Seeking Advice on Slimline Radiators

christinescoms said:

Hey everyone,

I'm in the process of renovating my space and considering installing slimline radiators. However, I'm a bit uncertain about their efficiency compared to traditional radiators. Do they provide enough heat output for larger rooms?

Also, I'm curious about their durability and maintenance requirements. Are they prone to any specific issues I should be aware of?

Additionally, I'd appreciate recommendations on reliable brands or models if you've had positive experiences with any.

Any insights or advice from those who have used slimline radiators online would be greatly appreciated as I weigh my options.

Click to expand...

thanks in advance for any help

I assume these are electrical powered, oil-filled. Since they are electrical, all the power is 100% efficiently converted to heat. The question is how does the heat circulate in a large room and how does the BTU compare with what it is replacing. The changeover to slimline means you need much more surface area on the wall to reduce the depth of a std. Iron core coils to dissipate the heat at the same surface temperature rise. Then the answer is how hot the surface will be if the input electrical power is the same. If the thermal resistance is the same then the surface temperature will be the same, if powered the same.

If you gain a few inches of space, check the exposed surface area to avoid the expense of a much hotter surface. Anything over 45'C will feel too hot, for some even less.

Convection heating is slower than forced air and room ceiling height will also affect the thermal gradient from floor to ceiling, while opposing walls will also be cooler without forced air.

So compare the surface area of old and new radiator with electrical power when creating more space.

Generally, floor radiators take less space and cost much less. Electric baseboard heaters are usually about 7 to 10 inches high and project from the wall about 3 inches, with a wall mounted thermostat.