How To Squeeze Some Extra Warmth Out of the Heating System

As cold weather rolls around, warming the house becomes top-priority and the heating system plays a key role in the process. Of course, you need to fix any stress cracks in your windows, gaps in your floorboards, and such. However, a faulty heating system will take you nowhere.

In this article, Cook It will explain how you can improve the performance of your heating system. We will talk about how to make your radiators as warm as possible. If you use them for heating, you’ll learn to do so with maximum efficiency.

There are several simple yet effective ways to improve the heat transfer of radiators significantly and squeeze some extra warmth out of your radiators. Besides, they are budget-friendly, which is always a plus.

Air Circulation

Blackout curtains may be the reason for low heat exchange efficiency, as they may disrupt air circulation. The airflow does not directly blow warm air into the room. It turns out that the radiator warms itself, not the surrounding space.

Furthermore, your room may not seem warm enough due to the depth of the windowsill or niche in which your radiator sits. Unfortunately, you hiding your radiator in one leads to lower heat exchange efficiency. Our advice is to try to find balance: lighter curtains or window sill design that allows the airflow from the radiator to circulate freely.

Spacing From Wall

Radiator and other heating devices instruction manuals always indicate the mandatory distance from the wall. Do not disregard these directions — they are there for a reason. Moreover, complying with the required depth from the wall is crucial — it is due to this parameter that the radiator uses its capabilities to the maximum.

The distance from the wall to the back of the radiator must be at least 2 inches. The same applies to the length from the floor — at least 2 inches, as well. Be sure to refer to your instruction manual and carefully monitor all the mandatory gaps during installation. If the window sill protrudes beyond the radiator, it is necessary to increase the distance to the window by one inch for every half-inch of the protrusion. Thus, the window sill will not interfere with the circulation of the warm air.

Reflectors

You can use foil reflectors to squeeze some extra warmth out of your radiators — they increase the efficiency of the heating system. They serve as a barrier between the radiator and the wall, ensuring that they do not take the useful heat onto themselves. Furthermore, reflectors tend to increase the temperature in the room and reduce the energy spent on heating by about 5 percent.

Radiator Cleanliness

It is a known fact: dusty radiators tend to be 7-10 % less efficient. Dirt and dust negatively affect heat transfer. As cliche as it may sound, you need to clean your radiator thoroughly to ensure it warms up better. Besides, keeping it clean will make it last longer.

Changing the Radiator Cover

Radiator covers can be diagonal, side, or bottom, and only the first provides maximum heat transfer. It ensures that the air flows freely through all sections of the radiator. Nowadays, it is the most efficient radiator cover.

These methods significantly increase the quality of heat transfer, improving the performance of your heating system by tens of percent. Consider using a combination of these tips for maximum efficiency. By the way, if, after doing all that, your radiators still work poorly, it is worth flushing the system and filters. Hopefully, you’ve found this information useful. Keep warm, because winter is coming!

Valerie

I am an English major with a love of languages and fiction, and with an incurable travel bug. In my free time, I read fantasy, drink copious amounts of coffee, and like to go see movies. Culinary art means everything to me. My main hypostasis is the taster, though. The music school has taught me to appreciate the symphony of airy meringues, to create harmonious overtures of light snacks, hard rock of meat, fish, and vegetables on the grill. Choir classes have accustomed me to hear and feel the people nearby and create perfect harmonies of sounds.