Siting a radiator

[mlroper]

I am renovating a victorian terraced house and I am currently working on installing the heating system.

The previous owner has installed Hep2o pipework for the radiators in most of the rooms, though I am not sure about his chosen location in the living room.

He has put it on the wall opposite the fire, adjacent to the front window wall.

I have lifted some of the floor to lay cables and I'm wondering if I should move the pipes to fit the radiator under the window?

The external walls are 9" solid brick.

Many thanks for your responses.

[Phil Anthropist]

Is the rad currently fixed on an external solid 9" wall? If so, and there is no insulation on the interior surface of the wall then you will be loosing a lot of heat through the wall, and the same will apply if you move the rad to fit under the window and you don't insulate. If it is currently fixed on an interior wall then heat loss to the exterior isn't an issue. The possible advantage of having it under a window is that it will reduce the tendency of that area to be a cold spot if your window is single-glazed and that area is also draughty, and it may reduce condensation in winter if that is a problem. But if the window is secondary or double-glazed and draught-proof then that area might not be a cold spot. I would have the radiator where it makes best use of the heat output, looks best and is most convenient for furniture, and insulate if necessary.

[Christian McArdle]

Although siting under a window provides good draught performance, it is sometimes not done in the front bay windowed room, as people often want full length curtains on that window.

Christian.