How to turn a central heating radiator into an electric radiator

Electric radiators are an increasingly popular option. Consequently Feature Radiators offers a wide range of electric heater styles including a number of column, cast iron and traditional style radiators as we can provide a DIY electric element kit to convert some of our standard radiators into electric models.

This video shows you how to convert one of our central heating radiators into an electric version with the installation of an electric element. 

All our electric radiators can be controlled via PC, tablet or smartphone using our smart app technology and/or linked to form a centrally controlled electric heating system.  Call our expert team on 01274 567789 for more information or visit www.featureradiators.co.uk.

Production of our Tetro radiators - made from 100% recycled aluminium!

Did you know that every single one of our Tetro radiators is made from 100% recycled aluminium? Boasting good looks and eco-credentials, our elegant Tetro combines all the benefits of modern radiators with beautiful retro styling. It’s profile and filigree pattern reflect the cast iron radiators of old but being made from aluminium, the Tetro is slim, light and energy efficient. And it looks gorgeous too!


For more information on this product call 01274 567789 or visit our website, www.featureradiators.co.uk

How efficient are electric radiators?

Feature Radiators are a leading expert in electric radiators and electric heating systems and electric heating is becoming more common in homes in the UK.  So here our expert, Jason, provides a beginners guide to electric radiators, how to judge the efficiency and what choice in electric radiators are now available. 


Feature Radiators offers a huge range of models, sizes and finishes of electric radiators including traditional and contemporary radiators.  We also offer a range of different levels of controls for electric radiators including smart controls to enable radiators to be controlled via PC, tablet or smartphone.


For expert advice on electric radiators, please call our team on 01274 567789 or visit www.featureradiators.co.uk

Aluminium radiators

As the UK’s leading radiator specialist offering an array of aluminium radiators, Feature Radiators’ experts are often asked the following questions:

• What are the benefits of aluminium radiators?
• What is the difference between aluminium and steel or cast iron radiators?
• Is there anything I need to be aware of when buying aluminium radiators?

The benefits of using aluminium to make radiators

Aluminium’s physical properties make it a perfect material to construct a radiator from.  It offers the following positive characteristics:

• Recyclable – as aluminium can easily be re-worked, recycled aluminium is widely used in every day products including radiators;
• Inexpensive – using recycled aluminium keeps production costs down;
• Light-weight - this makes transportation and installation easier and, consequently, cheaper;
• Long guarantee periods – aluminium radiators come with guarantees of up to 10 years as this material has a protective film of surface oxide making it naturally resistant to corrosion, although, other inputs can cause a risk of corrosion.  See below for more information*;
• Quick to react or “thermally conductive” – aluminium ensures rapid heat transfer from the water within the radiator to the air in the room.  In practical terms this means that the radiators only need to be switched on just before the room is needed.  On the flip side, aluminium cools down equally quickly unlike cast iron which retains heat for hours.
• Variety of shapes and styles - aluminium is relatively soft, yet durable and has a high “ductile strength” meaning it can be stretched or “extruded” into long strips.  Therefore aluminium is often used in vertical radiator models and is commonly used for contemporary style “feature radiators”; and
• “Sectional” options - the “extrusion” process means that uniformly shaped sections can be formed and radiators can be of “sectional” construction.  A sectional aluminium radiator is assembled by joining any number of sections together to create the desired width; this allows for a vast selection of widths and means that radiators can be easily sized to fit onto existing pipework.  The same sectional construction method is used for cast iron and some steel radiators.  Scope for large radiators means that huge heat outputs can be achieved. 

Comparing aluminium to steel and cast iron

There is not one material that is better than the other; there are pros and cons for each.  Your choice will depend on your particular circumstances and specification.

• Price – there is a common misconception that the cost of a radiator is entirely dependent on the material it is made from but there are so many other factors at play. 
• Weight - Aluminium is light-weight whereas cast iron is heavy and steel sits somewhere between the two.
• Guarantee periods – aluminium radiators usually come with 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee but so do cast iron radiators.  Steel tend to come with less at 5 years as steel is more prone to corrosion, though if the radiator is installed and maintained properly, this should not be a problem. 
• Speed of reaction - aluminium heats up quickly, but then cools down quickly whereas cast iron takes longer to heat up, and retains the heat for longer after switch off.  Steel sits somewhere in the middle.
• Shapes and sizes - aluminium is relatively more ductile and malleable than steel and cast iron.   

*Prevention against corrosion

In order to comply with your radiator guarantee, your radiator must be installed in accordance with BS5449, section five commissioning, which is a process your installer should be fully aware of.  This means on completion of installation, the system should be properly flushed and filled to remove debris and minimize the presence of solid particles and chemical residue that may cause corrosion and damage within the system. 

Any radiator (except those on a secondary hot water system) must be used in conjunction with a suitable corrosion inhibitor. 

Corrosion inhibitor should be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations and should take into account the particular metals within the system.  Corrosion inhibitors are available from most plumbers’ merchants and DIY stores.

For more information on aluminium radiators, contact a radiator specialist such as Feature Radiators.  You can view over 250 models and receive expert advice at their showroom in Bingley, West Yorkshire or contact their sales team on 01274 567789 or through their website www.featureradiators.co.uk

The History of Radiators

When it comes to renovations, choosing the right radiators is now often considered along with the wallpaper and floor coverings. Many consumers are keen to select radiators from the right era, to bring stylish authenticity to a period property, or to opt for a funky radiator design, to add the wow-factor to a contemporary interior.

Research makes it clear that many changes have taken place in heating products over the years.

As many history buffs will be aware, the Romans were the one of the first to use “central heating” to warm their villas using a system called a hypocaust that used a furnace to heat air and conduct it through voids under floors. Similar systems were also used in ancient Korea, possibly even dating back to the Bronze Age. By 1700, Russian engineers had started designing water based systems for central heating.

Steam-heating systems were then developed and installed in the 1830s. The first was installed in the home of Governor of the Bank of England, John Horley Palmer, so that he could grow grapes in England's cold climate.

However, there are various people who are claimed to have invented the radiator as we would recognise it today. All evidence points to their development occurring sometime around the mid 19th Century.

Franz San Galli, a Polish-born Russian businessman, invented an early form of radiator between 1855-1857, and two distinguished inventors known as Joseph Nason and Robert Brigss also designed and produced a radiator using vertical wrought iron tubes screwed into a cast iron base in 1863. In 1872, Nelson H Bundy came up with the “Bundy Loop”, a popular cast iron radiator design that is still reflected in products we see today.

The Victorian period is greatly associated with the introduction of cast iron radiators that we are all familiar with and it was in this period that heating became not only a practical installation but also a decorative item.

However, it wasn’t until the 20th Century that radiators were popularised as even up to the 1970s comparatively few homes had central heating. Steel was then introduced as the most popular option for radiator manufacture in the UK, supporting the British steel industry. Consequently, pressed steel corrugated panels became commonplace, despite the prevalence of aluminium radiators elsewhere in Europe.

As interior fashions changed cast iron radiators were thought of being too big and obtrusive and steel radiators were consider ugly, so homeowners discarded them, boxed them in or simply painted them, but in the 21st Century we have seen the radiator market come full circle. Yet again radiators have become a desirable feature in our homes.

Cast iron remains a popular choice amongst today’s heating engineers and architects, particularly for older properties that could otherwise be prone to damp. Radiators made of cast iron stay warm long after the central heating has been turned off, providing a constant, gentle undulating heat, which retains the warmth in the fabric of the building, as well as heating the interior space. Today’s trend of restoring period properties back to their original splendour has re-launched the cast iron radiator that now claims pride of place in many homes.

Cast iron radiators available today are either “reclaimed”, meaning they have been salvaged from older buildings, or “reproduction”, meaning they are new but have been cast from original designs, with both options having a boom in popularity over the last decade. See our blog article “reclaimed vs. reproduction” for more information on this subject.

Contemporary radiators are now available in wide variety of wonderful shapes sizes and finishes, from sleek minimalist radiators that fit close to the wall to wow-factor feature radiators that make a unique and stunning statement.

Yet whatever style you opt for, be assured that there is no need to compromise on heat output, as good looks and performance are not mutually exclusive.

Radiators, be they Victorian in style or ultra-modern designs, no longer have a ‘humble’ status within a room; they are now an essential centrepiece that serves a functional purpose as well as being a stylish accessory to complement any interior.

For more information on radiators, be it reclaimed or reproduction cast iron, or the latest in designer models, then speak to an expert such as Feature Radiators. You can speak to their team in person and see over 250 models on display at their West Yorkshire showroom, call them on 01274 567789 or visit http://www.featureradiators.co.uk/

Painting cast iron radiators

So you have sourced some wonderful reclaimed cast iron radiators, or you want to refurbish your Victorian period radiators, but what is the best way of bringing them back to their former glory? What is the best way of painting cast iron radiators?

Below are a few tips to achieving a stunning yet hard-wearing finish on cast iron radiators.

1. DON’T power coat!

Some companies offer a powder coating service on cast iron radiators. This method can produce a fabulous finish, BUT... cast iron radiators are not designed to go through the high oven temperatures and prolonged baking process involved in powder coating. Many experts advise against this option as there is a very real risk that the seals between sections will be damaged during baking which will lead to leaking radiators. For this reason, powder coating will invalidate the manufacturer's guarantee on modern cast iron radiators.

2. DO use cellulose or acrylic based paint

There is no need to use expensive specialist radiator paints. You can achieve a perfect finish using cellulose-based paint or acrylic-based spray paint. For instance, car paint is perfect for radiators as it is designed to cope with extremes of temperature and be tough enough to withstand relatively intense wear and tear. If you like the look of powder coating, then a similar looking end result can be achieved by using products like "Plasti-kote", a spray paint available from many DIY stores.

3. DON’T use water based paint

If you use water based paint on cast iron you will almost certainly end up with orange “rust blooms”. Some “specialist” radiator paint is water based and even has a picture of a cast iron radiator on the tin but use this at your peril!

4. DO spray paint rather than brush paint

Cast iron’s textured finish is forgiving, so a good paint finish is easily achievable. If you are planning on painting the radiators yourself by hand, then we recommend using spray paint as it is difficult to reach into the middle columns and achieve a consistent finish using a brush.

For more information on painting cast iron radiators, then speak to an expert such as Feature Radiators. http://www.featureradiators.co.uk/ 01274 567789

Cracking radiators

Is Jack Frost nipping at your…radiators?

The recent cold snap and record-breaking low temperatures have led the British public to encounter a rarely seen phenomenon: cracking radiators! This is despite the radiators being inside a property and on a functioning central heating system.

But radiators are known as strong and durable pieces of engineering, so how can a radiator crack?

When water freezes: its volume expands by around 10%. A radiator full of water that is in a particularly cold room such as a conservatory, can freeze and the expansion of the freezing water can cause cracks; usually at weld points and seams on the radiator.

Radiator experts, Feature Radiators, recommend some options to prevent radiators freezing and the consequential damage.

Firstly, install a “frost stat”. This is a device that will override your regular central heating timer and thermostat by automatically switching on your central heating when it senses the temperature drop below a pre-determined amount.

Secondly, invest in some thermostatic valves as these have a “frost protection” setting. This means that when the thermostat on the valves measures the room temperature as approaching 0°C, the valve opens a little, allowing water into the radiator to ensure that it doesn’t freeze. However, this will only work when the central heating is “ON” as thermostatic valves are not able to turn the boiler on.

The frost protection setting on thermostatic valves is great for protecting your radiators and pipes during the day when your central heating system is switched on and working. However, a frost stat will ensure that you protect your radiators and pipes when your central heating system is switched off overnight or when you’re away during the winter and it is this period when most frost damage occurs.

Feature Radiators also recommends you consider frost damage when purchasing reclaimed cast iron radiators. These are often purchased from salvage yards and can be stored outdoors leading to cracking. Pressure testing of reclaimed radiators is essential to ensure that radiators are functioning correctly and that they are free from leaks.

For more information on radiators, contact specialists Feature Radiators on 01274 567789 or visit their website http://www.featureradiators.co.uk/.

Feature Radiators celebrates Central Heating Day!!

The 1st October is “Central Heating Day”, the day when many people turn on their central heating. And this year Feature Radiators marked the day with a party for their team and customers at their West Yorkshire showroom.

"Central heating has come on leaps and bounds just in the last decade." commented Helena Gerwitz, General Manager at Feature Radiators. “We wanted to celebrate Central Heating Day to help the public recognise the developments in central heating since its invention and how important it is to us all."

Feature Radiators is a clear illustration of how quickly the industry has been to respond to consumer demand for attractive, efficient, well designed radiators, with an impressive range of products made from a wide range of eco-friendly materials and including attractive valves with thermostatic controls. As well as the traditional heating systems that are powered by gas or oil, there are now some superb all electric systems that can take advantage of alternative fuels but can also act as “central heating”.

The celebration really kicked off the heating season as well as demonstrating the progress we have made in keeping our homes warm and cosy.

For more information contact Helena at Feature Radiators on 01274 515734 or email Helena@featureradiators.co.uk

http://www.featureradiators.co.uk/

What to look for when buying cast iron radiators

What should I look for to ensure I get good quality reliable cast iron radiators?

There are now some superb reproduction cast iron radiators on the market and some inferior products worth avoiding. Here are just a few pointers worth looking out for:

Always check that the radiators have been tested to the European Standard EN442. This provides assurance that the product has passed rigorous testing and is deemed fit for purpose. EN442 is also verification that the heat outputs stated are accurate.

All good quality radiators will come with a manufacturer’s guarantee against manufacturing defects. Make sure the manufacturer is reputable and well established and looks set to stay in business long enough to honour your guarantee should you need it.

For floor mounted cast iron radiators, look for integral feet, which are part of the casting, rather than bolt on extras. This adds to the authenticity of the product and to its overall look.

Finally, to complete the look, choose valves, which are in keeping with your radiators – there are now many period style valves on the market which benefit from modern technology.

For more information contact Feature Radiators, http://www.featureradiators.co.uk/, 01274 567789