Radiator installation for heating is one of the most effective solutions for not being cold. In Malaga we have humid winters due to our proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, which makes the thermal sensation much colder. Let’s see which are the most modern solutions to improve the comfort without the uncontrolled consumption of gas or electricity.
Low Temperature Radiators
If your budget is tight, low temperature radiators are the first option you should consider. A traditional radiator circulates hot water through its pipes at about 70º centigrade (158 °F), whereas a low-temperature radiator only needs to reach about 40º centigrade (104 °F).
Both types of radiators provide constant heat, but traditional radiators connected to a gas or oil boiler consume much more energy. That’s why we turn them on and off only when we are cold. On the other hand, a low-temperature radiator is on all the time, and still consumes less energy, because they heat up much faster and work with warm water.
The difference is enormous, because with a low temperature radiator your home or business remains at a constant temperature throughout the cold months. Forget about having to turn on the boiler or program it to heat your home in the shortest time possible. With low temperature radiators you always have a stable and comfortable temperature.
If any of the family members spend many hours at home, if you work from home, if you have pets, or simply if you want to come home and enjoy a pleasant temperature during the day and at night, invest in low temperature radiators.
Low temperature heat pump radiators
If your budget allows it, our advice is to invest in low temperature heat pump radiators. In the previous section we have already explained the main advantages of this type of radiators. Now imagine that up to 75% of the heat energy that your radiator needs is obtained from the outside air, even if you have -20 ºC! (-4 ºF), this is achieved by a heat pump air conditioning.
Air source heat pump is classified as “renewable energy” because it has no emissions and most of the energy produced by these heat pumps are obtained from the air. The heating by air source heat pump with low temperature radiators is one of the most efficient systems of heating of the market.
These are the most outstanding advantages of the low temperature radiators that we install in Marbella:
- Up to 80% less water: As it contains less water the boiler needs to heat a smaller volume. This reduces consumption and allows the desired temperature to be reached in less time.
- Silent operation: Despite having several fans inside the device to improve its performance, they are totally silent.
- Simple and intuitive control panel: To make it easy to turn on, turn off or set the temperature and operating mode.
- Several operation modes: According to your needs it can be programmed to work in economic mode, at maximum power if it is very cold or for example in automatic mode to reach the desired temperature as soon as possible and then maintain it.
- Automatic standby: If the boiler controls the temperature, the appliance detects the flow cut-off and goes into standby mode.
- No risk of burns: If there are children in the house it is better to have radiators whose surface does not burn.
- Less dryness in the air: As they do not use water so hot the air they emit is less dry than with conventional radiators.
- Aesthetically more attractive: Its reduced size and the fact of having the sockets and fittings hidden provide an avant-garde aesthetic.
This type of equipment can work with gas or diesel boilers, but ideally they should be connected to more efficient and ecological systems such as air source heat pump, solar or geothermal energy.
Is it better underfloor heating or radiator installation?
Both radiators and underfloor heating use hot water to heat the rooms. However, the first difference that we find is that the water that circulates through the radiators has a temperature of between 60 ºC and 80 ºC centigrade depending on whether they are aluminum or steel. On the other hand, the water circulates through the floor heating pipes at between 30 ºC and 40ºC.
It is logical that radiators connected to a gas boiler or an electrical system will consume much more energy than a radiant floor. If you are remembering the low temperature radiators, indeed, they work with a similar temperature and therefore we can also connect them to an air source heat pump.
What is cheaper: underfloor heating or radiators? The economic investment is greater in the installation of underfloor heating than radiators. However, it is a question of making some simple calculations taking into account the energy saving. In a few years, the investment in a radiant floor will probably have been amortized.
But not everything is a question of saving, another big difference is the heat emission surface. While a radiator limits its emission surface to the size of the appliance, a radiant floor uses all the square metres of a room as a heat source. This is because we circulate hot water through a circuit of pipes that we install under the floor.
How long does it take to heat the underfloor heating system? A radiant heating system works continuously to be more efficient. In a short time you will notice the hot floor, but to heat all the rooms you will need about 24 hours. From then on it remains stable throughout the autumn and winter, being much cheaper than turning on and off any other air conditioning equipment.
Another big advantage is that the underfloor heating distributes the heat evenly. It will not accumulate in areas as with a radiator or create drafts. It is the ideal option in new construction or if you are thinking of rehabilitating your home or business.
It is true that the installation of underfloor heating is more complex because it requires construction work, but if we take into account the long-term energy savings and the comfort of having the rooms always at a stable and pleasant temperature, it is really worth it.
If this type of solution interests you and you would like to have a quote, please contact us. The Climanova one of our specialties are the heating systems. We are experts installing heating equipment with air source heat pump in Malaga.
