FAQs
Renata Single Vertical 1800 x 520 in RAL 9007
Stock and Deliveries
Expected delivery time depends on whether you order a stocked white radiator or a painted stock radiator in one of our 24 RAL colours or 6 special finishes.
Stock white radiators can be delivered within 48-72 hours from placing an order, whereas painted stock models generally take about 15 working days. Small delays can be expected if radiators are being delivered to Scotland and offshore islands.
Choosing the Right Radiator
To establish how much heat your room needs, consult your Gas Safe registered installer or heating engineer. If you want to work it out yourself, visit our Heat Output Calculator . All our radiators are shown with their heat outputs, so you can choose a radiator or a number of radiators whose outputs add up to the heat you need. All outputs listed are calculated in line with the European BSEN442 Testing Standard at Δt50°C (the latest standards for modern boiler systems). To convert Δt50°C to Δt60°C simply multiply x 1.264.
Traditional cast iron radiators have been the staple material in period homes and schools since the Victorian age. Their dense heavy structure takes time to reach optimal temperature but remains hot long after the central heating is turned off - perfect for cold drafty period homes.
For more control and a range of traditional and modern designs, steel radiators may be the better choice. Comprised from a lighter less dense material, steel radiators will heat up and cool down quickly providing manageable control.
Aluminum is a highly efficient conductive material that will heat up instantly after the central heating is turned on, giving you total control over your central heating system.
Using models with additional rows of tubes or multiple columns maximises heat output within the same wall space.
For example our Beaufort design comes in single or double versions, as an example of comparable heat outputs:
Water Lily single: 2010mm x 305mm = 2228 BTUs Water Lily double: 2010mm x 305mm = 3323 BTUs
The majority of our towel rails can be converted to work as dual fuel models. An element and T piece is needed to adapt the towel rail; your installer will need to be aware if you wish to do this in order to adjust pipe centres accordingly. Click here to see our range of elements. If a towel rail is suitable for dual fuel, it will be noted in the overview found on each product page, and is also stated in our brochure.
Radiator Positioning
In modern homes, radiator positioning is less important due to insulation and modern building regulations, however, please be sure to consult your plumber or heating engineer prior to purchasing and installation of your radiator. In traditional homes, most radiators are best placed in the coldest part of the room - usually found under a window, as this allows for airflow and radiant air convection. Large spaces are more effectively heated with 2 or more, smaller radiators rather than one large one. A rule of thumb often used in the trade is to have one radiator every four metres (about 15 feet) or so in the room. An alternative could be two tall thin radiators on either side of the window or a long low radiator along the wall.
Some radiators can be curved or bent to fit a bay window, unfortunately, we do not currently supply these.
However, if you require a curved radiator please visit The Radiator Company who provides this type of radiator from their popular Ancona range and can curve the radiator to your specifications.
Colours and Painting
Most of our radiators and towel rails are available in a range of colours. Each product page states the colours available for that specific product. In total, we offer 26 colours and 8 special finishes across our radiators and towel rails range, these can be viewed on our Colours and Special Finishes page.
Please note that due to the screen resolutions, printing process and manufacturing tolerances the colour (including white) of a finished radiator may vary slightly from the colours represented on the website. It should also be noted that if the same type of Radiators are ordered and produced at different times they may also differ marginally in finished colour from any previously ordered.
If in doubt you can order a colour chip sample; a tear-drop piece of metal finished in the colour or finish of your choosing.
Any radiators or towel rails supplied with a painted finish have a very durable baked-on powder-coated layer that is resistant to fading and as such will not require repainting.
Please note, if you decide to repaint a finished radiator, this will void any guarantee that the radiator or towel rail is covered by.
In short, yes. Individual radiators can be drained down whilst the system is turned off by protecting the floor, and closing both valve heads fully using the decorators’ caps provided. Decorators' caps must be used on a thermostatic TRV head valve to ensure it closes fully; valve tails should be blanked off as an additional precaution.
To remove a radiator, loosen the nut connecting the valve tail to the valve and drain the radiator (use a shallow container to collect the water, this water could be very dirty so take care to avoid spillages). Disconnect the valve tail from the valve and remove the radiator.
Remember, when refitting a radiator, the heating system may require “topping up”. It is important when topping up your heating system, that you also include an appropriate amount of mixed metal inhibitor. Your installer will be able to advise accordingly.
Decorative covers can be used; however, bear in mind that they will significantly restrict the output of a radiator. The amount of heat reduction is dependent on the actual design of the cabinet and radiator so we cannot give an exact heat reduction figure. Thermostatic radiator valves should not be fitted inside the radiator cover as they are designed to measure the ambient room temperature in order to function accurately.
Valves
The TRV controls the radiator's temperature by sensing the room air temperature and automatically opening and closing the flow to the radiator to maintain a preset temperature. A manual valve controls the temperature of the radiator regardless of how warm the room already is. TRVs are now a requirement as part of Building regulations, check with your installer to make sure you have the correct valves.
The wheelhead valve is the temperature control; the other is called a lockshield valve and is used to balance the radiators in the system so that they all heat up at roughly the same rate. Simply put, the radiator closest to the boiler if left unchecked would heat quicker than the one situated at the other end of the house, so the lockshield valves should be set opened at increasing amounts the further away from the boiler the radiator is.
Even though some of our valves are bi-directional, we recommend that all valves are fitted on the flow pipe rather than the return pipe in order to avoid noises that may naturally occur if they are fitted on the return. To view our complete range of valves click here.
Technical Information
All radiators and towel rails featured on this website are suitable for indirect/closed systems that comply with 'BS5449, section 1 forced circulation hot water systems'.
Certain Heated Towel Rails like our Stainless Steel Vivianna can also be fitted on a direct hot water system.
An indirect system is filled with water that remains in the system and is circulated through the boiler and radiators. A direct system uses mains water that is continually replaced within the system – this causes an influx of oxygen and bacteria in the water, meaning Stainless Steel or Brass radiators should be used to avoid rusting of the radiators or contamination of the water supply.
Aluminium radiators are installed in exactly the same way as steel or cast iron, as with all central heating systems a suitable quality and quantity of inhibitor must be used to avoid corrosion. Mixed metal inhibitors are now readily available from most plumbers’ merchants. Be sure to ask your plumber about mixed metal inhibitors.
Our Cast Iron Radiators are compatible with normal central heating systems and have British Standard fittings. On an existing system, you can replace all the radiators or just the ones you want. It is always worth confirming with your installer that your pipework and system set-up is suitable for additional radiators.
Yes, however, because there is a lot of mass with cast iron, the radiators have the advantage of staying warm long after the central heating has been turned off. This means that the changes in temperature in a room with cast iron radiators are gentler than those in a room heated with steel radiators. Most people tend to run their central heating twice per day, once in the morning and then again at night, if a third short period is added into the middle of these two times then the warm-up time is greatly reduced and the house will remain warm all day and night. When mixing standard radiators with cast iron we find that if the central heating thermostat is situated near a standard radiator, the heating may close down before the cast iron radiators located elsewhere have reached full temperature. The solution is to slow down the standard radiator, influencing the thermostat by partially closing the lockshield valve on that radiator (the usually covered end valve opposite the temperature control valve on the radiator used to balance the central heating system). Heating a home is partly about heating the fabric of the building. Cast iron radiators are again becoming popular amongst heating engineers and architects (particularly for older buildings) as they tend to retain the warmth in the fabric of the building which in turn counteracts dampness and condensation.
All our radiators are compatible with a single pipe system. However, depending on the setup of your one-pipe system, you may need specialist valves. If you are unsure about the compatibility of our valves with your single pipe system, please feel free to contact us or discuss this with your installer.
Pockets of oxygen naturally build up in central heating systems due to the amount of fresh water running through them - this in turn causes radiators to become less efficient. Radiators require bleeding to alleviate the build-up of air, typically indicated by being cold at the top and hot at the bottom, which in most cases is a manual process. How to bleed your radiator: 1. Take care to protect decorated surfaces with a cloth or small bowl to catch the water prior to opening the air vent.
2. Venting is best carried out when the system is cold, to do so, simply turn off the heating system and slightly open the air vent (some radiators will require a radiator vent key, others may need a small screwdriver) until water is noted at the air vent (this means all air has been purged from the radiator).
3. Gently close the vent and then switch the system back on. If your radiators require frequent bleeding, then there may be a fault with the system and a heating engineer should be contacted.
This indicates that the radiator may be receiving an insufficient flow of water; typically, large radiators need a higher water flow than small radiators. There may be several reasons for this, such as incorrect balancing, incorrect pipe size or an under-performing or under-sized pump, there may also simply be a blockage in the radiator or there could be pockets of oxygen that need bleeding. A heating engineer should be called to carry out further investigations.
Installation
Radiators are heavy items and should be securely fastened to the wall. Specific care should be taken to identify the construction of the wall and use the appropriate fasteners to secure the radiator brackets. All Radiators Direct radiators are supplied with the correct brackets and detailed instructions, which are also available on the relevant product pages for download.
Firstly, the heating system needs to be switched off, and the radiator needs to be drained.
- Remove the current valve (if applicable) by loosening the connecting and securing nuts. - Wrap at least five turns of PTFE tape around the threaded tails of the new valves and screw them into the radiator and pipework. Make sure the PTFE tape stays on the thread rather than just running along it as you tighten. If it does run, undo the valve and roughen the thread slightly with a hacksaw blade then re-tape the thread. (Some of our valves have parallel threads which means that they never tighten against a stop like traditional valves, so more PTFE tape than usual is required. We recommend the use of gas-type PTFE which is much thicker than the standard.
- Tighten the connecting and securing nuts to secure the valve.
If you are also replacing the lock shield repeat the above steps.
We endeavour to ensure all pipe centres are correct on our website, however, manufacturing tolerances must be considered; therefore we strongly recommend that pipe work is not installed or altered until your new radiator or towel rail is delivered. Radiators Direct will not accept any responsibility for claims resulting from incorrect pipe centres.
Yes, but on large cast iron radiators (over 3500 watts) it can prove problematic in balancing the central heating system. If in doubt, ask your plumber/installer.
Microbore pipework can also prove challenging for tall (vertical) radiators. We recommend asking your heating engineer for guidance if you have microbore pipework and are considering vertical radiators.