What To Know Before Buying a Radiator

Buying a new radiator for your home can be more than a little daunting, especially if you’re a new homeowner or don’t have a DIY bone in your body.

Luckily there isn’t much more to buying a radiator than purchasing anything else, all you need to know is a few of the different areas you should consider before making a purchase. This guide will get you off to a good start, with a few of the core elements to keep in mind.

BTU

A BTU or British Thermal Unit is a simple way to measure how much heat a radiator emits. Based on the size of a room, this will impact how quickly and efficiently it can be heated.

BTU can be intimidating when looked at as a number by itself, since it can be hard to quantify.

Luckily most radiator distributors will have a BTU calculator on their website, allowing you to determine what BTU your radiator will need to heat a room.

Size

Bigger isn’t always better, and that holds true for radiators.

A larger radiator won’t necessarily emit more heat – so keep a close eye on the BTU of the unit and how this relates to the room it is intended for. You may find that there are more suitable smaller radiators, which emit more than enough heat to warm your room.

Panels

Your first instinct may be to think of the number of panels as a way of measuring the size of a radiator – this isn’t quite the case.

Most radiators will come in single or double panels and while double panels are thicker, that isn’t exactly what the panels are describing.

Radiator panels refer to the coverings of the heating system within the radiator – a single panel radiator won’t pack as big a heating punch as a double panel.

Style

The appearance of your radiator certainly isn’t something that you should neglect, but the style can have more of an impact than just the aesthetics.

The material and finish chosen for your radiator can have an impact on how it emits heat, meaning that some finishes emit heat faster, while others can retain it for a longer period of time.

For example, a small cast iron radiator will emit more heat than a larger steel or aluminium radiator.

Be sure to read up on the particular advantages or disadvantages of a radiator material, before making the decision to purchase.

Efficiency

Energy efficiency is an important element to consider when purchasing a radiator as it can affect how much it costs to operate and how well it heats your space.

When shopping for a radiator keep an eye out for any efficiency gradings or energy consumption ratings. These may come in a simple A(good) to G (bad) grading system.

Even if you aren’t particularly fussed by the operating costs of a radiator, it is important to still consider its overall energy efficiency as this will be considered as part of the Energy Performance Certificate grade given to your home when you are looking to rent or sell.

Installation

Finally, you should make sure that you are fully considering how your new radiator will be installed and who will be installing it.

This should include a review of the space you need to install the radiator and an inspection of current fittings which are in use within your home. Radiators are very rarely plug and play when it comes to installation, so make sure you do the groundwork and save yourself from any headaches.

There’s loads more to consider when it comes to buying a radiator, including the type of valves and boosters, but hopefully this guide has given you enough to get started and understand a bit more of what you are looking at.