Can you paint storage heaters?

patman99

Go for black as a finish. Strange as it might seem, they did an experiment on TV a while back whereby they took two identicle electric radiators and painted one black.
The black one not only heated up quicker, but gave off more heat as well. They estimated that by paintinf a radiator black, it became 30% mor energy efficient.

bazzyb

Can you paint storage heaters?

I guess you can paint anything if you really want to...

needhouseadvice

pinkladyvenus wrote: »

My OH painted our storage heater as some one had stained it badly. He used radiator paint and it was fine really good finish. He took cover of, light sanding then 2 coats sprayed on. We lived in that property for a year after and it still looked as good as new and it was a really old storage heater.

Good to know it actually works!

sheramber

patman99 wrote: »

Go for black as a finish. Strange as it might seem, they did an experiment on TV a while back whereby they took two identicle electric radiators and painted one black.
The black one not only heated up quicker, but gave off more heat as well. They estimated that by paintinf a radiator black, it became 30% mor energy efficient.

the colour black absorbs heat, white reflects it.

Black cars get hotter in the sun than white cars, black dogs suffer more from the heat than white dogs.

martindow

patman99 wrote: »

They estimated that by painting a radiator black, it became 30% more energy efficient.

Despite their name radiators heat mainly by convection currents of air, don't they? I don't think the colour will make much difference.

JP08

casper_g wrote: »

Typical radiators won't get above the temperature of the hot water inside (what, 60°C or so? ) but storage heaters could get hotter. A paint that specifically says it's suitable seems the best bet. If the only alternative is to replace them then you don't have much to lose by trying it, I suppose.

I'd be a little concerned about a storage heater that externally got much hotter than that - 60°C is roundabout the threshold of too painful to hold. Back in the days when I was an electronics student it was a good (and literal) rule of thumb - if you can't hold your thumb on a component it is probably running too hot ... most silicon components only being good for the low 100's before they die and should be running cooler than that.