Skirting board heating

dante_2 · 14 January 2008 at 3:52PM

I also wondered about fitting my house with skirting board heating.I heard its good for allergies and asthma and i am astmathic myself.I tried cuople of companies like desscreet heat,heat profile and bestboard and i am not sure what woul ebe the best.They all look the same.Bestboard claims to give about 40% of the energy savings comparing to radiators but i am not convinced if ist that possible.

Cardew · 14 January 2008 at 5:37PM

dante wrote: »

They all look the same.Bestboard claims to give about 40% of the energy savings comparing to radiators but i am not convinced if ist that possible.

It most certainly is not possible.

They give out exactly the same amount of heat as radiators(for the same money).

Their claims are on the basis that you don't need the room as warm with their radiators.

There might be marginal advantages to having heat from a lower source(although I am not convinced) but it would be difficult to quantify and would depend on the room.

If you have any doubts - check with the Energy Saving Trust.

dante_2 · 15 January 2008 at 11:31AM

they say using that kinda heating u can avoid building up warmth below the ceiling and that makes sense to me cos heat always goes up.They also claim using skirting board installed round the room makes it giving up heat proportionally.Right.Makes sense.I believe there is SOME savings coming from it but is it that much?I checked that on Energy Carbon Trust and they have been enlisted there and there is some kinda allowance if u buy that stuff so must be something about it but I am not really good with technical stuff so I am not surecos 40% sounds too good to be real.

Cardew · 15 January 2008 at 12:25PM

Of course hot air rises and there will be temperature differentials between the ceiling and the floor. However there is movement of air(currents) in all rooms and in a house these differences are not marked.

However there is some sort of assumption that the warm air from radiators rises and stays at ceiling level. However the warm air from skirting board heaters has some 'magical' qualities and doesn't rise to the ceiling!!

If you believe that skirting board heaters gives you big savings then go ahead and buy them.

P.S Never heard of the 'Energy Carbon Trust'. The authority is Energy Saving Trust. Contact them and ask what they feel about these claims.

Ken68 · 15 January 2008 at 4:35PM

I would think there is a market for some economic device to bring the heated air back down to floor level from the ceiling .
Maybe even a ceiling fan/light or something more directional.

dante_2 · 16 January 2008 at 10:57AM

well I checked that Carbon Trust and that is kinda governmental agency too and they can give some allowances.Thats reall but rest of it.Well, I dont know really.I am not so convinced as I am crap with technicals.How about air movement.Guys selling skirtingboard heaters claim tehy provide radiant heat and it doesnt cause air movement ( so allegedly is good for astmathics) P.S www.carbontrust.co.uk ( we learn something new every day)

Ken68 · 17 January 2008 at 10:44AM

When insulating a floor recently, Dante, the research suggested to pay particular attention to the skirt area. So maybe the draught cancels out the heat.

mwadsworth · 6 February 2008 at 9:34PM

Sorry ,
That should say 'tested' not testes (and no, we're not talking boll**s!)
Thanks
Martin

Ken68 · 7 February 2008 at 9:55AM

Can only go by experience mwad...not so long ago lived in a large bungalow with full skirt heating, had to resort to fitting panel radiators. Perhaps the skirt heating wasn't sized correctly , but the place was built to a good spec so doubt that. Just useless as a form of heating. Not enough umph.

Cardew · 8 February 2008 at 5:05PM

mwadsworth wrote: »

Hi Ken, Cardew & Dante,

This is Martin of DiscreteHeat, manufacturers of the ThermaSkirt heating system.

Some of the comments are thought provoking but not based on any data.
We have had ThermaSkirt independantly testes at BSRIA (www.bsria.co.uk) against conventional panel radiators and found to be 13% more efficient.
The thermal distibution and stratification (layers to you & me) is more condusive to feeling comfortable at lower energy levels than can be acheived with radiators that heat by convection (air movements via the ceiling).

I wont bore you with all the details, the test data is summarised below, but if anyone wants to contact us with their concerns, we will happliy discuss it with them

I am not sure that the Moderators should allow this type of advertising - which is spam by any other name.

I have little knowledge of skirting board heating; and no inclination to to find out more. Conected to a conventional hot water system, as you suggest, would be a 'must!

I will make but 2 comments:

Firstly I note that you(thankfully) do not claim that your system produces any more heat for your money than radiators.

Secondly I am extremely wary of any claims that the way heat is distributed makes xx% difference to running costs. Initial heating of a room perhaps but long term??

I have little doubt that your system will have improvements over a badly sited radiator.

It would be a more convincing argument to get the Energy Saving Trust to endorse your claims after getting carefully controlled tests; with them establishing the test criteria, (with radiator manufacturers participating) and not yourself. Perhaps Which could do the same.

Skirting board heating

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