Skirting board heating

[kmmr99]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right board, but I wanted to ask the combined and always helpful brains of this group a bit of advice on how effective the Skirting Board style heating is.

We have been looking at discrete heat, but I know there are a few options (climaboard) but we are not really sure of the differences.

So I was hoping that the traditionally very helpful members of this board could help me! If you have bought it (or installed it for a client) could you answer:

- How effective is it at heating. Rooms we are thinking of using it in are both about 4mx4m.
- Does it look good? Do they really look like skirting boards, or do they quite stick out into the room
- How easy is it to install.
- How reliable is it, and how easy to repair if it needs it.
- Is there one provider that is better or worse that the others? And for what reason?

It's worth noting that we are pulling up all the floors, and have to re-lay parts of it, so we could do underfloor (under wooden flooring) if we wanted, but I quite like the idea of the skirting.

Honest opinions please!

Thanks

KMMR

 

[Agile]

Skirting heating has never really caught on in the UK.

I thinks thats a pity as its easy to install, has nothing to go wrong and gives gradual heating across the room.

It sticks out more than skirting board but less than radiators.

You normally need to be able to fit it on at least three sides and ideally on all four sides of a room.

Its a bit more expensive than conventional rads I expect.

Tony

 

[crockett]

this may give you an idea of the look of the heaters

http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/shop/acatalog/copy_of_Smiths_Sureline_Parimeter_Range.html

Look at btu output for your heating needs

 

[Agile]

Note that the heat output is specified at quite a low flow temperature.

Assuming thats adequate heat output it would enable it to be conveninet to use with a condensing boiler well into condensing or an air to water heat pump.

Tony

 

[htgeng]

Hi,

Honest opinions please!

I've fitted some a few years ago. In a lounge along an 8 metre wall(only heat in room), in a conservatory and in a cottage. In all cases it took a lot more preparation to fit than radiators. Walls have to be skimmed flat. It also took some metalworking skills too as you have to mitre the ally corners. I've got a small offcut somewhere - if you want I can try and upload a pic of it. Output is about 250watts/metre. As Tony says, the heat is more subtle than radiators. Its more even, it defeats any drafts and eliminates mould on walls as you are heating up the length of the wall, not just a spot. Not quite as good as underfloor, but then you don't have to rip the floors up.

 

[Agile]

Not quite as good as underfloor, but then you don't have to rip the floors up.

It has one of the advantages of underfloor, that is well distributed heat !

But it has none of the main disadvantages of underfloor:-

Slow heat up.

Long cool down.

Floor has the be destroyed to install.

Labour intensive to install.

Its not much more expensive to install than radiators and it has the advantage over rads of even heating and being less conspicious.

It has all the advantages of rads plus even heating so it always surprises me that its not more commonly used.

The only reason I can see for that is that it is not seriously promoted by advertising and at exhibitions.

Tony

 

[stem]

Ten years ago, I worked in an office that had skirting radiators around the whole perimeter of the room. It was a fairly long narrow room 10m x 3m would be my guess. The office was part of an extension added on to an existing 1950's building. The extension was a 1960's build with cavity walls.

The room was so slow to warm up. The skirting rads were connected to a boiler that also fed conventional radiators in the original part and set to be off over the weekend. Whilst the conventional radiator heated part of the building warmed up quickly, it took until Tuesday afternoon get the new bit warm. OK, I don't know the output of the skirting rads and they were an old design. They also got scratched, battered and soon looked nasty. In addition they were full of alloy fins that filled up with dust which was visible through the open slot and hard to clean.

There was no thermostatic control, just one valve that turned the whole run on or off.

Eventually they were ripped out and replaced with conventional radiators which worked much better.

 

[Agile]

That just sounds to me as if they were not balanced properly.

A skirting board in an office will also become scuffed and scratched as people are less careful than at home.

A 14 year old skirting installation at a client's look fine although they have never been painted since installation.

Tony

 

[nanolia]

Just to return to the original question "We have been looking at discrete heat, but I know there are a few options (climaboard) but we are not really sure of the differences", one of the most important differences to check would be the output, usually stated in Watts/metre. Look for about 200W/mtr at 60oC for best results in a typical lounge. The higher the output, the less you will need or if you choose to install it on all the available walls, the more efficiently it will run.

 

[kmmr99]

Hi,

Thanks for the help. A few more details, as I was hoping you could help me with the calculations required.

I'll attached the various rooms that we are thinking of using it in.
1. Bedroom (will be carpeted)


View media item 21005
2. Kitchen living area. Kitchen will have underfloor heating.
View media item 21007
3. Corridor
View media item 21006
Ceilings are high (3m) and it is a basement, so could be prone to damp, although we haven't seen any.

Thanks!
K

 

[kmmr99]

Heatprofile say they are 170watts at dT 60C.

 

[Tipper]

I looked at the latest style, the one that was turned down on Dragon's Den - Thermaskirt?, but couldn't get enough heat into the room based upon the available wall space.

I had to give up and revert to traditional radiators.

 

[BingoBongo]

someone posted on here a while back some pics of their install,not just glossy mag pics (ever noticed how boilers in those mags dont have pipes?)

and to be honest it looked the proverbial bag`o shiyite.

 

[nanolia]

Climaboard claims 203W/m at 60oC which is usually enough for the available walls in most UK room sizes