How efficient are column radiators really?

We have long argued that the increased choice of column radiators has been a massive boost to all homeowners with central heating. Column radiators strike a beautiful balance between the stylishness of a traditional cast iron radiator and the pure, functional efficiency of a standard convector radiator. In this article, we'll look at the positives of column radiators and why they could be the most efficient choice for your home.

Most column radiators are more efficient because they have a larger surface area than conventional panel radiators. This may seem counter-intuitive; surely a larger surface area means they will use more energy?

While this is a valid way to think about it, the larger surface area means that column radiators can heat an area faster with the same amount of energy due to how their surface area is distributed.

In this sense, overall, they will take less energy to heat the same area than a panel radiator would.

If you've ever wondered if column radiators give more heat than other types of radiators, then the great news is that they really do emit a significant amount of heat. The reason why is related to surface area of the radiator.

The amount of surface area that a classic column design has means that a great amount of heat is able to be produced and pushed into the room when compared to other radiator types of similar dimensions.

Quite simply, the larger the surface area of a radiator, the greater the heat output - and column radiators have surface area in abundance.

When choosing a radiator to get the most efficient heat outputs, it's important that your radiator has the ability to circulate heat around the room in the best way possible.

The long, tightly packed chambers that form an integral part of column radiator design means that heat is let out from every part of the radiator.

When compared with a standard convector radiator that has one or two rows of convector fins down the back of the main body of the rad, you'll find that a column radiator emits a greater amount of heat much more efficiently and is arguably more effective at heating the room.

Because of the versatility of column radiators, they have become among our best selling radiators. Whereas cast iron radiators are mainly suited to period properties and can look strange in new builds, the classic column design has no such restrictions.

Whether you've got a minimalist city centre apartment, a recently built starter home or a traditional country cottage, column radiators look fantastic wherever they're installed.

The flexible and stylish design allows you to make your column radiators a part of the design of the room, rather than simply a functional white rectangle whose only purpose is to heat the room.

While column radiators are more efficient, they may not be the optimal choice for certain circumstances or rooms.

When choosing a radiator or heating element, you will also need to consider the space that you have and what will work best for your home or business. For example, some bathrooms may be too compact to fit a column radiator into without compromising on floor space.

In situations like that, we'd recommend something along the lines of a heated towel rail – it is far more compact and can heat small spaces effectively. However, in a more general sense, column radiators are better for most situations as they can bring a heating and energy efficiency that is hard to match with other kinds of radiators.

At Trade Radiators, we are very proud of the huge range of column radiators that we can offer our customers. No matter what size you need, in vertical or horizontal orientation, with single or double panel options, we'll have a suitable column radiator for you.

You're certainly not restricted to white either, as we have a range of colours to choose from, including anthracite, black, polished metal and even mirror-finish copper. If you've got a room that needs heating, we'll have a column radiator more than capable of doing it!