The Six Things You Need to Consider Before Buying a Radiator

 To begin with, you’ll need to decide where your radiator is going to be positioned in your bathroom.

Traditionally, radiators have been placed in the coldest part of the room, because cold air creates better heat conduction. But with modern radiators creating efficient output, it’s probably not the most important consideration. For example, a radiator placed near the sink is a popular option, because what’s worse than washing your face and not being able to reach a towel?

You also need to think about what style of radiator you are going to choose. Making best use of wall space, for example, is a good idea. If you’ve got a high wall, then a tall vertical radiator would be best suited. However, if you’re planning on placing photos or storage on your walls, then go for a horizontal radiator.

One thing to remember is not to let the pipework rule where you position your radiator. The pipework can be changed and there’s nothing worse than feeling forced into making a decision, especially when it’s probably going to stay the same for a while!

2. What size should your radiator be?

 Once you’ve chosen where your radiator is going to be, it’s time to get the measuring tape out!

The size of your bathroom plays a huge deciding factor on the size of your radiator – no matter how big or small, there’ll be one out of there for you!

Tall vertical radiators typically suit smaller bathrooms, as they tend free up more space for the sink, bath and toilet to be fitted. If you have a bigger bathroom, then take a look at our entire range of radiators to find the one you love. Again, it will just depend on how much space you want around the radiator. We have a whole blog dedicated to the right type of radiator to choose for a small bathroom.

Historically, bathrooms were fitted with horizontal radiators, so if you’re renovating your bathroom and it had a horizontal one in place before, it is more cost effective to buy another horizontal one – as it saves spending on installation.

3. What will the output be?

There are several factors which can affect the amount of power you’ll need your radiator to have, such as room dimensions, heating levels and types of window.

If you’re buying a radiator for a master bathroom then it’s wise to go for a radiator with a high output, to ensure it’ll heat the room fully. If it’s a big bathroom then you may require more than one.

Before buying a radiator, we suggest using a BTU calculator which will work out the heat requirement for your room, and recommend the number of radiators you will need to comfortably heat it.

4. Which style and colours should you go for?

The style of your bathroom is totally up to your personal preference. There are two main choices that you can go for – a modern or traditional look.

If you’ve got a traditional style bathroom, the Burlington range would be perfect – and is a very popular choice. This range would usually be found in an old Victorian home. With lots of designs to choose from, you won’t struggle to find a radiator you love.

If you’re wanting a more modern look, designer radiators will be perfect!

With regards to colour, you can choose from three – white, chrome or grey.

Many of you will know that white is the standard, generic radiator colour for any room in your house.

Chrome has been the ‘in-trend’ radiator colour for the best part of 10 years, however at the moment, people tend to be moving towards the colour anthracite grey. The beauty of a grey radiator is that it goes well with a lot of other colours and is a very simple yet statement colour.

Grey isn’t just the ‘in’ colour with bathrooms, it is also a popular living room colour scheme – adding an anthracite radiator to your lounge can help tie the whole house together.

All of our showrooms have a range of designer and traditional radiators on display – in particular our brand new Bracknell bathroom store.

5. What extras do you need?

 Of course, for any radiator to function properly, they need valves! They’re an essential part of your radiator-buying process and surprisingly there are more to choose from than you’d think…

Some valves are thermostatic, allowing you to control how hot the radiator is whilst you’re in your home.

Another accessory for your radiator is a thermostat. It means you can control your heating from anywhere – that’s right, you don’t have to be in the house to turn down the temperature of your radiator! The devices can connect to your phone and Wi-Fi and even have a holiday function. So if you forget to turn your heating off when you’re in a rush to the airport, there’s no need to worry! 

6. Who can fit your radiator?

Finally, if you’re wondering who’s the best person to install your radiator, then first of all, make sure they’re a plumber with a good reputation – that’s always a good start. We wouldn’t suggest fitting your own radiator unless you’ve got experience, because who would want to go through the hassle of having it reinstalled if it wasn’t done correctly in the first place?!

And don’t worry, if you’re not aware of any good plumbers in your area then our showrooms can all recommend trusted tradespeople to carry out the work for you – stress free!

Browse all of our on-trend radiators.

P.S. Did you know that we’ve recently opened bathroom stores and tile shops in Farnborough, Bracknell and Peterborough?