increase heat output of "designer" vertical radiators

[needmorstuff]

go for it and let us know how it improves your situation, it would be interesting, will you be then getting rid of those vertical rads/ or are you going to leave them in there as well?

I have similar problem in my bedroom, where due to space constraint, my bed sits right against a 1.2m rad, which gets pretty hot (50 C) if you were sleeping close to it, it becomes intolerable but the room stays cold, because it just doesn't have the air flow around it and the bed covers half of its height, so it just takes the chill off the room but doesn't quite heat it to more than 19C so i might try that maplin gadget and force air through it, there is an inch or two gap under the bed from where it could draw air in through and send it into the room. I didn't know Maplin had this gadget.

I bet those maplin fans have a tiny fan that sounds like a mosquito! don't think I'd be able to sleep. Small fans have high rotational speeds and are very whiny.

 

[rules&rulers]

Great looking room seems to be a relax area,which is good.
The rad near the long window with blind would work better under the window,floor fitting kit is available. (sofa doesent need to be to close to it).
Just a thought,Before doing any other work i would check the rads are fitted correctly,as mentioned some rads have baffles or other water diversion fitment inside the radiator to ensure the flow arrives at the top of the radiator,this can be established by reading the install information or before fitting just look through 2 top or bottom of the connections and if you can see straight through then there could be no baffle etc and the radiator relies on the pipe connections to get the recommended temperature through the radiator.
https://www.hudsonreed.co.uk/technical
https://www.hudsonreed.co.uk/pdf/a/420/standard_heating_v1_fi.pdf

 

[Steelmasons]

https://www.hudsonreed.co.uk/pdf/a/420/standard_heating_v1_fi.pdf

It also states " installation must be completed by a qualified plumber"..something the OP clearly hasn't adhered too.

 

[D_Hailsham]

The Installation Instructions show the flow connected at the top and return at the bottom. I can't see from the pics if this has been done.

 

[rules&rulers]

Them installation instructions could be wrong,out of date or amended so its just a guide.

Who would think we would be fitting radiators from china

 

[needmorstuff]

its fitted with flow and return at the bottom.. I did read the instructions and noticed it said top and bottom connections but every pic you see on website shows connections at the bottom. It gets hot.. the heat starts at the top and it works it's way down after a while.. they do end up hot. i really cant be bothered with any more work as the 3 month extension project left me 21 pounds lighter with all the hassle and work. I'm glad to be done even if I'm cold.

plinth heater for the win.

 

[needmorstuff]

It also states " installation must be completed by a qualified plumber"..something the OP clearly hasn't adhered too.

I didn't install it. The plumber did. Figured you out, your just a wind up merchant... you nearly had me

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Sure he can't be loosing much heat to start with as his emitters aren't radiating much heat, and they feel pretty hot , so that means if they were emitting heat they would sure cool down a bit as they loose heat to the surrounding area. What is the temperature gradient between top and bottom? he has insulated cavity walls, double glazed windows and doors, most of his kitchen walls are covered with units, and his extension roof must be insulated as it is a new construction, so where is heis heat loss? he has no heat loss, just his heat is not being emitted.

 

[needmorstuff]

starting to think a 600x1600 type 22 under the window behind sofa might be the way to go 10,000 BTU.. plumber could use existing pipes for the "designer radiator" in the corner and chase into the wall.

how much does having a sofa infront affect them?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Less than you think, but you'd want it a good foot away I would have thought.

It's more to do with air flow (radiators don't radiate).

 

[Mikefromlondon]

To tell you the truth, it should not be a problem, some people have no choice, and have to place a sofa in front of radiators, I have mine about 10" in front of a rad, my room acquires an even temperature, no hot or cold spots, one reason for this is that I keep my heating on 24/7 throughout winter months, but run it at a very low temperature of like 35- 40C flow, or in cold winter where outside temp reaches close to Zero, then may be I run it at 50C, right now it is running at 50c, and my place is warmed up to about 21C in all rooms. ( Probably not needed this high)

( as for leather sofa, it has not suffered any deterioration from the heat, since 2003, except due to sun light, (south facing) its colour has slightly faded)

The rad I have in my living room is double and sits under a bay window, so is shaped to fit a bay window, so its overall length is 2.4m, and is 400mm high (Double) and at night I draw my long curtains and tuck them behind rads so as to stop heat from the rads going straight up behind them and out through cold window panes! (DG) on top of this I have another rad in the 2nd part of my through lounge, which is 1.3m x 600, double.

Edit:

I used to have a double 1.6m by 600mm radiator in my front passage which is 6 foot wide and about 18 feet in length, and has stairs to go up, I took this rad out about 10 years ago to have the walls skimmed, and it never went back in again, and it has made absolutely no difference to the warmth you get when you step in my house from outside, you feel as if the passage is heated well, and not only that heat from through lounge and from kitchen/dinner where there is just a single 1.2m by 600mm rad is enough to send so much warm air towards upper floor and upper passage where I do not have any CH except in just one room i sleep in, where I said my bed is covering half of it. Main reason would be since I heat my house 24/7 so it stays warm all over evenly with maximum temperature difference of just 1 degree celcius.

 

[Agile]

It seems the conclusion could be:-

Better to take some advice on rad sizes rather than DIY guesses.

Calculations may not be that accurate when you have larger than average window sizes and large bifold doors.

Many rad specs are quoted for top and bottom connections as that shows a higher heat output.

My experience is that heat outputs need to be adjusted from those calculated along the lines:-

UFH needs about 20% less than expected because the heat is provided low down and there is radiated heat from the floor making the room "feel" more comfortable. But I would never do that because the long heat up time really needs about 20% more heat as the warm up is so long.

Rads have a quick heat up and so can be sized as required by heat loss calculations, although oversizing by perhaps 20-30% helps if using weather compensation or just lower flow temps.

Vertical rads seem to need to be oversized by about 30%, possible because they concentrate the heat near the ceiling?

Tony

 

[Steelmasons]

As a very rough check, expect to need about 100W per square metre of floor area.

Better to take some advice on rad sizes rather than DIY guesses.

Calculations may not be that accurate when you have larger than average window sizes and large bifold doors.

Which begs the question as to why you advised "100W per square metre of floor area"?
So you recommend 1400 watts (4780 BTU's) for a room with a floor area of 3.5m x 4m??
I suggest you put yourself in the same category as the DIYers.

 

[flameport]

but the room is still not hot enough.

Is that based on actual air temperature, or just a perception that it isn't as warm as you would like?

 

[ianmcd]

It seems the conclusion could be:-

Better to take some advice on rad sizes rather than DIY guesses.

Calculations may not be that accurate when you have larger than average window sizes and large bifold doors.

Many rad specs are quoted for top and bottom connections as that shows a higher heat output.

My experience is that heat outputs need to be adjusted from those calculated along the lines:-

UFH needs about 20% less than expected because the heat is provided low down and there is radiated heat from the floor making the room "feel" more comfortable. But I would never do that because the long heat up time really needs about 20% more heat as the warm up is so long.

Rads have a quick heat up and so can be sized as required by heat loss calculations, although oversizing by perhaps 20-30% helps if using weather compensation or just lower flow temps.

Vertical rads seem to need to be oversized by about 30%, possible because they concentrate the heat near the ceiling?

Tony

My god Tony where do you get all this Shoite from ????????