Are you curious about ordering vertical radiators for your home?
They may be stylish, and a more popular thing to order as homeowners realise they can choose something a bit different to make more of a statement in their home. However, there’s a lot more to vertical radiators than meets the eye.
In fact, some of these things could swing it for you one way or the other!
As an experienced engineer who’s fitted my fair share of vertical radiators in the Edinburgh area over the past 15+ years, let me tell you a bit more about vertical radiators, and some things you should consider before you order.
1. They’re typically more expensive
Vertical radiators are usually a lot more costly than their horizontal, plain white pressed steel counterparts. In fact, you could be forking out an extra £150+ per radiator – which means that you have to be absolutely sure that the choice you make is something you’ll be happy with for many years to come!
(This includes picking the right colours that are futureproofed in such a way that if you choose to redecorate in the next few years, your radiators will still work with the room)
And, as I’ve mentioned below, vertical radiators may look stylish and come with a certain contemporary charm that adds another dimension to your room – but it also means they have to be ordered specially.
2. They don’t give out the same heat
This is always the biggest thing I have to say about vertical radiators. In fact, I even wrote a blog all about this subject! However, it’s often a surprise to people that vertical radiators simply don’t give out the same heat as horizontal radiators of the same size.
Take a horizontal radiator that’s 2m long with convector vents, for example. It takes the air from underneath and works to convect it around. However, if you have a radiator that’s only 600mm wide x 2m tall, it won’t give out the same heat because it doesn’t have the same area to convect that heat around the room.
The other big thing is that as soon as we start talking about vertical radiators, most don’t have fins, tubes or columns at all. This makes it impossible to give out the same heat as a steel convector radiator.
What does this mean for you? Well, you’d typically have to fit two in a room where you’d usually just have one. A good engineer will measure your heat loss and calculate how many radiators you need. It’s always better to be safe than sorry – my biggest fear is to underheat someone’s room.
3. They can take longer to heat
Again, not many people know this, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that vertical radiators can also take longer to heat up than traditional horizontal white pressed steel ones. Which means they take longer to heat up a room.
So, this means that if you’d usually have your heating on at about 5:30pm for you getting home at around 6pm, you’ll probably have to adjust your timings to get your heating to come on earlier.
4. They’re usually special order
Often, vertical radiators are special order, which means you have to allow for plenty of time for delivery! We’re usually talking around six weeks – and you’ll have to pay in advance. This means that again, it’s really important that you’re absolutely confident you’re ordering the right radiators.
You can also order vertical radiators in just about any colour you want! (Again, just be sure you’re 100% happy with them, as ordering in bespoke colours means you won’t be able to send them back)
5. They’re not always good for regular boilers
Vertical radiators might not be a good fit with some regular boilers. Again, this is not something that everyone knows, but because they’re tall, tall they could draw in air. Always consult with your engineer to ensure your radiators are definitely going to be okay with your regular boiler.
6. They’re often quite heavy
These radiators can be quite heavy, meaning a bit more of a concentrated weight on your wall. This is why good, solid wall mountings are a necessity when fitting vertical radiators. Again, check with your engineer to ensure that your radiators will be securely fitted to your walls.
7. It’s best to order them direct
Most engineers aren’t interested in fitting anything other than standard, and there’s a whole other world of possibilities out there! However, it does come down to purely personal taste. There are lots of great websites you can order different radiator styles and in bespoke colours radiators.
These are my two go-to destinations when recommending where to look at radiators for my customers:
However, before you order, don’t forget to calculator your heat loss. This is something you can get an idea of via an online heat calculator. However, to be completely sure, I’d recommend getting your chosen engineer to advise.
Advice from an experienced engineer
If you decide to take the plunge and order vertical radiators online, ensure you enter all the information into the online heat calculator. This includes the amount of glass area, types of windows (double or single glazing), number of outside walls, stone floors, high ceilings etc.
In any doubt at all? Then speak to your engineer before ordering. Ensure you get their advice and that they’re happy that the radiators you’ve chosen are going to adequately heat the room.
One of my customers, who was an architect, planned her kitchen out and calculated her heat output. I looked and immediately thought the calculation was wrong. In the end, I said I wasn’t happy, and she had to have three radiators instead of just two. Luckily there was a little space to add a third radiator.
A year later, I went back in and she said I’d been absolutely right; if I hadn’t put that radiator in, the place wouldn’t have been comfortable. You want something that’s going to keep you warm during long, cold winters. It won’t do having the heating on full pelt and not feeling warm enough.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading, and I hope you now have a better idea of everything you need to know when it comes to ordering vertical radiators. There’s a lot to think about, and although vertical radiators may look stylish, there are certain things to be aware of before you order.
Such as ensuring you’re ordering the correct outputs for your rooms, and being prepared to spend a bit extra on that amazing look you want!
Do you have any questions about ordering vertical radiators for your home? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be happy to help!
