RADIATORS WITHIN TIMBER BOXING????

[bobby62]

I have an old house where the existing radiators are under the windows behind wooden panels, none of the rads currently have TRV's.

I want to replace them all with new rads housed within the same boxing but I am aware that new installations need TRV's on the rads (other than the rad operating the stat.) How would this work when the radiators are fully contained behind timber panelling, would the TRV always think the room is up to temp - or should I just leave install them with no TRV's? It would be difficult to have the TRV's outside the boxing as the panelling is part of the cill and flush with the wall.

Also, how much should a radiator be oversized to cater for them being housed within the timber boxing?

 

[kirkgas]

not sure how much to oversize a rad within boxing in, but if you want to fit a remote TRV they are available from Danfoss for their low surface temp rads which are in effect a rad within a metal box which has a trv fitted to the rad and a trv head attached to the outside of the box connected to the valve by a sensor wire which picks up room temp and closes valve.

 

[swidders]

not sure how much to oversize a rad within boxing in, but if you want to fit a remote TRV they are available from Danfoss for their low surface temp rads which are in effect a rad within a metal box which has a trv fitted to the rad and a trv head attached to the outside of the box connected to the valve by a sensor wire which picks up room temp and closes valve.

Agree about the remote thermostat. Since the entire box is likely to become a (Low Temp) heat emiter, I doubt that you need to oversize the rad at all - it will just take longer to get the room up to temp, but once achieved it will stabilize since the output will be sufficient.

The only design consideration that would concern me (and maybe this will contradict my paragraph above) is about the restriction in airflow through the fins in a confined space, in their contribution towards convection currents. Therefore i suspect that rad with few fins will work more efficiently than others.

 

[big-all]

if there are no grills to allow the heat to escape can you not introduce some !!!

on the front for radiation top and bottom for convection

 

[D_Hailsham]

This shows how much heat is lost if rads are boxed in. Your rads may already be sized to take this into account.

Drayton also make TRVs with remote sensors.

View media item 8482

 

[Agile]

Agree about the remote thermostat. Since the entire box is likely to become a (Low Temp) heat emiter, I doubt that you need to oversize the rad at all - it will just take longer to get the room up to temp, but once achieved it will stabilize since the output will be sufficient.

I would expect that if the room is taking longer to get up to temperature then thats because the radiator output is a lot lower!

My experience is that most of them reduce the output by about 50% and so I think that anyone who wants them is mad!

 

[swidders]

Agree about the remote thermostat. Since the entire box is likely to become a (Low Temp) heat emiter, I doubt that you need to oversize the rad at all - it will just take longer to get the room up to temp, but once achieved it will stabilize since the output will be sufficient.

I would expect that if the room is taking longer to get up to temperature then thats because the radiator output is a lot lower!

My experience is that most of them reduce the output by about 50% and so I think that anyone who wants them is mad!

Fair point - what was I thinking Knew there was a flaw in my argument somewhere!!!!