radiator covers

Contax

I want more heat out of my raidiators, it should be possible to have a decorative metal cover that fits to radiator plus I would like to see more low power fans to clip onto radiators to blow the heat around more. In 1973 we moved into a 2 year old bungalow with British Gas Guaranteed Warmth Central Heating, no fires, it was really hot everywhere, the hall was really hot so cold air when door opened was not felt, I did my own in next bungalow it was great we then moved to a terraced house with just fires and we loved it as we had better control of the heat required, We moved into this bungalow 5 years ago (built 1974) it had been fitted with central heating about 1995 with no fires it is absolute rubbish, who ever fitted it needed to go back to training as the house in never really warm I even fitted air con heat pump to main bedroom to cool it in summer but it is great for heating in winter, I would be very happy to keep that in bedroom and just a good radiant gas fire in lounge but we have no gas flue so would need to build a chimney breast which I guess would be expensive. Another thing is all central heating pipes are hidden behind skirting boards, will be hell of a job if we ever get a leak finding it.

timmmers

For future reference :-
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/credenza-direct/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

I have one ...behind the rad is insulated also the inside panels of the cover..meaning heat all leaves via the vent or the front...and circulates better. I don't want to pay (or wait) to heat the wall..just the air in the room itself.

How warm air reflected from behind a rad can possibly force it's way back to warm a much hotter radiator it just left is beyond me...gave us a laugh though...impossible. Most heat rises up and out of the top opening instead of directly upwards away from people.

Biggest fans of this cover....my cats. Can't get them off it, saves a lot of cat hairs elsewhere and releases chairs for humans which is nice.

Not a good thing to have if you dry a lot of clothes sadly.

t

sammyjammy

I'm interested to know what the heat experts think. I've just had my lounge redecorated and am currently making the new curtains to go in the window, sadly as the radiator is under the window (why do people do that?) the curtains will have to be windowsill length. I'm having a track rather than a pole so that the curtains run clsoe to the wall but am still concerned about all the heat rising up the curtains to heat the space in the window - not good.

Would a shelf above the radiator resolve the problem do you think?

gabyjane

When we bought this new house i thought our 9 radiators were quite excesive for a new build and they turn out to still be as it is a very warm house. The one in the kitchen has been removed and the one in the upstairs hall is never used, the one in dd's room rarely! BUT the one in the middle hall is a smallish one and generates loads of heat for the size but has no thermostat on so can't be turned off/down. I had this covered due to the kids being near it and bought a cover from B&Q which was £10 and pretty nice, one of my mindees broke it last week so today we looked for some more fretwork to replace the panel they had broken and struggled and haven't got one as yet so will keep an eye on this thread.

gabyjane

sammyjammy wrote: »

I'm interested to know what the heat experts think. I've just had my lounge redecorated and am currently making the new curtains to go in the window, sadly as the radiator is under the window (why do people do that?) the curtains will have to be windowsill length. I'm having a track rather than a pole so that the curtains run clsoe to the wall but am still concerned about all the heat rising up the curtains to heat the space in the window - not good.

Would a shelf above the radiator resolve the problem do you think?

Ive never understood the rads under the window thing either! I was trying to persuade dh to get one of those nice metal ones to go next to ours upright as also takes up space that furniture could go whereas the others are so flat never a prob i dont think. I reckon a shelf is an idea depends on whether the curtains go right over it though?

0scar123

One thing that is worth doing is insulating the system pipe-work, particularly those pipes around the boiler area. If you do this, you will reduce unnecessary heat loss, thus decreasing the boiler 'on' time. The insulation is quite inexpensive and easy to fit. Most big DIY stores stock it.
I insulated my system pipes last summer, and I was pleasantly surprised with my latest gas bill, particularly with the weather being so cold.