Where Should Radiators Be Installed?

As part of a new central heating installation you may want to think about where your radiators are located because in order to heat your home as efficiently as possible you need to ensure that the radiators are placed in the optimum places around the house so that the distribution of heat is efficient with no wastage of energy. This will not only help to keep your home nice and warm but it will also help to reduce energy bills.

When considering radiator placement you may want to take into account the following points which may help to inform your decisions:

  • In terms of placement you should consider placing a radiator in the coldest area of a room. Typically this will be under a window. The reason for placement under a window is that the heat which rises from the radiator will counteract any cold air which is falling from the glass seals on the window. This will then create an air flow of warm air across the room.
  • If you sought to place a radiator opposite a window this could help to exacerbate any flow of cold air around the room making for draughty areas in the room.
  • A radiator should not be housed to close to the floor or too close to wall because this can lead to poor air circulation and a difficulty when attempting to clean behind or around a radiator. Ideally a radiator should be at least 10cm from the bottom of the floor and it should protrude at least 4cm out from the wall (or skirting board).
  • Similarly, do not have shelf above a radiator which is less than 5cm above it as this will also stop the air from flowing adequately and leave you with heat that is not dissipating around the room efficiently.
  • Consider whether you really want to use a decorative radiator cover as some times of radiator cover can contribute to a third of heat from the radiator being lost.
  • For the same reason as radiator covers, placing long curtains over a radiator can stop hot air from flowing around the room. The longer and thicker the curtains which fall over the radiator, the greater the potential heat loss. If you have curtains that are above the radiator you should try to ensure that they drop just above the window sill. Do not try to tuck the curtains behind the radiator as that will also inhibit the hot air flow.