RADFLEK: Reflective radiator back

Screwdriva

I gifted a set of Radflek to my elderly uncle and aunt who have lived in a Georgian semi detached home for decades. The winters months have been particularly difficult for them lately due to the lack of modern insulation in their home. A week later I got a call from them thanking me in a way that was very gratifying. They shared two noticeable updates:
- The warmth from their radiators reaches further into the rooms of their home and stays warm longer than before
- Their combi boiler is activated by their smart thermostat a measurably fewer number of times in a day (my uncle is very detail oriented and counted)
All in all, another very satisfied user

Screwdriva

Given the unprecedented increases in heating costs we face this winter, I thought I'd share that the savings from these reflectors, especially in poorly insulated homes, is remarkable. Not to mention the increase in comfort. 

I hope these keep you warmer!

Cardew

Screwdriva said:

Given the unprecedented increases in heating costs we face this winter, I thought I'd share that the savings from these reflectors, especially in poorly insulated homes, is remarkable. Not to mention the increase in comfort. 

I hope these keep you warmer!

Can you detail these 'remarkable savings please

About £1 a year?

Screwdriva

Cardew said:

Screwdriva said:

Given the unprecedented increases in heating costs we face this winter, I thought I'd share that the savings from these reflectors, especially in poorly insulated homes, is remarkable. Not to mention the increase in comfort. 

I hope these keep you warmer!

Can you detail these 'remarkable savings please

About £1 a year?

Everybody's a skeptic! Take a look at earlier links supplied in this post that will refresh your memory about the numbers far greater than any random username can supply/ fabricate. I'll grant that substantial may be misleading but I meant in terms of the cost of the actual product itself. 

Cardew

Screwdriva said:

Cardew said:

Screwdriva said:

Given the unprecedented increases in heating costs we face this winter, I thought I'd share that the savings from these reflectors, especially in poorly insulated homes, is remarkable. Not to mention the increase in comfort. 

I hope these keep you warmer!

Can you detail these 'remarkable savings please

About £1 a year?

Everybody's a skeptic! Take a look at earlier links supplied in this post that will refresh your memory about the detaisl this far greater than any number I can supply/ fabricate.  

Yes I am a sceptic; and nobody is accusing you of fabricating. However you have no proof of any savings let alone 'Remakable Savings'

Take a look at my earlier posts, not using my statistics, but those of the Energy Saving Trust(EST).

'The saving with radiator panels is minimal if the radiator is fitted on a wall with a filled cavity. Therefore, radiator panels should be installed on either solid walls or walls with unfilled cavities.'

So EST have conceded that foil behind radiators in a house with insulated cavity walls hardly saves anything - perhaps a few pence per year.

Even with unfilled cavity walls or single walls the saving is slight.

Screwdriva

Cardew said:

Yes I am a sceptic; and nobody is accusing you of fabricating. However you have no proof of any savings let alone 'Remakable Savings'

Take a look at my earlier posts, not using my statistics, but those of the Energy Saving Trust(EST).

'The saving with radiator panels is minimal if the radiator is fitted on a wall with a filled cavity. Therefore, radiator panels should be installed on either solid walls or walls with unfilled cavities.'

So EST have conceded that foil behind radiators in a house with insulated cavity walls hardly saves anything - perhaps a few pence per year.

Even with unfilled cavity walls or single walls the saving is slight.

You're welcome to be skeptical but are you deliberately ignoring this?

http://transitionbath.org/technical-analysis-of-radfleks-radiator-reflectors/

michaels

Thinking logically, if the inner layer of your walls forms part of the 'heated envelope/thermal mass' as is the case with cavity insulation and constant temp heating then these reflectors will make zero difference, it is only if the inner skin forms part of the insulation and thus you want to avoid it getting warm that they will do anything.  In the latter case it would probably make sense to insulate the inside of all your walls not just directly behind the radiators.  Is there any data on how much heat from radiators from radiation as opposed to convection?

Cardew

Screwdriva said:

Cardew said:

Yes I am a sceptic; and nobody is accusing you of fabricating. However you have no proof of any savings let alone 'Remakable Savings'

Take a look at my earlier posts, not using my statistics, but those of the Energy Saving Trust(EST).

'The saving with radiator panels is minimal if the radiator is fitted on a wall with a filled cavity. Therefore, radiator panels should be installed on either solid walls or walls with unfilled cavities.'

So EST have conceded that foil behind radiators in a house with insulated cavity walls hardly saves anything - perhaps a few pence per year.

Even with unfilled cavity walls or single walls the saving is slight.

You're welcome to be skeptical but are you deliberately ignoring this?

http://transitionbath.org/technical-analysis-of-radfleks-radiator-reflectors/

No I am not ignoring that link.

However the report is for radiators placed against the outside wall of a SOLID walled house - not even a cavity walled house with an unfilled cavity.

So as the vast majority of properties these days have cavity walls, it should be made clear to MSE readers that the Energy Saving Trust state that the foil behind radiators against a cavity wall will save pence per year.

Cardew

This is the Ofgem guidance on Reflective panels.

Radiator panels 

Annual reduction in carbon emissions 

1.78. A reduction in carbon emissions can only be awarded for the installation of
radiator panels when they are fitted to external walls. Furthermore, research by the
BRE indicates that an improvement in energy efficiency from an installation of
radiator panels is minimal if the radiator is fitted on a wall with a filled cavity. 

Therefore, radiator panels should be installed on either solid walls or walls with
unfilled cavities. (my bold)

1.79. Modelling carried out by the BRE covers all radiator panels constructed in a
louvered or saw toothed fashion (with raised ridges) with a reflective surface.
Suppliers can be accredited with installing other types of radiator panels, in which
case a reduction in carbon emissions will need to be verified by an independent field
trial.

1.80. The reduction in carbon emissions for professionally installed radiator panels
has been calculated on a per square meter basis. The reduction in carbon emissions
has been aggregated by fuel type, based on the fuel mix in the Target Setting Model.
The reduction in carbon emissions attributable to professionally installed reflective
radiator panels is 17 kgCO2/m2/annum.

1.81. Where radiator panels are sold as part of a DIY scheme, suppliers cannot
guarantee that the panels will be installed to external walls or that the property
would have unfilled cavity walls or solid walls. Consequently, the reduction in carbon
emissions from DIY sales needs to be adjusted to account for those panels that are
fitted on a wall with a filled cavity. The reduction in carbon emissions attributable to
DIY reflective radiator panels is 10 kgCO2/m2/annum.

1.82. As the reduction in carbon emissions for radiator panels is calculated on a per
square metre basis, when submitting radiator panel schemes, suppliers should
indicate the total area of panel installed to allow the overall reduction in carbon
emissions to be calculated. The carbon reduction values and total area of panel
installed should be entered into the 'Other Insulation' section on the Insulation
worksheet of the CERT Scheme Spreadsheet.

 

QrizB

I'm happy that Screwdriva is happy with his purchase, I'll leave the ROI discussions to others