautiful goods. Either way, there are few styles today that can boast the beauty of the past.

Keeping Your Home Warm

Although older radiators are efficient, the home may not be. If you have older radiators because you live in an older home, then you may need to make a few changes to ensure that the home isn’t losing the heat that the radiator is generating. Make sure that you have good insulation in the walls. Place a reflective strip behind the radiator, so that the heat radiates into the room, rather than out of the room.

We hope that you not have a better understanding of the quality of older styles of radiator.



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Radiators: Why Cast Iron Models Make a Great Choice

Radiators are an important purchase. A nice radiator will transform the room, or will at least complement the internal décor. Designers will spend as much time thinking about the style of radiators they use as they do on colour schemes and furnishing. One of the most popular styles that people opt for are the cast iron radiators. There are many reasons for choosing this style of radiator, and below, we’re going to consider some of the most important features that make cast iron radiators the perfect choice for your house.

Energy Efficiency

First things first, the radiator is there to warm the room. It makes sense to choose a radiator that it highly efficient because this will save you money on electricity and gas bills, but it will also ensure that the room stays warm when it needs to stay warm.

Cast iron is one of the best, if not the best materials from which you can make radiators. The reason for this is that it is a relatively low conductor. This means that while it takes longer to heat up, it retains its heat for much longer too. Other materials, such as aluminium, will heat fast, and lose heat fast. This makes aluminium relatively inefficient because the system must remain on the entire time that you require heat. Cast iron, on the other hand, will stay warm for hours after you have switched the radiators off.

Cast iron also has greater mass, which makes it even more efficient at retaining heat in comparison to other metals, such as steel and aluminium.

Low Maintenance

Cast iron radiators are very low maintenance. This is because it is the material that is most important in heat production – i.e. the iron. Other types of radiator require a host of technologies to keep their heat, such as fins and panels. Clearly, the more technology required to run the system, the more likely it is to go wrong. Cast iron is dependable and reliable, and requires very little maintenance – you will need to bleed the radiators every now and then, but that’s about the extent of maintenance requirements.

Style

As well as being highly efficient, cast iron heaters look amazing. They add character to any room. This is in contrast to what some people assume: some assume that they suit older properties only, and not contemporary builds, but this is wrong. Cast iron heats have a classic look, and anything that has a classic style suits a whole range of other styles – classic is like the colour black, it suits everything. A cast iron heater will look as good within a contemporary setting as it does within a traditional setting.

Any Problems with Cast Iron?

There are few, if any, problems:

1.       Some people don’t like the fact that the heating takes a while to warm. You can overcome this problem by using a timed thermostat.

2.       Installation is easy, but the radiators can be heavy, so you may need some extra manpower.

3.       Maintenance: these radiators are one of the easiest to maintain.

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Radiator Valves: All You Need to Know

If you’re buying new radiators, then you will want to ensure that you look after your new investment. Part of this is buying the correct type of valves. With some radiators, the valves come as standard, but with others, you must purchase them as separate items. It is important that you first establish whether you need to buy valves, and then, that you make the correct choices. Many people forget to buy their radiator valves, and at best, this leads to delays in refitting the system, but at worse, it can cause damage to the radiators, necessitating an entire replacement. Here, we’re going to discuss the various things that you need to consider when buying modern radiator valves.

What to the Valves Do?

There are two types of valve: the bleed valve and the temperature valve.

Bleed Valves

The radiator valve has an important role. Over time, the radiator system will let in air. This creates pockets of air, and where the pockets of air occur, the radiators are less efficient. If you touch the radiator and the heat distribution is uneven, then this can often be due to the presence of air in the system. It is important that the air is let out of the system, and this is done through the valve. Different valves work in different ways, but they all follow the same principle: they are one-way valves that let the air out of the radiators.

The process of letting air out of the radiators is known as ‘bleeding the radiators’. You need to be careful when bleeding the radiators, because if you let the air out too fast, it can let water out too, which will splash everywhere. More important, though, is that you ensure that the radiators are cool before you bleed them, otherwise, when water splashes out it will burn, and so too will the air. Although air burns less than water, you still don’t want to be on the receiving end of a blast of boiling-hot air.

Temperature Regulating Valves

These valves control the volume of water in the radiators. The greater the volume of water, the hotter the radiator.

·         What are the Various Types of Temperature Radiator Valves

Modern radiator valves are more diverse than traditional valves. Today, there are three general types of valve, these are:

1.       Manual radiator valves: here, you operate the valve by hand. Either you use a bleed key, or you simply twist the valve with your hands (or maybe a wrench) if it’s too tight. Manual valves work like taps.

2.       Thermostatic radiator valves: these are relatively sophisticated and they control the radiator automatically – you don’t have to do anything unless they need replacing/fixing. They use a thermostat to determine how much water the radiator will allow in. The greater the volume of water, the hotter the radiator can become.

3.       Lock shield valves: these are slightly more complex than the other two types, in that they ‘balance’ the system and ensure that there is an even distribution of water in the radiators.

We understand that radiator valves can be fairly complex, so if you would like further help and advice about modern radiator valves, then please visit http://www.designerradiatorsdirect.co.uk.

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Buying Radiators: Things You Need to Know

You may have assumed, like many people, that there is very little involve in buying radiators. You simply find a style you like and you buy it; but there is much more to the process than this. Below, we’re going to consider the ‘need to know’ facts for buying new radiators.

How Big Should the Radiator Be?

Clearly, before you buy a radiator, you need to know whether it will fit in the space. There are many different sizes to choose from, and if you can’t find the size you need, then you can always have one made to your bespoke specifications; although this will be expensive.

When you’re choosing the size of the radiation, you should use modelling to establish whether it will look good in the space at the size chosen. You may think that you need a specific size, but once you install it may find that it looks too big or too small. To work out how it will look you need to create a model – you can do this using graph paper, and draw out a scale model, you could make a mini-model of the room (this can be a fun project) or you can use some sort of design software. When you design your model, make sure that you include the radiator valves in the dimensions that you use; you don’t want to measure the unit, then find that when the valves are taken into account it no longer fits.

There is another consideration with size. The larger the radiator the more heat it emits, so when choosing the size you also need to keep in mind how much heat you want in the room. You work this out by finding the British thermal unit (btu) needed for the size of the room. then you need to buy a radiator that can emit the required Btu output.

Are there Better Places to Hang the Radiator?

Many people will tell you that the best place to hang a radiator is under the window, and while it is true that the room will heat more evenly if you do this, and that it will reach a good heat level. It can also be more expensive as it has to heat colder air before it starts to warm the room. if money is a problem, and the window is relatively far away from where you sit, then you can hand the radiator on another wall, but in general, near the window or an outside wall is the best place to hang it. When hanging the radiator, remember to make room for the radiator valves, as well as the unit itself.

Does Colour Make a Difference

You will probably know that colours play a role in heat – white reflects heat out, while black absorbs the heat. When it comes to radiators colour is relatively important. White radiators are best, because they radiate the heat out into the room. however, the difference is marginal, so if a different colour suits your room better, then choose that one – but do a little research just to make sure that the colour is suitable.

Does Shape Make A Difference?

According to some sources, there is a difference in efficiency between different shaped radiators. Radiators that have fins tend to over the best heat output.

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Buying Towel Radiators: What You Need to Consider

Electric towel radiators make the perfect choice for heating the bathroom. They have many advantages in comparison to traditional radiators: they give you a place to store and dry towels, they take up very little space, they look nice, and they keep the room dry (-although, to be fair, any radiator will keep the room warm!). There are a few things that you need to consider before you buy your towel radiator, and we are going to explore these considerations now.

The Two Types of Heater

You will find that towel radiators come in two different types of technology:

1.       Dry Element technology

2.       Wet Element technology

The difference simply refers to the internal components within the radiator. Some radiators use liquid that is heated by an element – this is the wet element technology. They take longer to heat up, but they are cheaper to run and tend to retain their heat longer. Dry element electric towel radiators heat bricks, instead of liquid. They are very responsive and heat up faster than wet element towel radiators. The choice really depends on your personal circumstances. You should research the difference between both types in greater depth, and then make your choice.

Energy Source

Modern electric radiators often allow for dual fuel. This can mean one of two things:

1.       It can refer to a radiator that has two heating sources: it can be heated through the central heating system but also has an option for ad hoc heat using the electrics. This is useful for those of you who want to use your towel radiator in the summer, but who don’t also want to switch on the entire heating system.

2.       It can refer to a storage heater-type radiator. These have two electricity sources: one connected to the off-peak rate, and one connected to the on-peak rate.

Your choice depends on the system you have. For example, you can’t have the first type of radiator if you don’t have a central heating system. You can have the second type with a central heating system, but it seems a little pointless as it’s more expensive, but some people will choose this option because the style of radiator they like may not be available for a central heating system.

Safety

When buying any type of radiator, including electric towel radiators, you need to make sure that they are of a high quality, and that they conform to safety standards. If you’re buying from a UK source, then they have to adhere to our health and safety regulations, so you only need to research this issue if you’re buying radiators from abroad. There are some international ratings that you can use to asses foreign radiators.

Maintenance

You need to ensure that you buy a model that is easy to maintain. If it develops problems and it is difficult to service, then you will need to replace it or call out an electrician/plumber, which can get expensive. Ask the retailer if the radiator is serviceable.

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