The best radiator position in a room

If you are in the process of installing new radiators in your home, then you might be wondering where the best position is to maximise heat efficiency.

The process of choosing where to put a new radiator can often be decided by the previous owners. The pipework is probably already in place and you may wish to swap radiators like-for-like in order to keep things simple.

However, it could be the case that the radiators are not in the best position and you might benefit by taking the time to install them in the best possible place.

Underneath the window

The area below a window has long been considered the best place to install a radiator.

The traditional reason for this harks back to the days of when single-glazed windows were prominent in homes.

A window with single glazing allows a lot of cold air in from outside and this cold air reacts with the hot air being released from the top of the radiator, pushing the hot air out into the room and warming it up.

Additionally, it's quite common for the space underneath a window to be clear of furniture, so placing a radiator here allows the hot air to circulate around the room without being blocked by something like a sofa.

Modern housing allows for more positional flexibility

Because new builds and upgraded homes now have double or triple glazing, the need to install radiators under windows is a little less important.

These types of windows are much more efficient and let far less cold air into a room than their old-fashioned, single-glazed counterparts. This allows you much more flexibility when deciding where the best position is to install your radiator.

Don't forget vertical radiators

The fact that the last decade has seen a surge in popularity of vertical radiators, you now no longer have to only consider the space underneath windows, traditionally reserved for horizontal rads.

Vertical radiators are capable of emitting just as much heat as horizontal radiators and they are often a great way of utilising upward space in small or heavily furnished rooms.

A vertical radiator installed either side of a window not only allows any cold air coming into the room to heat up quickly and push out hot air, it also looks very stylish and gives some symmetry to your interior design plan.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Our top 5 radiators for wide spaces

• What's the difference between single and double panel radiators?

• How to install a radiator under a window