Strada by Jaga Hybrid Heating Cooling Efficiency Radiator in Hallway

Heating and cooling with a fan coil radiator

Written by
Nick Duggan

With increasingly our unpredictable climate – hotter summers and cold, wet winters – it’s not always so easy maintain an optimum temperature throughout a property.It might be that a fan-coil unit is the ideal 2 in 1 solution.

Long low white Strada Hybrid Efficiency Radiator Dining Room with large picture and wooden table — Strada Hybrid

What is a fan coil radiator? And how do they work?

‘Fan Coil RadiatorUnit’ might sound too industrial for a house, but they are increasingly being designed with domestic properties in mind, especially when used in conjunction with ground or air source heat pumps.

Whilst most fan coil units look like a standard radiator, inside the casing either hot or cold water can be circulated via one or more copper pipes that are surrounded by multiple aluminium fins, commonly known as the ‘heat exchanger’. A small fan will sit within the unit either taking heat from heat exchanger and gently pumping warmth into the room in the winter months or using the chilled pipes to provide cooler air during the summer.

Cordivari Rosy Pro Vertical Fan assisted Designer Radiator in yellow on grey wall — fan assisted radiator in yellow Rosy Vertical

Heating and cooling

A fan coil unit is especially practical when used in conjunction with a ground or air source heat pump. Heat pumps are considered more energy-efficient and economical than standard boilers but, when in heating mode, they operate at lower a low temperature. Having the fans help with the generation of heat, guaranteeing a more rapid response time and more importantly meaning the radiators may not have to be larger than is practical.

A fan coil unit is perfect for any room of the house, but is particularly beneficial in bedrooms, especially in converted loft areas, where extra comfort is required.

With the heating off and just running the fans it is possible to achieve a element of ‘light cooling’, but with those fan coil units which can accommodate condensation either with a drip tray or external drain off, it is possible to reverse a heat pump to have colder water flowing through resulting in mini air-conditioners.

Why choose a fan coil unit as a radiator?

Fan Coils come with numerous advantages:

Energy Efficiency – With just pipe(s) inside, fan coils will contain less water than conventional radiators. This means that there is less water to heat up and it returns to the boiler quicker, which results in less energy needing to be used. This makes them particularly valuable on ground source heat pumps. The Strada and Strada Hybrid, in particular, can contain up to 90% less water than a conventional radiator with the same output, making them approx. 1/3 smaller in size.

Optimal Control – With the ability to heat up and cool down quickly, fan coils are able react to changes in temperature very quickly, unlike denser forms of heat, such as underfloor heating. The controls also offer greater flexibility allowing individual units to be managed

Design – Fan coil units are no longer large, plain white boxes. They now come in a full range of interesting styles, such as the Run and Seven Lines, as well as contemporary colours and finishes that work in most situations. Some, such as the Cinier range, are considered individual works or art with powerful heating/cooling units hidden at the rear.

Not just for the wall – Trench heating offers all of the same advantages as a wall mounted fan coil unit, but is more ideal in rooms with limited wall space or floor ceiling windows or bi-fold doors, such as in conservatories and large new extensions. Placed in the floor, they can still offer both heating and cooling functions, but be very unobtrusive.

Rapid Heat Up Times – Fan coil units, such as the Sofi, can heat up a space 3x faster than conventional radiators. The fan units come with multiple settings that set the fans on a very gentle setting up to a powerful boost mode.

Helps reduce dust – They will be fitted with filters that help remove dust particles, so the inner workings are protected, but equally important, they help create a dust-free room.

They are not noisy – Contrary to some opinions, when even on the highest setting, the noise of a fan coil unit would be considered ‘moderate’ and similar to the noise of a PC. On lower speed settings, the noise from a fan coil unit would not be distinguishable from the everyday sounds of the house.