Single vs Double Panel Radiators: What’s the difference?

Radiators were invented to do a job of work, to keep a room as warm as possible. The size of your room will dictate the size of the radiator best suited for it, and you can use single-panel or double panel radiators.

For standard-sized and large rooms, double-panel radiators are by far the most efficient. Single-panel radiators emit less heat because they have less surface area for the heat to come from.

The addition of ‘fins’ inside a double panel radiator – the metal sheets that zigzag between the panels on standard radiators – helps to increase the surface area still further, meaning double panel radiators emit more than double the amount of heat of a single panel radiator.

Single-panel radiators are better suited to small rooms where space is a problem. Not only do you not need the greater heat output a double would produce, but they also won’t stick out so far from the wall. This means they don’t take up so much space, and narrow areas will enable people to walk safely past without bumping into them.

It is possible to get single-panel radiators fitted with convection fins which will make them more efficient, but this will mean that the radiator won’t be that flush against the wall, so if the space is narrow, it might not be a good idea.

The ‘standard’ type of double panel radiators the majority of people have in their homes may be efficient, but let’s be honest, they don’t add much to the room in terms of aesthetics.

That’s why designer radiators continue to increase in popularity – they are not only amazingly efficient, they are so attractive as to be considered works of art in their own right.

We stock a range of designer, double panel radiators so you can take advantage of the extra surface area and heat output. ~The Chic Aluminium comes in a range of colours and finishes, and if you only have a narrow space on your wall, is also available as a vertical radiator in the form of the Alumni.

For conservatories or small rooms where the only place to fit a radiator is underneath a window, the Versatile Convector is a small, but hugely efficient, double panel radiator.

And if you really want to make a designer splash, try the Oslo radiator. The wave effect design is available as a double panel radiator, or you can mix things up a bit by criss-crossing the tubes to create an intriguing pattern that’ll create a great talking point (or perhaps even a hot topic!).

If you would like to see our selection of single or double panel radiators, contact us to make an appointment to visit one of our radiator showrooms.