New heating, concrete floors... Tall radiators?

[Ivor Windybottom]

Thanks, good to know.

We had a single panel one without fins at our last house, among others that were standard ones. My experience was that it was utterly lovely to lean on when you got in from the cold but rubbish at heating the room.

But hopefully the proper ones are different, creating air currents that mix up all the air in the room.

I'm accepting that they're a compromise. But if it makes the pipework less horrendous looking then I'm happy with that.

 

[Madrab]

But hopefully the proper ones are different, creating air currents that mix up all the air in the room.

That's exactly what they do.

I don't see them as a compromise at all, I have found they are just as affective as standard sized K2's, it's all about convection currents and these are as good as any at creating them. Swapped 2 1800x500 columns for 2 of these 1800x500 stelrads and they don't need to be above 3 on the TRV's to keep the living room really warm. The columns couldn't warm the room at all.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Thanks, that's really reassuring to know. I can fit two thin rads in a lot easier than one wide one. They'll look good either end of the sofa and should give nice even heat across the whole room.

 

[Madrab]

The trick with them is have the bottom of the rad at the standard rad height and use 22's/K2's if possible as they'll maximise their heat output

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Have bought an angled centre valve and two street elbows to try the concept. It looks like it might just work...

The spec for a Stelrad radiator I was looking at showed the connector centres 70mm from the wall. This arrangement is just right, it looks like the pipe going up the back of the radiator would be about one pipe clip off the wall. It all depends on whether there's enough space between the rad and wall for a pipe plus clips.

The elbows can be slid outwards to put the pipe closer to the wall if necessary.

I'm now wondering whether to buy a rad to fully test the concept before I suggest this to the plumber. If this works then it will be a really neat way of doing it.

Anyone see any issues with this?

 

[Madrab]

Yes, just be careful as to how those compression elbows will sit on the inlets to that central valve, some use olives some use seals.

Don't see any issue with that approach if it all fits, the rad brackets can be quite specific as to the distance off the wall. The Stelrads will show you exactly what the distance is as they all have very clear diagrams on theit site, so you will be able to asses it properly.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Thank you again. If it works then they could be neater than conventional rads. Just put a bit of this stuff over where the pipes go from the top of the rad to the ceiling...

A smoothed bead of caulk between the trunking and wall, paint the same colour after suitable primer, should be almost invisible.