Installing a radiator up high, waste of time?

mcguinnessmufc · 14 Jan 2017

Hi all,

When my kitchen was decorated quite sometime ago the radiator was removed to make space for much needed extra storage space. There were electric plinth heaters installed naively thinking they would be up to the job of keeping the kitchen at a decent temperature. Now I find that the kitchen is always cold and there is no where really available to re-install a radiator.

The only option that i can see available is to actually get a slimline horizontal radiator and install it above the patio doors, I think that this could be done in a fashion that would actually look like a good feature but is it pointless? I know this would go against all the standard practices but see this as possibly being my only solution. I appreciate that the radiator may lose heat through the ceiling and not be at its best in such a location but surely it would be better than nothing.

Thoughts?

omega015 · 14 Jan 2017

Heat naturally rises so depending on air flow you might not get any warmth on the lower part of the room. How about underfloor heating? That might add some additional heat to the room alongside the plinth heaters.

mcguinnessmufc · 14 Jan 2017

I did consider that originally but now Im looking for an option that requires as little destruction or re-decoration as possible. I really dislike the plinth heaters. Good for a quick temporary fix as and when you need it but not a good long term heating solution.

Roger928 · 14 Jan 2017

Don't you have space for a vetrtical?

mcguinnessmufc · 14 Jan 2017

Possibly but not in an easy location for pipework.

I will have a think about it and decide if i need the radiator enough to justify a lot of work

muggles · 14 Jan 2017

How about some better plinth heaters? A Smiths SS9 will put out about 2kW, which should be enough on its own for a standard kitchen, and two of them should be more than enough for your needs unless your kitchen is enormous

EDIT: just re-read that you have electric ones, in which case the Smiths SS3E will put out 3kW. Two of those and you won't need to turn the oven on to roast your Sunday lunch!!

Tigercubrider · 14 Jan 2017

Can you get "wet plinth" heaters?

I.e hot water and convection via fan?

slippyr4 · 14 Jan 2017

Yes. Called hydronic. Myson do them.

The downside is you can't fit a TRV to them so they are basically uncontrolled

Roger928 · 14 Jan 2017

Tigercubrider said:
Can you get "wet plinth" heaters

Myson and Smiths do them.

muggles · 14 Jan 2017

slippyr4 said:
Yes. Called hydronic. Myson do them.

The downside is you can't fit a TRV to them so they are basically uncontrolled

Smiths ones can have a thermostat fitted, or a programmable stat if required

mcguinnessmufc · 14 Jan 2017

I like the look of them, means I could basically have the kitchen heating in sync with the rest of the house from the boiler instead of seperately controlled electric heaters. Sounds good to me and I could possibly get some pipework down behind the worktops.

That may be a solution guys. Nice.

slippyr4 · 14 Jan 2017

muggles said:
Smiths ones can have a thermostat fitted, or a programmable stat if required

But it only controls the the fan. The heater itself is a permanent bypass.

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Installing a radiator up high, waste of time?

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