Everywhere we look these days, there is another news headline which emphasises the dire state or both the economy and the environment. And as a result of the current economic and environmental landscape, many financially sensitive and environmentally conscientious home owners are taking steps to save energy and its associated costs.

Radiators are a Great Way to Save Money While Saving the Planet

Home radiators are an ideal way to heat a room that bears no fireplace, central heating, or baseboard heaters. Furnaces would have been a better alternative. Many homeowners find it easier to find furnace repair in Fargo ND (or elsewhere). Now, coming back to radiators, they're also a great way to cut energy costs, however only if the right home radiator unit is selected for any given room.

Additionally, you might also think about installing a radiator system where the boiler is fuelled by heating oil. That way, you could cut your electricity costs since you would be heating the water with heating oil (which you can get from Romeo's Fuel delivery firm or others like them) rather than electricity.

Water and steam generally hold a warm temperature longer than air on its own, and the metal or cast iron radiator units that route this hot liquid through your home only serve to amplify the lifespan of the heat they create.

On the contrary, if a home radiator unit is not of ample dimensions or thickness it may struggle to heat a room –thus terminating the benefit of using a home radiator system in the first place.

If you are currently looking for a quality home radiator to save on energy costs and stay snugly during the winter months you may want to consider a browse through radiatorfactory.net's diverse collection of radiators which are suitable for all room sizes. They've got a pretty comprehensive selection that suits a variety of tastes and room requirements.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate which radiators work best in a room, and how the size of your home radiator truly matters.

BTU: British Thermal Unit - A BTU is a standardised unit for measuring work which is equal to approximately 1055 joules. By "work", we mean that it is the amount of work (energy) required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Another simple way to look at BTU: 1 4" wood match burned down to its end creates 1 BTU.

Yes, Size Matters (and Thickness Does, Too!)

First let's explore radiator sizing and how to select an amply sized radiator unit for any given room;

IDEAL TEMPERATURES

21 Celsius: The ideal temperature for your lounge, bathroom, and dining room

16 Celsius: The ideal temperature for your kitchen, stairs, and bedrooms

MULTIPLICATION FACTORS

In order to discern the right BTU output, first you'll need to figure out the cubic feet of a room, and then multiply that number of cubic feet by a "multiplication factor". These figures are general, and may vary from one professional to another.

Once you've multiplied the cubic feet by these multipliers and added or subtracted a % based on room factors you will have a number for the BTUs required for that room.

L x W x H = Cubic feet

5x: Lounges, dining rooms

4x: Bedrooms

3x: Kitchens and common areas

15%: Added for rooms facing North

20%: Added for rooms with French windows

10%: Removed if glass windows and doors are "double glazed"

THICKNESS AND SURFACE AREA

The two key factors which will help you get the most out of your radiator are the thickness of the materials used to construct it, and its surface area. This is why cast iron columned radiators have been a long time mainstay in the radiator industry; the thick cast iron holds and emits heat longer, and the columns create more surface area. (see details)

In Conclusion

Although measuring a room and figuring out what BTU count you require seem simple on paper, there are a number of other factors which can serve as game changers; thickness and surface area just bring two variables of which.

We suggest hiring a professional before you decide to move forward; trying to save a few bucks with an online BTU calculator could mean decades of dissatisfaction and freezing toes and finger tips!