You only need to type ‘radiator’ on Google to realise the sheer amount of products on offer. There are central heating radiators, electric radiators, dual fuel radiators, single panel radiators, and the list goes on and on.

The average homeowners have a lot on their minds to sift through, and the last thing they want to deal with is a crash course on radiators. To make your journey less overwhelming, we’ve outlined a guide on how to buy a radiator. So the next time you decide to buy one, you won’t be flabbergasted with the endless choices.

The Small Kitchen Dilemma – Not Enough Space for Radiators

The smaller your kitchen is, the easier it is to heat it.

That’s a no‐brainer, but the real challenge comes with installing a big radiator that isn’t an eyesore. The average kitchen area of most UK homes is 11m², give or take, with smaller kitchens going as small as 5m². This means there’s very little space to work with. Fortunately, manufacturers have found interesting ways to position radiators, such as on the walls or under store cabinets.

The perfect solution for a small kitchen space is to buy heated towel rail radiators. Their small footprint combines functionality with style. You can check MP Moran’s extensive range of towel rail radiators which will inject style into your kitchen while keeping the space nice and warm.

The Large Kitchen Dilemma – How to Heat All This Space?

Huge kitchens with elegant tile backsplashes, dark granite countertops, and luxury faucets will always stay in style. The only real dilemma is to find a device strong enough (and compact enough) to heat the sheer amount of space. This is where it helps to have an understanding of BTU and wattage to adequate heat up your space.

BTU stands for British thermal unit, and it is used to measure heat (thermal) energy. It is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F. As a general rule, you will need 5000 BTUs to heat a room at 14m², with the number easily shooting up to 36,000 BTUs for 250m².

Now just because you have a lot of space to heat up doesn’t mean you’re stuck with large, old, and clunky radiators of the past. You can buy heated towel rail radiators to add warmth to your space for less than £85. A big heated towel rail radiator like this K‐Rail can provide enough heat to larger kitchens in style.

What if I Don’t Have Wall Space to Hang Vertical Straight Towel Radiators?

Is your entire kitchen wall covered with wall cupboards and storage outlets, giving you zero space to work with?

If you don’t have space for vertical towel radiators and underfloor heating is too costly, you still have options. Enter the kick space heater (or plinth radiators). These heaters are used for kitchens where space, both horizontal and vertical is at a bit of a premium. These incredibly compact and discreet radiators utilise the tiny bits of space under your kitchen cupboards ‐ spaces that would otherwise go unused.

What is a Convector Radiator Anyway?

All radiators rely on convection currents in the air to ‘radiate’ heat. As the air comes into contact with hot surfaces in the radiator, it heats up and rises, pushing the surrounding cooler air into the appliance. Many radiators utilise a ventilator to speed up this process.

A convector radiator utilises a sandwiched design to constantly channel heat air upwards while sucking in cold air. In other words, a ‘regular’ heater also heats using convection currents but doesn’t emphasise air circulation, while convection radiators are designed to keep the air cycle continuously spinning.

Different Types of Radiators

Radiators vary in size and heating capacity. Flat single panel radiators were the first type of radiators to be fitted in modern homes, but manufacturers later realised they could substantially increase the heat output of their devices by using subtle changes.

Type 11 – Single Panel Convector Radiators

Type 11 radiators are among the thinnest of the three radiator types you’ll commonly come across. They have a front panel with a set of convector fins bolted to the back. These radiators are useful in situations where you don’t need high heat output, such as in a bathroom or as a secondary radiator in larger kitchens. Type 11 single panel convector radiators provide a significantly higher BTU output than other radiators that are of a similar size. The only trade‐off is that Type 11 radiators are slightly thicker in size, but the difference is not too concerning.

Type 11 radiators are often installed in series in long stretches of corridors and hallways since they strike the ideal balance between heat output and size.

Type 21 – Double Panel Plus Convection Radiators

These convector radiators use a single panel radiator with a second panel attached to the back. Together these two panels sandwich a single layer of convector fins, even though fins are only attached to a single panel. The BTU output of these radiators is substantially higher than their single panel counterparts, albeit at the cost of being much thicker.

Type 22 – Double Panel Convection Radiators

Type 22 radiators, also known as K2, are essentially double layers of single panels sandwiching two layers of convector fins. Each panel is attached to a separate layer of fins, thus increasing the thickness and surface area of the radiator in exchange for substantial improvement in heat output. These radiators are used to provide heat to medium and large kitchen spaces. Although they are thick, they can save you lots of space relative to their high heat output.

Type 33 – High-Performance Radiators

These radiators have three layers of convective fins bolted to three radiator panels. These radiators are thicker, but the improvement in heat output is significant. Although smaller kitchens will struggle to find space for these massive units (not recommended for smaller rooms), these radiators are ideal for any large room with enough space.

Other Types of Radiators

Horizontal radiators: These radiators are available in many different shapes and colours. They are less costly and don’t require significant changes to your pipework. If you enjoy DIY projects, you might be able to swap out the old radiator for a new horizontal radiator with no installation fees. Most horizontal radiators bring a modern and fresh look into rooms, making them a cost‐efficient means of sprucing up your home.

Vertical Radiators: These radiators are designed to not only save space but truly give your room a modern upgrade. The human eye is naturally drawn towards vertical frames, and vertical radiators tap into this phenomenon to bring out an ultra‐stylish “WOW” factor to any room. But you may need to change the default plumbing in your home for vertical radiators to work.

Column Radiators: These radiators are made from rows of tubes that connect at the bottom and top to form a single section. They have a classic ‘retro’ design that you may want to use if you’re going for a vintage look.

How to Properly Bleed a Radiator?

If you want to increase the efficiency of your radiator, cut energy bills, and make your room warmer during colder temperatures, you’ll have to ‘bleed’ your radiator frequently. Bleeding essentially means letting out the trapped pockets of air that have lodged themselves into your radiator. This is a very common issue in un‐vented rooms and radiators.

The trapped air prevents water from heating the whole radiator, thus creating cold regions. You can tell your radiator has trapped air inside if you hear a flowing or clucking sound. Fixing this common issue is simple enough with just a few easy tips.

How to Determine if my Radiator Needs Bleeding?

Turn your radiator on and wait for it to properly heat up. If you find any cold spots, near the top or sides of the radiator, you will have to bleed it. If the radiator doesn’t heat up at all, it is full of air which needs to be released before it starts heating your room again.

Step 1: Turn your radiator hot, you don’t want the scalding hot water to burn your skin or drip to the floor!

Step 2: Use a flat‐headed screwdriver to slowly turn the valve in an anti‐clockwise direction. Hot water will start dripping at this point, so make sure to have a piece of cloth nearby to prevent your hands from burning. You will hear the satisfying sound of trapped air escaping, making an unmistakable ‘hissing’ sound as it leaves. Once you have ‘liberated’ all the trapped air, you should close the valve before too much water escapes and leaves a mess for you to clean.

You will know that the bleeding process is complete if water starts dripping from the radiator.

Step 3: To check if you have bled a lot of gas, you should check the pressure of the system. Loss of too much gas will result in low pressure. This is a quick fix and can be solved using the filling loop lever on your boiler. If the water pressure in your radiator is correct, the gauge on your boiler should be facing green. For reference, the pressure in a typical home is between 1.0 to 1.5 bars.

Step 4: Turn your heating back on to confirm if the cold spots have disappeared.

How Often Should I Bleed My Radiator System?

It is recommended to always bleed your radiators at the beginning of the heating season. This ensures that when you need the heat badly, your system will run at its best without any trapped air ruining its efficiency.

Flushing Radiators – A Job for the Professional

Flushing your radiator is a job that is best carried out by professionals. It involves completely cleaning your radiator systems in and out and getting rid of all the sludge that has lodged itself in the system. It is important to periodically have an expert flush your radiators if you want to improve heating and save energy bills.

You can also buy a magnetic filter to keep the radiators free of dust, debris, and crud in the future. This is usually done immediately after installing a new radiator.

Kartell Radiators – The Choice for both Home and Office Spaces

Kartell radiators are highly regarded as the best radiator brands in the UK. Kartell is a forward‐thinking brand that constantly innovates and improves to home heating. They are one of the leading brands and key suppliers in the UK, thanks to their fresh approach to radiators. Kartell makes radiators of all types and sizes, ranging from modern vertical radiators to the more traditional radiators.

Once you have experienced the quality and affordability that Kartell brings to your home, you won’t be going back to anything else. Whether you’re ordering for your office or home space, Kartell could be the difference between happy occupants and a slew of complaints.

You can always trust Kartell to provide an energy‐efficient, family‐friendly option to heat your home in style. In most cases, you can see improvements of up to 10% in savings. The biggest benefit of Kartell radiators is their compact design, ‘out of sight and out of mind’ as the saying goes. Kartell radiators are perfect for all homeowners. With their low price tag, they offer excellent value for money in the market.

Kartell Radiators: Aesthetically Pleasing

Kartell radiators have a sleek minimal design that looks visually appealing in most rooms. You can combine them with Scandinavian designs or fully fleshed out Victorian‐style rooms. Their compact size means it would be hard not to find enough space in your room.

Why Choose Us?

If you are interested in Kartell radiators, then you can get them from MP Moran at low prices and have them delivered to your home in no time! A super‐fast delivery option means you won’t have to put up with freezing temperatures for too long.

Check out the Kartell’s impressive line- up by clicking this link