With temperatures forecast to plummet next week and the price of oil showing little sign of abating, people are keen to find ways of staying warm without having to remortgage the homes that they’re trying to heat.
That’s why heating experts at MyPlumber have shared a number of tips to maximise the heat you’re getting from your radiators, while minimising the amount of money you’re having to spend for the pleasure.
Their first tip appears to have as much to do with interior decorating as home heating, but they guarantee that it will make the most of the warmth being generated by your home-heating system.
The experts say that installing a shelf over your radiators has the effect of directing the heat out into the room, rather than sending it straight up and out of the house.
“Fitting a shelf above your radiators not only looks nice but also helps to direct heat from the radiator into the room,” they say.
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“This technique is particularly useful if you have any radiators that are positioned directly below a window.”
The people at MyPlumber also recommend placing a foil backing on the wall behind radiators to reduce heat loss and reflect it back into living spaces.
“Pay particular attention to those that are fitted to external walls,” they add. “The reflective foil bounces heat back into the room rather than allowing it to escape through the wall.”
One tip that certainly makes sense is the experts’ recommendation that you avoid placing anything on top of or in front of your radiators, as this stifles the heat that they’re generating.
“Try not to position furniture directly in front of any radiators, otherwise, you will restrict the heat distribution into the room. Instead, position your sofa and other furniture in areas that will keep your radiators clear and functioning at their best.”
This includes curtains, apparently, which stop heat from travelling in the desired direction if they’re draped over radiators.
An additional curtain-related tip offered by the experts is to keep them wide open during the day, taking advantage of the warming rays of sunshine, which “become radiant heat once they enter the room”.
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