Plinth Heaters

[ianmcd]

Do these not get bunged up with dust?
Are they noisy?
Do they push dust and fluff around the kitchen?
Can they be integrated with your normal heating controls or are they independent?
Are they reliable and easy to maintain?

Are they better as a booster rather than a sole heat source?

Interesting idea though.

depends on where the unit draws its air intake from, you can use a dust filter at the air intake point if you want, I have.
as for controls most have an on/off switch and a thermostat on the facia, when switched on the fan wont operate untill the heat matrix has reached whatever temp you have set it to, so if the boiler isnt running the plinth heater fan wont come on until the heating does.

as for noise some have a modulating fan, some have a fixed speed fan (usually low and high ) selected on the front panel, the modulating ones are pretty quiet.

much more efficient than a radiator, as already said downside is the dog he loves it and lays in front of it, defeating the whole concept

 

[Madrab]

designer radiators and towel rails are the most mis-understood heat emitters available, in the norm they are absolute crap at space heating, towel warmers are for warming towels, they are not a replacement for a radiator, some vertical designer rads weigh the same as a small car , but dont actually give out much usefull heat

Couldn't agree more - everyone loves the look of the designer rads but they are fooled into thinking that because the output is the same as they normal radiators that they will heat the space the same, unfortunately in most cases they don't.

Normal paneled/finned (type 21/22) radiators are, in my opinion, mis named as they are in truth not radiators but more convectors, as most of their heating comes from the convection of the air rather than radiation (typically 80%/20% respectively). Modern designer column/tubed version are more radiators as most of their heat is delivered by radiation rather than convection (typically the opposite 20%/80% respectively) so they are, in my experience, very poor at heating spaces and the larger the space the less effective they are.

I have been called to replace designer rads that replaced standard rads as they just don't heat the larger spaces they were installed into properly. Especially in the older >3m ceiling height rooms in the older Glasgow tenement and W/E flats.

 

[BlueLoo]

depends on where the unit draws its air intake from, you can use a dust filter at the air intake point if you want, I have.
as for controls most have an on/off switch and a thermostat on the facia, when switched on the fan wont operate untill the heat matrix has reached whatever temp you have set it to, so if the boiler isnt running the plinth heater fan wont come on until the heating does.

as for noise some have a modulating fan, some have a fixed speed fan (usually low and high ) selected on the front panel, the modulating ones are pretty quiet.

much more efficient than a radiator, as already said downside is the dog he loves it and lays in front of it, defeating the whole concept

Great reply.
Thanks.

 

[ianmcd]

Couldn't agree more - everyone loves the look of the designer rads but they are fooled into thinking that because the output is the same as they normal radiators that they will heat the space the same, unfortunately in most cases they don't.

Normal paneled/finned (type 21/22) radiators are, in my opinion, mis named as they are in truth not radiators but more convectors, as most of their heating comes from the convection of the air rather than radiation (typically 80%/20% respectively). Modern designer column/tubed version are more radiators as most of their heat is delivered by radiation rather than convection (typically the opposite 20%/80% respectively) so they are, in my experience, very poor at heating spaces and the larger the space the less effective they are.

I have been called to replace designer rads that replaced standard rads as they just don't heat the larger spaces they were installed into properly. Especially in the older >3m ceiling height rooms in the older Glasgow tenement and W/E flats.

Oh I just love those flats, high ceilings, Lathing plaster walls and 8mm feed and returns, and they expect you to fit a 2 tonne designer rad in fucia to match the cats collar and they can walk about naked because it is so hot

 

[NewhouseOldhouse]

I am putting plinth heater (central heating connection) as well as a vertical designer rad so I think the plinth from them posts this will be the main heat source.

Sure when I come in on a cold night I can stand up against the designer one

 

[ianmcd]

I am putting plinth heater (central heating connection) as well as a vertical designer rad so I think the plinth from them posts this will be the main heat source.

Sure when I come in on a cold night I can stand up against the designer one

My kitchen is an extension, it is 36m2 has a standard 600 x 1600 double convector rad and a plinth heater, room doubles as a den, I am sitting here now and the plinth heater is just ticking over and it lovely and cosy, back in the day we used to install wall mounted fan assisted rads , exact same principle as a plinth heater, you also got some that fitted above doorways for shops etc, the fan really does make a massive difference to the heat transfer into the room , just dont let the dog in if he is wet, stinks the place out

 

[NewhouseOldhouse]

Ianmcd

My kitchen is an extension, it is 36m2 has a standard 600 x 1600 double convector rad and a plinth heater, room doubles as a den, I am sitting here now and the plinth heater is just ticking over and it lovely and cosy, back in the day we used to install wall mounted fan assisted rads , exact same principle as a plinth heater, you also got some that fitted above doorways for shops etc, the fan really does make a massive difference to the heat transfer into the room , just dont let the dog in if he is wet, stinks the place out

What plinth heater do you have? Is there a link for it online?

 

[Madrab]

Lathing plaster walls

Yeah, what's that all about ... Did 2 flats in byres road for a LL a few years ago. You know the ones with the floors that slope so much you can run a ball down them and it's only cash buyers as no build soc will touch them. Thought that most walls would be load bearing, in with the 100mm drill, nothing , in with the 600mm drill, right through to the other side ... oops , found out that it was only the centre spine from front door to far wall was solid, the others were all lathe.

Gave the LL a call and told him he'd need a joiner to cut out the sections of wall and find/fit batons and 22mm ply and hang the rads off of that. Went back, LL had got the joiner to hang the rads using butterfly anchors and put up signs telling the tenants not to hang anything or lean on them Yeah good luck with that, knowing what students can be like, told him I couldn't take any responsibility for it and put that into the invoice.

 

[ianmcd]

Ianmcd


What plinth heater do you have? Is there a link for it online?

I have this one, but I didnt buy it, mates old fella was getting a new kitchen and wanted a conventional radiator so he could hang towels on, (I know) but the customer is always right, I inherited it and fitted it in my own place, its great but you can get just as good for around the £70 mark, its simply a heating matrix like your car with a fan, nothing special about them

https://www.plumbworld.co.uk/smiths...ctrZhBAiAh2ZYua6AWuOLw6nJJJ6a7RsaAsEzEALw_wcB

 

[ianmcd]

@Madrab I had an old lad asked if I could move a rad for him as his wife was getting a stair lift chair thing fitted and it needed the rad moved, said yes no problem, he says can you take the frame off and I will get it painted white before you fit it again, I said what frame, he says its nofyne walls, I said sorry pal but no chance, I have learnt not to go near them, a week later he says bloody plumber has left us in such a mess we have a huge hole in the wall where he drilled for the radiator frame to go, I just smiled and said well you were told

 

[Madrab]

@ianmcd ... read about that stuff, luckily Ive yet to come across it, heard chaps talk about the notorious Wimpey Nofines. Recent one I went to, nice lady wanted an anthracite column rad in the hall, as you suggested, the 2 ton nightmares. Tapped the wall. Plasterboard, couldn't find any batons, took one of the sockets off .... turned out it's all Europanel. Whole load of the 'new' builds in the 90's in the estate were all built with them and I'm talking > 500K detached builds. They're all timber & light/med density block and Europanelled. Cheap as chips nonsense but where they are they're worth a packet, it's all mad mental so it is. Told her it couldn't be done without some major support added.

Adamant she wanted it, only way I could really do it without framing was 18mm ply strips on the wall inside the cupboard and screwed through the wall into it, so far so good

 

[ianmcd]

@ianmcd ... read about that stuff, luckily Ive yet to come across it, heard chaps talk about the notorious Wimpey Nofines. Recent one I went to, nice lady wanted an anthracite column rad in the hall, as you suggested, the 2 ton nightmares. Tapped the wall. Plasterboard, couldn't find any batons, took one of the sockets off .... turned out it's all Europanel. Whole load of the 'new' builds in the 90's in the estate were all built with them and I'm talking > 500K detached builds. They're all timber & light/med density block and Europanelled. Cheap as chips nonsense but where they are they're worth a packet, it's all mad mental so it is. Told her it couldn't be done without some major support added.

Adamant she wanted it, only way I could really do it without framing was 18mm ply strips on the wall inside the cupboard and screwed through the wall into it, so far so good

just got to love new builds, 10mm pe everywhere, fixings impossible, and then add the internet showing massive designer rads, thermlite blocks, what could possibly go wrong princess

 

[Deleted member 292770]

@ianmcd ... read about that stuff, luckily Ive yet to come across it, heard chaps talk about the notorious Wimpey Nofines. Recent one I went to, nice lady wanted an anthracite column rad in the hall, as you suggested, the 2 ton nightmares. Tapped the wall. Plasterboard, couldn't find any batons, took one of the sockets off .... turned out it's all Europanel. Whole load of the 'new' builds in the 90's in the estate were all built with them and I'm talking > 500K detached builds. They're all timber & light/med density block and Europanelled. Cheap as chips nonsense but where they are they're worth a packet, it's all mad mental so it is. Told her it couldn't be done without some major support added.

Adamant she wanted it, only way I could really do it without framing was 18mm ply strips on the wall inside the cupboard and screwed through the wall into it, so far so good

fitted 3 450 mm panel rads to pb drylining yesterday. must have been 25kg empty.
hung them with heavy duty pb frame fixers using the setting tool and penny washers. They’re still up anyway..... so far.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

They’re ok just to take the chill out of the air. flexis kink due to lack of space, they’re noisy too.

 

[ianmcd]

They’re ok just to take the chill out of the air. flexis kink due to lack of space, they’re noisy too.

Not if installed correctly they wont