DOMESTIC HEATING
www.heatingandventilating.net
The radiator revolution: why colour and finish matter more than you think
Do we give colour and finish enough consideration when selecting a radiator? After all, what colour should a radiator be? Nigel Coston, technical director at Zehnder Group UK offers some insigh
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any don’t realise – from interior designers and retailers to end users – the colour and finish of a radiator can impact not only the
aesthetic appeal of a room but also the efficiency of the radiator itself.
With modern finishing techniques changing the
face of radiator design, manufacturers are now able to offer even more options than ever for customers, firmly establishing the once merely functional flat panel into statements of beauty around the home. While most traditional radiators come in a
standard white finish, modern decorative, high- performance radiators can now be finished in almost any colour to complement a design scheme. However, the choice of finish can have a huge
impact on its overall thermal performance. Shiny, metallic surfaces for example, like chrome or polished stainless steel, effectively kill the radiant output of a radiator – the heat effect you feel that’s transmitted as electromagnetic radiation, the same way that the Sun transmits its heat energy. This means that the output is reduced by 15-50% from what it could theoretically produce. For instance, a 1200 x 600 ladder type towel rail in white would give an output of 670W, but the same radiator in chrome drops to 489W, a reduction of 27%. While the convective output (the amount it warms the air) is virtually unchanged, the radiant efficiency suffers, making it a less effective option, particularly with lower-temperature systems such
as heat pumps. So why do we often choose chrome finishes? Typically, in bathrooms, chrome is a first choice so that the towel radiator matches the other fittings in the room, such as taps and showers. While complimenting and matching the décor and fittings within a space is an important consideration, there are now other metallic finishes available that do not affect the radiant output. These finishes involve a process that vaporises solid materials like brass or bronze and deposits them atom by atom to coat the surface. Known as a PVD coating, this creates durable, corrosion-resistant finish and is available in a range of options to match other fixtures, including brushed black chrome, brushed brass and brushed bronze.
24 January 2025
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