Radiators have come a long way in the past two decades. You might not have thought the radiators have much evolution left to do, but the manufacturers have found some inventive ways to increase heat output and reduce running costs.
If you are not aware of these features, then you might be missing out. We have written this article to teach you about three features that every homeowner should be looking for when they buy a new radiator.
1: Thermostatic radiator valves
Thermostatic radiator valves replace manual valves on contemporary radiators. They allow you to set the radiator to a specific temperature, usually from 1 to 6, with each figure corresponding to your thermostat setting. For example, if you set your thermostat to 20°C, 6 will keep the valve open at the full temperature needed to get the house to 20°C.
With thermostatic radiator valves, this happens automatically. With manual valves, you have to keep opening and closing the valve to dictate the temperature of the radiator.
With manual valves, most people just left it open and this wasted a lot of energy. Therefore, Thermostatic radiator valves help you to save money on your energy bills.
2: Rust Resistance
You should never buy a radiator unless it has been rust treated. Think about it: they contain water and if they are not protected, they will rust much faster. This is especially true of cast iron and aluminium radiators, but less so of stainless steel which tends to be incredibly resistant to rust.
The most important radiator in this regard is the bathroom and toilet radiators. Because those rooms are damper, they tend to get rusty much faster. You have to buy a high-quality rust-resistant radiator if you want it to last more than a year looking pretty in the bathroom.
Rust generally isn't a problem as long as it's on the outside, but it doesn't look very nice. By buying a rust-resistant radiator, you don't have to worry that the radiator is going to look bad within the year. It won't rust for a long time, if at all. It all depends on the aggressiveness of the damp in the bathroom.
3: build quality
Rust-resistance is not the only thing to look for in terms of the quality of the radiator. You also need to make sure that the overall build quality is good. If you don't know anything about radiators, then just have a quick look over it and make sure that none of that joins look badly welded and nothing looks loose.
A good way to verify build quality is to look at the length of the guarantee. The vast majority of contemporary radiators off the guarantees of at least five years. This is because they are generally good quality.
However, if you want to ensure that you're buying exceptional quality, look for a radiator with a 10, 15, or 20 year guarantee. Obviously, the longer the guarantee, the better the build quality is. The radiators will be more expensive, but they will also last longer.
We hope that you have found this article useful and you now understand the type of things that you should be looking for when buying a new radiator for your home. Paying attention to these factors will ensure that you buy an excellent radiator that will bring satisfaction to your home.