Is it Time to Change Your Radiator in Your Family’s Home?

Radiators are one of those things that we tend not to pay an awful lot of attention to, that is, until they go wrong.

But there are other times when a change of heating solution can make a huge difference both to the appearance of your home and to your energy bills.

If you think of radiators as being white and bulky, you might be in for a bit of a surprise when you start to research what’s now available.

Finally, manufacturers have realized that the humble radiator needed a makeover. You no longer need to go for white! Now, you could have an anthracite grey radiator, a groovy mirror design, or even have your favorite photo printed onto the radiator surface.

So, if we’ve tempted you to think again about how the heating is delivered to your home, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why a heating redesign could be on the cards.

Complementing Your Décor Style

Do the radiators in your home stand out like a sore thumb? Do you try to hide them behind the sofa?

If your radiators just don’t complement the style of the room, then they just become an eyesore. 

Some of the latest types of designer radiators include: 

Vertical Radiators

Just as the name suggests, vertical radiators rise from the floor up the wall instead of sitting across the wall as a standard horizontal style does. 

These are great options when you’re tight on space because you’re not going to lose any wall space. 

Horizontal radiators are often hidden behind sofas which limit heat circulation. With a vertical radiator, the warmth can easily circulate into the room, giving a higher level of heating performance.

Picture Radiators

One of the most recent entrants to this market is the picture radiator. These image-fronted radiators provide the opportunity for a truly unique heating solution. You’ll be able to choose from a stock image or use your own photo, but either way, it’s a sure way to catch the eye of visitors to your home. 

The image on picture radiators is indelibly printed into a carbon steel surface. This ensures that there will be no problems with cracking or peeling when the radiator heats up.

If you’ve decided to redecorate the room, then picture radiators can provide a great ‘two for the price of one’ option. 

Mirror Radiators

This combination of mirror and radiator provides a very contemporary look to a room. With a large variety of sizes, shapes, and colors on offer, you’ll be able to find the perfect match to your room’s décor.

If your room is a little dark, then mirror radiators are also a great way to introduce more light.

Replacement Due to Break Down

Radiators are well known for their longevity, but everything eventually comes to the end of its working life.

With radiators, it tends to be because of an accumulation of rust and debris. Eventually, the water is prevented from flowing around the radiator, and then your room no longer heats up as it should.

While power flushing and filters can sometimes help, there will come a time there’s no option other than to get a replacement.

The other main problem causing a replacement to be needed is a leak.

Again, over time there can be corrosion, and while this usually appears on the joints of the heating pipes, it can also happen on the radiator itself. You could try one of the sealant liquids that are poured into the radiator.

However, this tends to be a short-term solution rather than one you can rely on to get you through the winter months.  

The Running Cost is Too High

Compared to their newer counterparts, old radiators are just not as energy efficient. Not only will your energy bills be higher, but your boiler will also be releasing a higher level of carbon emissions.

Modern radiators utilize materials with higher levels of thermal conduction. That then means that they need less energy to be burnt for them to heat up and reach the perfect temperature. Aluminum is one of the most efficient materials for radiators to be made of because it’s such a fantastic heat conductor.

Aluminum radiators also need less water than other radiator types, so that means that your boiler also doesn’t need to work as hard.

And that means yet another energy-saving! As an added bonus, aluminum is also much easier to recycle compared to other radiator types.

When they Just Look Tired and Tatty

Do you have radiator embarrassment? Do you hide them behind sofas and cover them up when visitors come round? Now might be the time to refresh the look of the room with new radiators.

It might be the case that you’ve just got used to how they look, but you can be sure that if you paint the room, then an old and tired radiator is really going to spoil the look you’re going for.

Despite being very resistant to constant wear and tear, they will at some point start to show their age. It might be tempting to paint them to give a new lease of life.

But this tends to be a temporary fix that never gets quite the same finish as you would with a new fitment.  

Can You Replace a Radiator Yourself?

When the heating isn’t working as it should, and it’s cold outside, it can be easy to get a case of the winter blues. So, it might be tempting to try and replace that faulty radiator yourself.

Because you don’t need to work with the gas supply, changing a radiator is something you can do yourself. It is a pretty straightforward job and will only take a few hours to complete.

Be warned that it can be a messy job, so make sure that you have plenty of covers for the floor and a bucket to collect the water in.

If this is the first time you’ve tried this DIY job, try to find a new radiator that is the same size as the existing one. That’s because if you’ve gone for a different-sized radiator, then you may need to lift the floorboards to gain access to the pipework.

Now what seemed to be a quick and easy job has taken on a whole new dimension!

If you’re at all uncertain if your skills are up to the job, then we recommend calling in a plumber. They’ll have the job done in no time at all and have your shiny new radiator connected and looking fabulous!

Just make sure that you get someone who is qualified and experienced – membership of an association such as the American Society of Plumbing Engineers is always a good indicator.

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