Rustic study in New England Fall colour scheme with bronze column radiators.

Getting your home ready for winter – How to choose the perfect radiator for your space

Written by
Nick Duggan

Although we are still hanging on to the warmth of summer, it will not be long before we might need to consider putting the heating on to counter the cooler Autumn evenings. Making sure everything is working correctly now may save time and money later on. Here are our tips to avoid being caught out.

Firstly, do you remember being cold last winter? Now would be a good time to address this issue as, with your heating off, it is the perfect time to find and fix the fault. This might include changing radiators completely to ones that are more powerful. Check whether your existing radiators are sufficient with a quick heat calculation using our simple online tool.

Bring in the professionals

Before the heating system goes on it is a good time to get your boiler serviced. A regular service is an excellent way to extend the life of your boiler which could be a major cost-saving in the years to come (the average cost of a new boiler is between £3000 and £3800). Leave it too late and you might find your plumber is tied up with emergency call outs to people who have belatedly discovered their boiler does not work, just at the time that they need it. So schedule a visit now, when they are less busy.

Ask your plumber to check the system pressure and flow temperature so that the system is once again running at its optimum efficiency. If you found some radiators were colder than others during the previous winter, it might mean that the system needs ‘rebalancing’. In short, this means adjusting each radiator valve to ensure that an equal amount of hot water flows into each radiator. This also helps guarantee that the system is working efficiently and you are not having to run the system hotter and for longer in order to get warm in certain rooms.

At-home heating prep

There are a couple of things that you can do that do not require professional help.

Dust radiators off ready for winter

Give your radiators a dust down and a quick clean with a hoover as dust may have settled inside over the months of inactivity. As soon as the radiators start heating up, the warm air will lift this into the air leaving it to settle elsewhere so it sometimes pays to eliminate this problem early

Bleeding for better efficiency

Consider bleeding the radiators to see if any air has accumulated in them over the summer. If you do find you have air in your radiators, then they will not fill up properly resulting in them under performing and giving less heat than anticipated. Read our handy guide on how to bleed your radiators.

Twiddle TRV heads

Thermostatic (TRV) valve heads may stick through inactivity. We would advise always giving the TRV heads a little twiddly every couple of months anyway, but removing the heads from the valve base and depressing the little brass pin that you will find in the middle, helps free up the spring inside so you know your radiator valves are going to be working efficiently.

Stay safe from Carbon Monoxide

Test your Carbon Monoxide Alarm. This is often overlooked but an important action to undertake to ensure you and your family’s safety. Just give the ‘test button’ a quick press to make sure it is all functioning properly.

Are you ready?

The colder months often come quicker than anticipated so tackling some of the potential problems early will ensure an efficient and cost-effective heating system is ready when you need it. Planning your maintenance early is the best way of guaranteeing you will be warm to Christmas and beyond.