Foil heat reflectors for radiators

Barneysmom

Blue tack would be a lot cheaper, thanks :T I'll get some in the week and give it a go, but won't be having rads on for a good while yet, even though it's so miserable today, cold.

So it's best to go for the extra wide turkey foil?

whatatwit

I think the cheapest foil would be the best. Smaller rolls will be easier to handle.

[Deleted User]

I bought special radiator foil in semi rigid sheets. They are formed with hollow boxes and stick to the walls behind the rads. I had to insert them using a stick and they were not easy to do but I did a good job. We stuck them behind every single rad on an external wall in this house and we got rad covers with the shelves above so you can`t see the foil and the rad heat is thrown into the room. It does a very good job. Found them on google. They are called heatkeeper radiator insulation panels

http://www.greenorb.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=140 this one has 20 sheets ebay ones are 10 sheets

In our last house I used foil stuck onto big sheets of card and blue tack to stick it to the walls

Pink.

Hi jolaaled,

As your thread has dropped off the front page of Old Style I've moved it over to the In My Home board to see if you can get some more replies. These older threads may help too:

radiator foil reflector thingies

Insulate behind radiators

Foil behind radiators?

Pink

Incisor

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi jolaaled,

As your thread has dropped off the front page of Old Style I've moved it over to the In My Home board to see if you can get some more replies. These older threads may help too:

radiator foil reflector thingies

Insulate behind radiators

Foil behind radiators?

Pink

Good grief. Money saving??:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

If it is bubble wrap based, it insulates and helps, but otherwise, get with it people, plain foil does nothing apart from make you feel mistakenly warm inside.

Martini

Incisor wrote: »

Foil reflectors behind water filled radiators are a complete waste of effort. The reason is that radiators are misnamed, They do not radiate, they convect. The reason for the losses through the wall behind is that heat transfers to the wall by convection and then out of the wall by conduction. If you want to reduce losses, then you need insulation on the wall, leaving space for the back of the radiator to heat up the air at the back.

Placing a foil insulated board/panel/sheet behind a radiator on an outside wall is not a waste of effort! Mine hang close to the wall and are slotted from the bottom so that they hang on the radiator wall brackets. Whilst I agree radiators (especially those with the fins which actually act as little chimneys) produce a lot of heat by convection they also radiate heat.

maninthestreet

You can buy bubblewrap skinned with foil on both sides at most of the big DIY stores. Far easier to use than foil.

Martini

maninthestreet wrote: »

You can buy bubblewrap skinned with foil on both sides at most of the big DIY stores. Far easier to use than foil.

That's what I have behind mine. It's not cheap though!
Cut to a little smaller than the radiator and then cut slots from the bottom to suit the wall brackets. Tape the pieces together at the bottom or just let them hang.

Handyhinter

Incisor wrote: »

Foil reflectors behind water filled radiators are a complete waste of effort. The reason is that radiators are misnamed, They do not radiate, they convect. The reason for the losses through the wall behind is that heat transfers to the wall by convection and then out of the wall by conduction. If you want to reduce losses, then you need insulation on the wall, leaving space for the back of the radiator to heat up the air at the back.

Whatever they are called try feeling the outside wall behind the Radiator when its been on a few hours and you realise youve been heating the Garden! I removed all my radiators and fitted 2 x layers of reflective foil behind ( dont like the idea of my expensive heat going into the bricks, i want it in the room ) Borrowed a set of Radclamps from a mate to take the Rads off, no mess and dead easy, thinking of buying aset myself and setting up to do other peoples Rads, hey make some money too!

Motters_2

I think you can buy ready made inserts from ecobuy ? seems quite expensive tho and am I to understand that they only really work when people don't have cavity wall insulation ?