Are you looking for the best new radiators for your home, but don’t know what’s on offer or where to look?
For this reason, many homeowners usually go along with standard quotes from local companies. A lot of them don’t even stop to consider alternative radiator styles or sizes – of which there are many.
With the internet, you can view a litany of options at the touch of a button. And with all these possibilities open to you, how will you choose which radiators are best for you?
Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult – but there are a couple of important factors to bear in mind. As an experienced heating engineer, I’ve given you some key tips and advice, below.
How to choose the best new radiators
I’m going to split the following advice into two camps, so you can get right to the part you’re interested in.
White panel radiators
Let’s start with the market favourite, white panel radiators. If these sound like your ideal pick, Stelrad has been the market favourite for the past 30 years. They’re quality, reliable products that come in a broad range – and they’re available from 90% of plumbers’ merchants.
Other good choices are Delonghi and Myson. Good guarantees. Myson in particular are famous for their round-top radiators (not the cheapest) when most manufacturers these days supply with a grille and side panel.
The good thing about white panel radiators is that they’re usually in stock at plumbers’ merchants. However, odd or unusual sizes (like over 1800mm long) may require a special order. Your best bet is to get your engineer to order ’em for you.
Column radiators and towel rails
If you’re feeling like you want something a bit different, most of the companies above offer column radiators and designer towel rails. Purmo is another good brand to check out.
With designer radiators, I find most of my customers like to purchase these online – and why not? You can order radiators in so many sizes, shapes and colours. In fact, any colour you want! As long as you check all the components are correct – like brackets, plugs, feet etc. all come with the radiators. And you leave space for the valves when measuring!
As for brands, when choosing the best column or designer radiators for you, it really just comes down to what catches your eye. I’d recommend going online and having a look at sites such as:
Just bear in mind that if you order designer radiators in a custom colour, they will be non-returnable. Which means, it’s extra important that you get your order right! (And if you’re unsure of exactly what you need, double-check with your engineer first)
What about heat calculations? (Super important!)
This isn’t something that a lot of homeowners are aware of. Many just seem to have the impression that you can purchase any radiator, any size, and it’ll heat a room. I don’t mean to have a dig at anyone, but it’s just that they don’t know.
It’s extremely important to do your heat calculations before buying radiators for your home. This is because when it comes down to it, you may find you require two radiators instead of the one you plan – especially if you’re thinking of buying vertical radiators.
Try using an online heating calculator to get a better idea of the heat output you need – and remember to put the window sizes and number of outside walls into the calculations, as this affects how cold the room is.
TIP: If you’re unsure of anything you need, you can always call your engineer to double check; most of the time they won’t need to conduct a home visit. All you have to do is give them the information regarding the size of the room, the number of outside walls, window sizes, type of flooring etc. and they should be able to guide you through it.
You may also be surprised at how large a designer radiator needs to be in order to get the desired output (because as a rule of thumb, it won’t have the same output as a panel radiator).
Advice from an experienced engineer
Most brand-name manufacturers’ radiators come with a good guarantee and have no known issues. However, my advice is to stay away from discount online radiators or unbranded products. I have seen rusty, leaky radiators – and surprise, surprise, there’s never any branding on them.
We take our time ensuring that our customers are too hot. Which may sound funny, but I’d rather they can turn the heat down than them ever being too cold. I hope you’ll agree that’s a good way of thinking!
Do your research, ask questions, shop around to get the best price, and purchase online – if you’re getting designer radiators. If you’re going for white panel, your best bet is your heating engineer.
Finally, don’t just choose the cheapest you can find. You can usually tell as soon as you take the packaging off, there’s often cheap paint finish or badly finished chrome on towel rails. Thinner, cheaper materials… ensure you pick a quality product with a decent guarantee.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling to pick the best radiators for your home, always check with your engineer about which ones are going to be up to the job. It could be the case that you’ll have t fit more radiators, or pick different sizes.
Do you have any questions about finding the best new radiators for your home? If so, just leave me a comment below. I’m here to help! Alternatively, get in touch with me directly.
