Number of radiators in a house?

Lemoncurd

Is there a good way of working out how many radiators+sizes should be in a house/room?

We are planning to have all our radiator valves replaced (and probably the rads too as they are very old).

We have a 30 foot living/dining room which has three largish double radiators in it. One at one end under a window, one in the middle on the wall between us and next door and the other at the other end on an internal wall. We are thinking of having the one in the middle removed as we tend to only have two on at a time. This is our first winter here but the house has been plenty warm enough for us so far and we've only had the heating on for up to 1 1/2 hours a day. I presume modern radiators are a bit more efficient as well.

The reason we'd like to remove it is basically because it would make the room more versatile when it comes to positioning furniture. Are there any likely disadvantages to removing it? would more than two rads be expected in a room this size?

robowen

Have a go at this site. Radcalcs

Works out the requirements of the room for you. When you know the BTU's for the room, have a look online at radiators and see what the output is on various sizes. Divide the total by 2 or 3 and see which sizes will fit in the room.

rob

covbaldy

Divide the total by 2 or 3 and see which sizes will fit in the room.

Why do you divide the total by two or three?
How does that work?

I have my BTU's worked out, surely dividing by 3 gives a smaller rad?

Thanks
Alan

robowen

covbaldy wrote:

Divide the total by 2 or 3 and see which sizes will fit in the room.

Why do you divide the total by two or three?
How does that work?

I have my BTU's worked out, surely dividing by 3 gives a smaller rad?

Thanks
Alan

Sorry for the confusion here,
OP said he has 3 rads, said he might want to use only 2 rads.
The calculation is for the room as a whole. If he chooses 2 rads, he'll divide the total by 2, each rad will half the btu total..obviously !
if 3 then divide by 3. This is of course if he chooses radiators the same size.

I hope I've not muddied the water even more :think:

rob

covbaldy

Nope, that makes sense to me!

So does anyone know where to get cheap rads from?

Cheers :beer:

calmgirl

If the rads are old then i guess so are your walls and windows and loft insulation if these are shot than you could have a furnace in each room and it wont make a blind bit of difference. All the calculators that are out there to work out these things are based on modern housing. If you are replacing the rads then consider drylining your house with foil backed plaster board. Just a quick note my parents done this to a 400 year old welsh farm house whose walls are about 3-4 foot thick they can warm their living room which is about 30 x 20 foot with about 5 tea lights in mid winter

calmgirl

oh buy the way the practise o fputting rads under windows is so that the cold air comming through a window is heated as it comes into a room has been proved very inefficent ( dont belive me take a themometer outside when you heating is on and put against the window ) the best type are those that are about 14-16 inches high and go very low down on the wall

robowen

calmgirl wrote:

oh buy the way the practise o fputting rads under windows is so that the cold air comming through a window is heated as it comes into a room has been proved very inefficent

It's interesting you say that :think:

I've always thought that myself. :think:
The Industry changes its mind regularly. I noticed a huge difference when I moved mine to an inner wall. There was a big difference too when I put the rad back later after OH changed her mind about where she wanted it.:doh:

..I refused to move it back again :rolleyes:

rob

mini

robowen wrote:

It's interesting you say that :think:

I've always thought that myself. :think:
The Industry changes its mind regularly. I noticed a huge difference when I moved mine to an inner wall. There was a big difference too when I put the rad back later after OH changed her mind about where she wanted it.:doh:

..I refused to move it back again :rolleyes:

rob

Oh Rob, you have gone to an even higher pedestal, from someone who decided all radiators should be moved to accomadate how I wanted the rooms, I can now feel smug & pretend I was being efficient