Radiator sizes and skirting board

[andsally]

Hi

I want to replace two very old radiators downstairs (with new Quinns elswhere). Here, the skirting boards are 310mm tall. Have had a look at specs for the major suppliers and have found that because of the hanging lug positions the I am limited to how near the floor I can get.

With a Quinn I can get the rad down to about 225mm above floor level and with a Myson Premier Compact I can get it down to 150mm.

Is it me, or do most manufacterers not cater for high skirtings? And does 225mm above floor level seem too high?

I was also surprised to see the varying BTU outputs (at delta 50) for 1400 x 600 double compacts - Myson premier: 7846; Myson select: 8250; Stelrad 8273 and Quinn 9145. Am I missing something here?

Thanks!

 

[gigz]

Could you not notch the skirting (not great i know) as 225 is not a great height (150 max is apparently best) Quinns do 2 sizes of bracket depending on height of rad. I would also check the brackets and plugs are in the packaging before you leave the merchants

 

[ChrisR]

Make sure you're comparing like with like re connections. Most of us use BOE which is bottom opposite ends, though the highest output comes from TBOE top and bottom opposite ends , with in at the top and out at the bottom.

You'll often have to use battens or spacers on the wall with high skirtings. NB there's likely to be absolutely NOTHING behind the skirting in a pre Victorian place!
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[gas4you]

I always sit the radiators approx 1-2" above the skirting, so the skirting can be cleaned and painted with ease.

 

[andsally]

I always sit the radiators approx 1-2" above the skirting, so the skirting can be cleaned and painted with ease.

Thanks guys!

I suppose a lot of it comes down to personal taste. In this instance I don't like the idea of the rad being 13-14" off the floor. If it is lower then you won't see the dirt! With 6" skirting I would prefer to have it 1" above skirting.

I had considered chopping the skirting but didn't like to, as it over 100 years old now.

Thanks, ChrisR, for great pic of spacing battton. I thought of this and believed I had a novel idea. Didn't realise it was a common practice.

If I didn't put on a rad cover, the gap between back of wall and rad would be about 46mm.

Could you guys live with that. Or am I being a tad too fussy?


PS Wickes "new" own brand are actually Quinns. Even Wickes' brochure uses Quinn's technical drawings. A big difference in price between Wickes and Quinn's list prices (if list prices mean anything at all).

 

[andsally]

Radiators are now fixed to wall!

I battened out one, as ChrisR suggested. This one was on a window wall where the extra gap between wall and rad would not be noticed.

For two others, I used an electric router to cut a 30mm wide x 75mm long groove into the skirting. Didn't like to do so, but can't be seen now the rads are in place - they sit snugly at the desired heights and match the rest of the house.

 

[namsag]

Show us a picture if you can, out of interest

 

[andsally]

Will do. Promise. Give me a couple of days!

 

[andsally]

Have uploaded photos as promised. The skirting is 310mm high. Here, the rad is a Quinn 1400 x 600. I didn't want to add battens behind the brackets on this one as the increased depth would be seen from the doorway. I used an electric router to cut a groove into the skirting. The groove into the skirting can't be seen from the doorway when the rad is in place.

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This is a Quinn 1600 x 400. As the rad is in an alcove, below a window cill, I used battens (the same thickness of the skirting) behind the rad brackets.
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