Radiator Placement
Choosing the optimal location for your radiator install is easier said than done. Where you install your radiator can have a direct impact on how effective and efficient your heating is.
In the past, you would have wanted to place a radiator underneath a window to ensure that the air that seeps through the panes was heated. This is primarily because of the inefficiencies of single-pane windows.
However, with double-glazed windows becoming increasingly frequent along with vertical radiators being a thing, there are a lot more options when it comes to radiator placement.
However, there are still things you need to avoid placing in front of a radiator. Here are some things you want to avoid placing near a radiator.
1. Curtains
Window curtains are certainly one of the things that you want to avoid placing over your radiator. You want to get curtains that can sufficiently cover the window, but that don’t droop down too much.
While it’s not likely that the curtain will catch fire from the heat emitting from the radiator, it’s something you want to avoid. After all, why take the risk of having it happen when it isn’t necessary? It’s even more true when you have older radiators that are electric. After all, these older radiators could spark at any time. By avoiding hanging your curtains directly above your radiator, you can mitigate this risk.
If you needed more reasons not to do it, the curtains that you hang could block the circulation of heat. The heat that is circulating your radiator could get blocked. This could end up resulting in poor efficiency with your heat circulation. Thus, it could cause you to have to turn up the heat to compensate. This alone can increase your heating bills.
2. Lamps
Another big thing that you want to keep away from your radiator would be lamps. It’s best to position lamps away from your radiator to keep them from getting too hot.
Lamps get their power from electricity. You want to ensure they are kept away from radiators for several reasons. Not only do they get hot themselves, but they have wiring attached. You need the wiring to be placed far away from the radiator. Otherwise, the heat stemming from the radiator can melt the wires covering it. This can result in a fire.
Also, a lot of lamps have lampshades. These lampshades are typically made out of flammable materials like paper. Thus, you want to ensure they aren’t kept close to a radiator.
3. Sofas
You don’t want to place a sofa near a radiator. While this can be difficult if you have limited spacing, it’s best to avoid it. If you must, you need to ensure there is sufficient space between the radiator and the sofa.
A sofa placed right next to or in front of a radiator is not a good idea. It will not only block the heat from circulating in the room, but it’s also a fire hazard. If you have a sofa that is blocking the heat, it’s going to skyrocket your heating bills. Try to pull the furniture away from the radiator to allow room for the heat to rise and escape. Electric Heating Expert takes a specialist approach with a focus on quality above all else.
4. Bookshelves
A bookshelf is not something you want to have right next to or in front of a radiator. If you do, plan on having your books ruined. The biggest reason to avoid this is that it is a fire hazard. After all, your books are made out of highly flammable paper. Thus, it could set your books on fire if they got hot enough.
High heat is also likely to damage your books. It could melt or dry out the spine of the books and ruin them completely.
5. Beds
You want to keep beds away from your radiator. If you need a bed located next to it, ensure there is sufficient space between each. You don’t want to have a bed located near a radiator for your safety. The radiator gets extremely hot to the touch. If you rolled over at night and touched it, you would burn yourself. Also, it’s a good way to avoid getting overheated while sleeping and having your comforter set on fire.
Moving Your Radiators
There are instances where you may need to move a radiator to improve heating efficiency or accommodate more furniture or a better layout. Sometimes you can move one very easily and some of them will require a lot of legwork. It comes down to how it was originally installed.
If you are going to be moving a radiator, it’s best to leave it to a professional. If you do have sufficient do-it-yourself experience, you’ll want to check out the video linked below to see how to move your radiator across your room effectively.