Radiator Advice Please

60BOWENS

H

Our living room which is 21m square size has TWO 60cm x 60 cm radiators.But the room always feels colder than rest of the house,in spite of us blocking the chimney area properly.It opens into a conservatory with double glazed french door which is kept closed during winters.No windows.Property is about 24 years old

I was thinking if changing one of the radiators into tall vertical types (1800 x 60) will help? Will it be too much of a burden on our combi boiler which just about supplies the radiators in the house.Any other options.Any tips?

Thanks

Homer_home

Do you know the kw rating of your boiler?

Sizes of other radiators?

Have you tried balancing the system , the other rads could be stealing the heat before it reaches the living room.

Simple test is to turn off the other rads except for your living room and turn on your living room rads on full and see if your living room heats up to a comfortable temp , is so your rads just need balancing rather than replacing 

Jeepers_Creepers

Your living room is around 4m x 5m - ie, quite big? And it's being heated by essentially a 1.2m x 600mm rad? 

Is this rad a 'double' with convector fins? If so, that should give just over 2kW output, which 'should' be enough for a modern well-insulated room - not sure what standards were like back in 1996, tho'.

(A double with single convector fins ~ 1.7kW and a single panel ~ 1.2kW)

Does the rad get properly hot when running? 

In theory, provided your boiler can provide the required extra demand, fitting 1.8m high x 600mm wide vertical column rads could boost you output as they are typically around 1.8kW output each - so about 3.5kW in total compared to 2.1-ish for what you currently have. 

First thing, check what Homer says. Also see what type of rads you currently have - can you look down at their insides from above?

greatcrested

Do he rads get fully hot?

If yes, then either they are not big enough (or are single not double), or there is an insulation issue (is that chimney really insulated...?). Either improve the draught proofing/insulation, or replace the rads.

If no, then the rads might need bleeding or flushing, or the system might need balancing, or the boiler migt not be powerful enough - but for one of these reasons hot water is not heating up the rads.

60BOWENS

The radiators have double convector fins and they do get hot nicely.Probably the previous owners had working fire place(which we are not very keen on).Combi boiler is Worcester Greenstar 38CDI.

May be because fireplace is now out of equation the radiators are not big enough for the room this size,hence I thought about taller radiator.

But missus feels tall radiator would make it look like a bathroom

ic

Those rads do sound stingey for the space.  My 4 metre square living room has 1800 x 600 worth of double radiator - so a 20% smaller room with 50% more heating capacity.  What about triple panel radiators? -Basically thicker but should fit on the same pipework so a quick fit option.  Do compare capacity on your rads using the watt output.  Taller decorative rads might not kick out any more heat compared to a compact double panel.