Radiator behind a sofa?

ari11

I've been advised by the builder that the most heat efficient place to put a radiator is on an internal wall. I cannot really put it under my windows anyway as they are almost ceiling to floor.

The only place the sofa looks 'normal' is against the internal wall, hence covering the radiator. Has anyone else had a sofa in front of their radiator, and did they feel this inhibited heat distribution from the radiator?

lee111s

My parents have, similar to you, no choice. One part solution would be to have a radiator that goes lengthways as opposed to width ways. By doing so more than half the rad would be above the sofa

I'd also question your builder about the most efficient place is on an internal wall. All newbuild houses that I've been in over the last 5 years have rads under the windows where possible.

delain

My living room is a funny shape with 2 fairly large radiators and they have both ended up behind sofas!

The house has cavity wall insulation but has large windows in the lounge and I can't say that I've noticed any difference when I had the furniture differently in the past.

ari11

This is a 200 year old house (no cavity wall insurance). The radiators were under the window previously but were tiny and not heating the room. I'm partway through renovating the room so hence, the decision to replace with bigger radiators and move them. I'll have to price up the vertical radiator (have already gone over budget already with renovations).

Delain, thanks for chiming in. GOod to know you didn't notice a difference with the sofa in front of radiator

rustyboy21

You will get the convected heat from the radiators, but the sofa will take away the radiant aspect of it, in effect the sofa will heat up at the back.


It would be better if you could pull the sofa's out from the wall about 6'' to 1 ft, so some air can get to the radiator and catch some of the radiated heat. I have an internal rad in my lounge and have a chair partly across it, I did notice a difference, when the chair wasn't there. 130 year old house here, solid walls, no insulation.

Biggles

Ideal, as it'll be hidden; less hard decisions about what colour to paint it. The last thing you want is a bit of the radiator sticking up in the air above the sofa, that would look really odd.

The lost heat will be minimal, as the vast majority of the heat is convected, just make sure, as rustyboy said, not to have the sofa too close to it.

nickcc

We have a sofa against the only radiator in our lounge, the rad almost touches the sofa. The heat is certainly restricted, the main thing to be sure of is that the thermostatic valve is not blocked by the sofa or the heat that is blocked in shuts the valve down just like having a thermostatic valve inside a radiator cabinet.

PlymouthMaid

My large radiator in living room is behind the sofa and we still seem to get warm enough. I have placed sofa about 8 inches in front of the rad though my thinking was more about not drying out the leather to much.

Jonesya

I've got a couple of chairs and side table in front of my living room radiator, work's well as it covers it up. Mine is a double convector radiator so most of the heat rises from the convector so the obstruction's aren't a problem.

Only issues I can think of are that it pushes the sofa forwards by 6 inches. Also if you'd got period/sensitive furniture then the heat might not be good for it.

carlislelass

Every house we`ve had has had radiators on outside walls

nickcc

Our lounge has two outside walls, one has the fireplace in the centre and the other has French doors, making it impossible to fit radiators except to internal walls.