Where To Position A Radiator? You may be wondering if I can place your radiators to heat your space in harmony with the arrangement of your furniture or decorations in your home or workplace. It can be difficult to decide where to put your aluminium radiators in your home. Many architectural factors must be considered, including the location of the windows, the placement you desire, ease of use and installation without sacrificing thermal performance. We wrote this blog post to share information about the best radiator mounting locations that can help you solve this problem.
Why does the radiator location matter?
It is important to remember that the position of a radiator influences its efficiency.
A radiator should be placed in the coldest part of the room. This was previously located beneath the windows. However, in more modern double-glazed homes, there may not be a cold area, so radiators can be placed where they will not interfere with the use of walls. A general rule of thumb is to have one radiator for every 4m or so of space in a room.
Why Are Radiators Under Windows?
Because windows were previously poorly insulated, placing a radiator beneath them would help to counteract the cold air coming in through them. Radiators are still commonly placed under windows in modern homes because this is an area where furniture cannot be placed and would otherwise be empty.
Where should I position my radiator?
Because of advancements in home insulation, people can now place their radiators in different locations and purchase alternative radiators, such as vertical models. Due to limited space, many people will continue to place their radiator below the window.
However, there is now a wide variety of different radiator types available to help you maximise the available space in a variety of rooms. If you have limited horizontal space, such as in a kitchen or bathroom, a vertical radiator will maximise all available floor to wall space while having a smaller footprint. Trads carries a wide selection of vertical radiators made of steel that produce high heat outputs. Lower radiators with a height of 330mm are also available. Whatever your requirements are, there is a radiator size to meet them.
What should I avoid when it comes to radiator placement?
While the location of radiators is important, there are steps you can take to improve efficiency. We've outlined some points below, but we recognise that some of these are unavoidable.
What about behind a closed door?
Many homeowners with limited space, such as in a study or bathroom, ask if a radiator can be installed behind a door. If this is your only option due to a lack of available wall space, it's useful to know that a radiator can be installed behind a door. The only issue arises when the area leading from the door is cold, such as into the upstairs landing, because the heat may be directed into this space rather than the room. It's also worth noting that you'll need enough room to open the door. So, if you have another wall, use it. Consider any pipework and pipe covers.
Another important factor to consider when deciding where to place your radiator is the available pipework. You may believe that the location of the radiator will be determined by the existing pipework, but this is not the case. Moving a radiator and installing new pipework is usually fairly simple, allowing you to relocate the radiator to your preferred location. If you are concerned about the aesthetics of any pipework, you can always use pipe covers to give you more flexibility when deciding where to place your radiator.
Placement Flexibility in Well-Isolated Houses
Some argue that in modern, well-insulated homes, there is much less need for them to be installed beneath windows. Heat loss through windows was a much bigger problem in the past when all houses had single-glazing, making radiator positioning critical to keeping rooms warm. Modern properties, on the other hand, have double or triple-glazed windows and superior insulation levels when compared to older build homes.
Many people believe that now that homes are better insulated, radiator positioning is a moot point as long as they are placed sensibly and are not blocked by furniture or curtains. Where radiators were traditionally placed beneath windows, they all had the same shape and style, but as home insulation has improved, this has all changed. The variety of heating solutions available on the market today is much greater, and many homes are enjoying the freedom of being able to place their heating systems wherever it is most convenient.
Vertical radiators have become particularly popular because they can be installed in previously 'unusable' areas such as alcoves or narrow wall spaces, giving homeowners much more freedom who were previously limited solely by where existing pipework was located in the house.
FAQ
Where should you not put a radiator?
Try not to place your radiator behind large pieces of furniture, such as the sofa or cabinets, wherever you decide to put it. This will reduce the flow of hot air throughout the room.
Why are radiators always under windows?
Hot air is produced and released by placing a radiator directly beneath the window, which then rises to meet the cold air from the window. This creates a warm air curtain across the window's surface.
Can you put a radiator in the corner of a room?
If there isn't a lot of room, consider a radiator that will fit snugly into a corner. Even if space is limited, you will still want to keep the room warm, and there is no reason why a corner radiator cannot be an integral part of the room.