How many radiators in a large room.

[W]

Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^ | | < 3m >| +w ^|---wwwww---| dining +w | +w 5m

3| | m| Kitchen | | | | | V|-door-------------------| V |< -------- 6m ------ >|

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2? (The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator below a window).

TIA, W

[fred]

In article , W writes

I'd be inclined to use two, but where I placed them and the size split would depend on how the room is used, focal points, where the kitchen units are and how draughty the doors & windows are.

In the absence of other info I'd say one rad of 2/3 the size of the room loss about halfway along the 6m wall, probably slightly closer to the kitchen end. The other rad (1/3 size) as you suggest under the window to compensate for the window & door losses.

HTH

[Christian McArdle]

Personally, I would consider using a fan convector under a kitchen unit. Uses otherwise wasted space and will heat the entire room on its own.

Christian.

[Dave]

I like that idea - are these just a small rad with a cylindrical blower? Are they reasonably quiet?

[Christian McArdle]

I should add that the main disadvantages are noise, expense and more complicated control gear. The advantages are use of wasted space, extremely rapid heatup of the room, and keeping the entire living space clear of visible radiators.

The noise is no problem in a kitchen but would be a problem in a lounge IMO (with quiet sections on the DVD). The effect in a dining area is personal taste, but you'll already have a fridge in there, which is probably as loud as the heater anyway. They aren't nearly as loud as a portable electric fan heater.

[W]

Thanks for the response. The kitchen units & doors (will) occupy all of the left hand side of the plan and most of the 6m wall. The right hand wall will be clear.

I thought to put the biggest rad under the window for 2/3 heat and a smaller one opposite it like this (+=rad and ~=units).

|--- door----| ^ | | < 3m >|+ +w ^|---wwwww---|+ dining +w |~~~~~~~~~~~ +w 5m

3|~ | m|~Kitchen | |~ | |~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | V|-door-------------------| V |< -------- 6m ------ >|

Cheers, W

[Newshound]

They aren't nearly as loud as a portable electric fan

My Smiths one is, I am *very* disappointed by it and considering going back to rads. It's not the mounting or resonance in the grill. It's as loud as the cooling (not oven) fan on my Kenwood range cooker (and that is saying something).

I did have a very nice quite wall-mounted Myson fan radiator in an earlier house.

[fred]

The trouble with that is you're concentrating all the heat output at one end/corner of the room and I think that comfort level will suffer at the far end towards the other door. Ok the kitchen is a work area and so living level heat is not so important but I think you will be disappointed (if you are as fussy as me ;-).

You seem keen to keep the rads in that area so I would suggest beefing up the one on the LHS of the dining area and make the one under the window just big enough to compensate for the window loss (750W?). That makes the main heat more central to the room and more likely to flow around. I'd make it a large one (area) which I feel makes for better comfort and mount it as close to the corner as poss, even extend it onto the kitchen units if they are to finish flush to that wall. If you are going for a tiled floor I would consider placing a tall, narrow rad on the end of the unit by the door on the 6m wall to give some heat there.

I'm not a fan of kickspace heaters.

How's that?

ps: Now you're going to tell me the area by the door is reserved for coat storage, yeah?

[fred]

In article , fred writes

Sorry, I have assumed that this is an external door (with patio leading to neatly trimmed lawn in my minds eye), no need for this measure if this is not the case.

[W]

I agree the placement of the rads is not ideal but I am constrained by placement of units and appliances. The 3x3 kitchen area was never heated and we put up with that for many years so any heat will be better! The dining area is part of an extension which has recently been built. The walls at the top and right of the plan are external and the other walls are internal which is why I planned to place radiators thus. There is also lots of glass in the dining area. I don't mind the kitchen area being cooler than the dining part.

Another option is to put a break in the units in the 6m wall and place a rad there. However the fridge will go along there and I don't want the rad right next to that. Maybe a tall narrow rad on the wall there?

I've thought of one of those but the cost and the awkwardness of installation has put me off trying this.

Thanks.

No :-) Fridge/freezer will be near there and/or built in cupboard to hide stairs above. These will protrude down from the ceiling above.

Cheers, W

[Christian McArdle]

Take a look at the link I posted. It is the Myson kickspace. They are really quite small. They are flat to fit under the cupboards, with a water to air heat exchanger (i.e. the "radiator") and a fan blowing over them. They also have a few controls, such as a temperature switch that prevents the fan going until the hot water comes through.

They need some external controls, too. They should really have a zone valve, connected to a room stat, or they will hog the hot water even when the fan is off. It is preferable to have them on their own zone, although this is not required. If they do have their own zone, then use a programmable stat for fully independent timing.

Noisewise, they're fine for a kitchen. I wouldn't want one in a lounge or bedroom, where absolute silence is required. The noise is similar in volume to that of a modern fridge.

Christian.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have a similar sized room, and fully insulated to modern standards it takes about a kilowatt and a half to heat it.

If its an old building, maybe up to 6KW.

Your 3KW figure is probably a good answer. Over radiatoring does no harm apart from te asthertics and initial cost. Assuming you have some form of thermostatic control.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes, and they are reasonably quite, but not silent.

I have wll mounted ines up stairs here, and they don't wake me up.

They do resnate in wodden walls though a bit...

[Pete C]

Hi,

Does it have a tangential (cylindrical) fan?

cheers, Pete.