How important is radiator location in a room?

[wipeoutdude]

I am in the process of stripping out my bungalow completely and thinking about where to position things..

So thinking about the radiators I was always under the impression they should be under the windows for best efficiency and comfort but mine are all currently on the inner walls..

My guess is that this is because the central heating system was retro fitted at some point and it was just easier to drop the pipes from the "middle" of the house than at the edges where there isn't much space to work in the loft..

Should I try and reposition the radiators to the outer walls under windows when I get the heating sorted or doesn't it make much difference and so not worth the hassle (and probably extra cost)??

 

[Corgigrouch]

If you reposition your rads to the coldest part of the room (Usually under windows) then you will end up with a more even room temperature and reduce cold fronts and draughts....

Draughts aren't usually caused by outside air blowing round the opening lights these days but by warm air being cooled on the cold glass and falling by convection giving the feeling of a cold draught

As an example, my master bedroom used to have a huge radiator on the inner wall opposite from the bay window... Result was hot at one end and freezing at the other... The room now has a much smaller output radiator in the bay and the room is warm with an even temperature

 

[Agile]

If you have cavity wall insulation then most would say it does not matter much.

Otherwise its better under the windows but probably not worth getting too excited about.

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

Most would then be wrong T.

The one room in my house where the rad is not under/next to the window is the dude's room.

Which is also the coolest naturally. There is a definite coolness nearer the window than at the other end.

 

[Agile]

It will always be cooler near the window but with a good double glazed unit and cavity wall insulation the room with usually not be more than about 2-4 degrees difference around the habitable parts.

With no cavity wall insulation and worse solid walls the heat needed is higher and the room will be far hotter around the radiator and far cooler around the window.

In the well insulated new builds they never bother with rads under the window!

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

We have double glazing and cavity insulation .

 

[JohnD]

the idea of putting rads under the window is an old one. With draughty old single glazed windows there, the heat loss is highest, so the maximum heat goes straight outside to warm the sky.

If energy was free you might not mind.

It also prevents you having long curtains.

Modern glazing and curtains mean that the cold area next to the window is not such a problem for comfort now, but it is still the worst place for energy loss. A rad on an internal wal is better for comfort throughout the room.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Bollocks.

 

[denso13]

+1 for below windows, as recommended by CIBSE.

 

[JohnD]

Bollocks.

hahahahahahaha!

 

[ianmcd]

I always recommend putting radiators on the wall as you enter a room as you cant put any furniture there or the door wouldnt open, in modern houses the heat loss is negligable so the most important thing is the missus moving the furniture all the time so put the rad where she cant put anything else and you will save on earache

 

[wipeoutdude]

I always recommend putting radiators on the wall as you enter a room as you cant put any furniture there or the door wouldnt open, in modern houses the heat loss is negligable so the most important thing is the missus moving the furniture all the time so put the rad where she cant put anything else and you will save on earache

haha.. Interesting theory..

 

[TCCHeating]

Putting it under the window helps with convection as its normally the coldest part of the room.

But as also said the female of the species tend to like long curtains. So its a toss up between whats best practice, and what keeps the missus happy.

 

[ianmcd]

Older thoughts were to put under a window but think about it if you draw the curtains then all the heat goes up behind the curtains? and anywhere else in the room and she will want to put the bed there or the chest of drawers there, put it at the door and save the grief, if you could fit the bloody thing on the ceiling she would want a Mirror there or is that Just Agiles ladies ????

 

[Dan Robinson]

Have had standing battles with stooopid interior designers over curtains, windows, rads and trvs.

Perhaps next time I'll just throw a roll of PTFE at them eh John? .

Got a very interesting picture in my copy of George Steele that proves my point..