Radiator foil

Baldytyke88

Just looking on eBay at a 60cm roll of foil, around £10

I was listening to radio four, it seemed to say its worth doing.

Do you glue the foil to the wall? Are there cheap, thin rolls of foil that should be avoided?

bob_a_builder

Plenty of suggestions/help here ...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=putting+foil+behind+radiators

marcia_

Baldytyke88 said:

Just looking on eBay at a 60cm roll of foil, around £10

I was listening to radio four, it seemed to say its worth doing.

Do you glue the foil to the wall? Are there cheap, thin rolls of foil that should be avoided?

 I used double sided sticky tape on most of the radiators and on the small radiator in the bathroom I just placed behind with sticking it down. Definitely made the place warmer 

FlorayG

I bought some from Must Have Ideas Radi-Save!- really easy to get in place, no glue or tape required and it's double sided with bubble wrap in the middle so extra insulation. I honestly think it made a difference immediately.
Just be warned though you will see loads of other things on that site that you also want! And most of them actually do what they claim

Bigphil1474

I bought some from Amazon, it came with tape to stick it to the wall and also rested on the radiator brackets. We put it in our attic and i reckon it made a good 4 to 5C difference up there. This is what we bought:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GUDVUXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can't say it's better or worse than any other kind, but it worked for us.

531063

To save yourself time only put the foil behind the rads mounted on external walls if that makes sense

FreeBear

531063 said:

To save yourself time only put the foil behind the rads mounted on external walls if that makes sense

In a well insulated house with decent double (or even triple) glazed windows, there isn't any real need to place radiators under the windows. I've stuck my finger up at tradition and hung all my radiators on internal walls. It has helped to reduce the amount of pipework and now means I don't have to worry about tucking curtains in behind radiators.

Realise moving radiators is not really an option for most people, but worth considering if/when the heating system needs an upgrade.

marcia_

 I never did understand why radiators are placed under windows where it is cold 

FreeBear

marcia_ said:

 I never did understand why radiators are placed under windows where it is cold 

The idea is that warm air from the radiator rises and counters the cold air forming around the window. Old single glazed windows had a u-value of around 4.8 W/m²K, so quite substantial heat loss. Modern double/triple glazed windows have a typical u-value of 1.2 W/m²K - Really good ones will be down to 0.8 W/m²k. So less cold air that needs warming.

EssexExile

marcia_ said:

 I never did understand why radiators are placed under windows where it is cold 

If you use a lot of furniture polish it can stain the walls above radiators as hot air containing contaminants rises up the wall.

Slinky

I just covered some cardboard on one side with kitchen foil and lodged it on the radiators on our external walls. 

I recall seeing a programme on TV in the1970s where they used a thermal imaging camera which showed how much the walls were heating up the walls, and the difference some foil down the back meant. It stuck in my mind even though we didn't even have central heating.