Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many
radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m | +w
^|---wwwww---| dining +w
| +w 5m
3| |
m| Kitchen |
| |
| |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume
is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator
would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

TIA, W

In article , W
writes
Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many
radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m | +w
^|---wwwww---| dining +w
| +w 5m
3| |
m| Kitchen |
| |
| |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume
is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator
would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

I'd be inclined to use two, but where I placed them and the size split
would depend on how the room is used, focal points, where the kitchen
units are and how draughty the doors & windows are.

In the absence of other info I'd say one rad of 2/3 the size of the room
loss about halfway along the 6m wall, probably slightly closer to the
kitchen end. The other rad (1/3 size) as you suggest under the window to
compensate for the window & door losses.

HTH
--
fred

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

Personally, I would consider using a fan convector under a kitchen unit.
Uses otherwise wasted space and will heat the entire room on its own.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).


Personally, I would consider using a fan convector under a kitchen unit.
Uses otherwise wasted space and will heat the entire room on its own.

Christian.


I like that idea - are these just a small rad with a cylindrical blower?
Are they reasonably quiet?

--
Dave S
(The return email address is a dummy)

Personally, I would consider using a fan convector under a kitchen unit.
Uses otherwise wasted space and will heat the entire room on its own.

I should add that the main disadvantages are noise, expense and more
complicated control gear. The advantages are use of wasted space, extremely
rapid heatup of the room, and keeping the entire living space clear of
visible radiators.

The noise is no problem in a kitchen but would be a problem in a lounge IMO
(with quiet sections on the DVD). The effect in a dining area is personal
taste, but you'll already have a fridge in there, which is probably as loud
as the heater anyway. They aren't nearly as loud as a portable electric fan
heater.

http://www.myson.co.uk/Kickspace.pdf

Christian.

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:21:14 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , W
writes
Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many
radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m | +w
^|---wwwww---| dining +w
| +w 5m
3| |
m| Kitchen |
| |
| |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume
is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator
would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

I'd be inclined to use two, but where I placed them and the size split
would depend on how the room is used, focal points, where the kitchen
units are and how draughty the doors & windows are.

In the absence of other info I'd say one rad of 2/3 the size of the room
loss about halfway along the 6m wall, probably slightly closer to the
kitchen end. The other rad (1/3 size) as you suggest under the window to
compensate for the window & door losses.

Thanks for the response. The kitchen units & doors (will) occupy all
of the left hand side of the plan and most of the 6m wall. The right
hand wall will be clear.

I thought to put the biggest rad under the window for 2/3 heat and a
smaller one opposite it like this (+=rad and ~=units).

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m |+ +w
^|---wwwww---|+ dining +w
|~~~~~~~~~~~ +w 5m
3|~ |
m|~Kitchen |
|~ |
|~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

Cheers, W

The noise is no problem in a kitchen but would be a problem in a lounge
IMO
They aren't nearly as loud as a portable electric fan
heater.

My Smiths one is, I am *very* disappointed by it and considering going back
to rads. It's not the mounting or resonance in the grill. It's as loud as
the cooling (not oven) fan on my Kenwood range cooker (and that is saying
something).

I did have a very nice quite wall-mounted Myson fan radiator in an earlier
house.

In article , W
writes
On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:21:14 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , W
writes
Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many
radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m | +w
^|---wwwww---| dining +w
| +w 5m
3| |
m| Kitchen |
| |
| |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume
is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator
would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

I'd be inclined to use two, but where I placed them and the size split
would depend on how the room is used, focal points, where the kitchen
units are and how draughty the doors & windows are.

In the absence of other info I'd say one rad of 2/3 the size of the room
loss about halfway along the 6m wall, probably slightly closer to the
kitchen end. The other rad (1/3 size) as you suggest under the window to
compensate for the window & door losses.

Thanks for the response. The kitchen units & doors (will) occupy all
of the left hand side of the plan and most of the 6m wall. The right
hand wall will be clear.

I thought to put the biggest rad under the window for 2/3 heat and a
smaller one opposite it like this (+=rad and ~=units).

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m |+ +w
^|---wwwww---|+ dining +w
|~~~~~~~~~~~ +w 5m
3|~ |
m|~Kitchen |
|~ |
|~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |


The trouble with that is you're concentrating all the heat output
at one end/corner of the room and I think that comfort level will suffer
at the far end towards the other door. Ok the kitchen is a work area and
so living level heat is not so important but I think you will be
disappointed (if you are as fussy as me ;-).

You seem keen to keep the rads in that area so I would suggest beefing
up the one on the LHS of the dining area and make the one under the
window just big enough to compensate for the window loss (750W?). That
makes the main heat more central to the room and more likely to flow
around. I'd make it a large one (area) which I feel makes for better
comfort and mount it as close to the corner as poss, even extend it onto
the kitchen units if they are to finish flush to that wall. If you are
going for a tiled floor I would consider placing a tall, narrow rad on
the end of the unit by the door on the 6m wall to give some heat there.

I'm not a fan of kickspace heaters.

How's that?

ps: Now you're going to tell me the area by the door is reserved for
coat storage, yeah?
--
fred

In article , fred writes
If you are
going for a tiled floor I would consider placing a tall, narrow rad on
the end of the unit by the door on the 6m wall to give some heat there.

Sorry, I have assumed that this is an external door (with patio leading to
neatly trimmed lawn in my minds eye), no need for this measure if this is
not the case.
--
fred

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 21:48:34 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , W
writes
On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:21:14 GMT, fred wrote:
-- snip --
Thanks for the response. The kitchen units & doors (will) occupy all
of the left hand side of the plan and most of the 6m wall. The right
hand wall will be clear.

I thought to put the biggest rad under the window for 2/3 heat and a
smaller one opposite it like this (+=rad and ~=units).

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m |+ +w
^|---wwwww---|+ dining +w
|~~~~~~~~~~~ +w 5m
3|~ |
m|~Kitchen |
|~ |
|~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |


The trouble with that is you're concentrating all the heat output
at one end/corner of the room and I think that comfort level will suffer
at the far end towards the other door. Ok the kitchen is a work area and
so living level heat is not so important but I think you will be
disappointed (if you are as fussy as me ;-).

I agree the placement of the rads is not ideal but I am constrained by
placement of units and appliances. The 3x3 kitchen area was never
heated and we put up with that for many years so any heat will be
better! The dining area is part of an extension which has recently
been built. The walls at the top and right of the plan are external
and the other walls are internal which is why I planned to place
radiators thus. There is also lots of glass in the dining area. I
don't mind the kitchen area being cooler than the dining part.

You seem keen to keep the rads in that area so I would suggest beefing
up the one on the LHS of the dining area and make the one under the
window just big enough to compensate for the window loss (750W?). That
makes the main heat more central to the room and more likely to flow
around. I'd make it a large one (area) which I feel makes for better
comfort and mount it as close to the corner as poss, even extend it onto
the kitchen units if they are to finish flush to that wall. If you are
going for a tiled floor I would consider placing a tall, narrow rad on
the end of the unit by the door on the 6m wall to give some heat there.

Another option is to put a break in the units in the 6m wall and place
a rad there. However the fridge will go along there and I don't want
the rad right next to that. Maybe a tall narrow rad on the wall
there?

I'm not a fan of kickspace heaters.

I've thought of one of those but the cost and the awkwardness of
installation has put me off trying this.

How's that?

Thanks.

ps: Now you're going to tell me the area by the door is reserved for
coat storage, yeah?

No :-) Fridge/freezer will be near there and/or built in cupboard to
hide stairs above. These will protrude down from the ceiling above.

Cheers, W

I like that idea - are these just a small rad with a cylindrical blower?
Are they reasonably quiet?

Take a look at the link I posted. It is the Myson kickspace. They are really
quite small. They are flat to fit under the cupboards, with a water to air
heat exchanger (i.e. the "radiator") and a fan blowing over them. They also
have a few controls, such as a temperature switch that prevents the fan
going until the hot water comes through.

They need some external controls, too. They should really have a zone valve,
connected to a room stat, or they will hog the hot water even when the fan
is off. It is preferable to have them on their own zone, although this is
not required. If they do have their own zone, then use a programmable stat
for fully independent timing.

Noisewise, they're fine for a kitchen. I wouldn't want one in a lounge or
bedroom, where absolute silence is required. The noise is similar in volume
to that of a modern fridge.

Christian.

W wrote:

Hi,

I have a new kitchen/dining room and I am trying to decide how many
radiators to place in this room.

The room is L-shaped (forgive the ascii art!) :

|--- door----| ^
| |
3m | +w
^|---wwwww---| dining +w
| +w 5m
3| |
m| Kitchen |
| |
| |
V|-door-------------------| V
| -------- 6m ------ |

(w=window)

Therefore I estimate that the floor area is 24m^2 and the room volume
is 55m^3. From my heat loss calculations I guess that a 3 kW radiator
would be sufficient.

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).

TIA, W



I have a similar sized room, and fully insulated to modern standards it
takes about a kilowatt and a half to heat it.

If its an old building, maybe up to 6KW.

Your 3KW figure is probably a good answer. Over radiatoring does no harm
apart from te asthertics and initial cost. Assuming you have some form
of thermostatic control.

Dave wrote:

Christian McArdle wrote:

My question is would 1 rad be enough or should I use 2?
(The + symbol shows where I would place the single radiator
below a window).



Personally, I would consider using a fan convector under a kitchen unit.
Uses otherwise wasted space and will heat the entire room on its own.

Christian.


I like that idea - are these just a small rad with a cylindrical blower?
Are they reasonably quiet?

Yes, and they are reasonably quite, but not silent.

I have wll mounted ines up stairs here, and they don't wake me up.

They do resnate in wodden walls though a bit...

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 19:41:43 -0000, "Newshound"
wrote:

The noise is no problem in a kitchen but would be a problem in a lounge
IMO
They aren't nearly as loud as a portable electric fan
heater.

My Smiths one is, I am *very* disappointed by it and considering going back
to rads. It's not the mounting or resonance in the grill. It's as loud as
the cooling (not oven) fan on my Kenwood range cooker (and that is saying
something).

Hi,

Does it have a tangential (cylindrical) fan?

cheers,
Pete.