Heating dilema for Living room

[Kitsune]

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of advice on heating a living room. It is a 1950s house with a carpeted concrete floor which always feels cold up to mid calf, if you can get your feet up on the sofa it's not quite as bad.

I've been thinking about under floor heating (wet) and whether that would be any good. It would have to be retro fit so the floor would need to be dug up. I'm not sure if the benefit would out weigh the cost. I've also read that it can take a long time to heat up but I've not found any times, has anyone had it fitted in a living room would it be suitable?

The current radiator is a double approx 1400 x 600 and the room is about 3.8 x 4.2 with high ceilings and an open fireplace. The radiator is behind the sofa on an inside wall which isn't ideal. I've also looked at those tall designer rads as they could be placed out of the way of the sofa but their output is a lot less so would need at least 2. Are they better or worse at heat convection than traditional rads as they are 6ft high so wasn't sure if it would just end up heating the ceiling.

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[Jackrae]

Do you use the open fire.
If you do then it's the draught it creates that's probably chilling your tootsies.

If you don't use it then I'd suggest you place some form of (slightly) vented cover plate over it. This should make the room much warmer.

 

[Kitsune]

We aren't using it at the moment but will do in the future once we get the chimney swept, only been in 8 months. It doesn't feel like a draught more as if the cold is coming up through the floor, which is way I thought UFH would be good.

I'll try and block it up temporary and see if it improves. I would like to try and improve the heating though as it feels like we are just warming the back of the sofa up!!

 

[Whitespirit66]

The radiator is behind the sofa on an inside

Therein lies a lot of your problem. Despite being called radiators, most heat from them is through convection. The sofa is blocking the convection currents/circulation.

 

[Kitsune]

I know that's why I'd like to change the heating, I know you could just move the sofa but there is only one place and that would be near the window which would be cold as well and not very well situated

The other thing we could possibly do is move the radiator to under the window!!

 

[Jackrae]

And there will be loads of writers to advise on the fallacy of that location, but an equal number, myself included, who can, from experience, advise that windows (an obvious cold area) should always have radiators under them.

 

[Kitsune]

The one I have heard the most is not to have them under the window as the heat escapes, but the other day I was told by a plumber that it was best to have them under the window as it kind of creates a shield against the cold coming in! I'm sure it is quite a heavily contested point.

Do you have any experience of the tall designer rads, I know their output (BTU) is much lower for their size but are they as efficient at heating a room as a normal rad of the same BTU?